Kampong Chhnang Floating Villages
Phoum Kandal & Chong Kos — Life on the Water, Without the Tour-Bus Crowds
Photo: Phi1free
Kampong Chhnang Floating Villages — Quick Facts
- What is it?
- village — Phoum Kandal & Chong Kos — Life on the Water, Without the Tour-Bus Crowds
- Where?
- Kampong Chhnang , Cambodia
- Entry Fee
- Boat hire around $10 per hour (up to three passengers)
- Opening Hours
- Daylight hours from the town dock
- Time Needed
- 1–2 hours on the water — one hour covers a village, two covers both
- Best Time
- Late afternoon light is beautiful; wet season (Jun–Oct) lifts the villages high on the water
- Don't Miss
- Being rowed between floating houses at dusk with no other tourist boat in sight
What to See on the Water
Two Villages, Two Communities
Phoum Kandal, closest to town, is largely an ethnic Vietnamese community; Chong Kos, upstream, is Khmer. Together they form a floating world of houses, shops, fish pens, petrol stalls and vegetable gardens on rafts — everything a land village has, buoyant.
The Boat Trip
Wooden boats with a boatman (often a boatwoman) hire directly at the town dock for about $10 an hour, taking up to three passengers. One hour is enough for a single village; 1.5–2 hours covers both at an unhurried drift. Some boats are rowed rather than motored — quieter, and better.
Why Here and Not Siem Reap
The floating villages nearer Siem Reap see fleets of tour boats and hard selling. Kampong Chhnang’s are the same way of life without the machinery around it — many visitors report not seeing another tourist on the water.
How to Get There
The boats leave from the dock on Kampong Chhnang’s riverfront, in front of the market area.
- From Kampong Chhnang town: Walk or tuk-tuk to the dock; boat operators will find you
- From Phnom Penh: About 90km — 2 hours by bus or minivan on National Road 5; feasible as a long day trip, better with an overnight
Practical Tips
- Agree the price and duration before boarding; $10/hour is the established rate
- These are homes, not exhibits — wave, smile, and keep the camera considerate
- Wet season raises the water and the villages float free and high; late dry season can leave the channel shrunken and muddy
- Combine with Ondong Rossey pottery village for the province’s classic one-two
Nearby Attractions
- Ondong Rossey Pottery Village — the famous red-clay pottery village 7km west of town
- Kampong Chhnang riverfront market — liveliest in the early morning
Nearby Attractions in Kampong Chhnang
village Ondong Rossey Pottery Village
The Village That Gave the "Pot Province" Its Name
other Farmhouse Resort & Spa (Smiling Gecko)
A Farm-to-Table Resort Where Every Stay Funds Rural Cambodian Futures
experience Keat Farm (Sheep Field)
A Thousand Sheep in the Cambodian Hills — the Country's Pioneering Flock
nature Sre Ampel Waterfall
Clear Mountain Pools at the Foot of the Aural Range
Useful Links
Practical Info
- Entry Fee
- Boat hire around $10 per hour (up to three passengers)
- Opening Hours
- Daylight hours from the town dock
- Time Needed
- 1–2 hours on the water — one hour covers a village, two covers both
- Best Time
- Late afternoon light is beautiful; wet season (Jun–Oct) lifts the villages high on the water
Include in Your Trip
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