Kampong Chhnang Floating Villages

Kampong Chhnang Floating Villages are traditional fishing and riverine settlements located on waterways connected to the Tonle Sap and the Mekong system near Kampong Chhnang, Cambodia. The communities are noted for houses, schools and markets adapted to seasonal changes in water level.

Tourists take boat trips to observe houses on stilts, floating platforms, and community life organized around fishing and aquaculture. Visitors also see seasonal floating markets, schools and small temples that rise and fall with the water, and watch craft activities such as basketry and boat repair.

The floating-village lifestyle developed over generations in response to the strong seasonal flood pulse of the Tonle Sap and adjacent waterways, with households adapting dwellings and economic activities to moving water levels. The settlements have long-standing ties to inland fisheries and river transport.

The villages lie in the Kampong Chhnang region of central Cambodia, on rivers and channels that connect to the Tonle Sap and Mekong systems, accessible by boat from riverside towns and provincial centres.

• Floating architecture: Villages and houses are built on stilts or float, adapting to the Tonle Sap flood pulse and seasonal changes in water level.
• Best viewing times: Boat tours are the common way to visit; mornings and late afternoons offer active local scenes with fishing and market activity.