- TURY.CLUB
- Tourist Objects
- Cambodia
- Siem Reap Province
- Tonle Sap Lake
Tonle Sap is the largest body of water on the Indochina Peninsula, also called the Cambodian Inland Sea. The name of the lake translates as "large fresh water." In western sources, Tonle Sap Lake is often featured as the "Big Lake". The area of the lake is 16 thousand square meters. km (for comparison, the area of the Moscow region is 47 thousand sq. km). The maximum depth of the lake is 9 meters. But these figures are valid only for the rainy season, when the lake is filled with water and in comparison with the dry season increases almost six times in area. For most of the year, the lake is relatively small (about 2700 sq. Km), and the depth of the lake at this time rarely exceeds 1 meter. Such a variable nature of the lake is due to the river of the same name flowing from it, which in the rainy season changes its direction and turns back, filling it with water and flooding the surrounding fields and forests. Thanks to this, good conditions are created for fish and for fishing. Tonle Sap Lake is one of the most productive freshwater resources for fishing in the world. In addition, due to the fact that fertile sludge settles on the surrounding lands after water drains and due to the constantly changing water level, people can grow rice on fertile soil after the water level drops in the dry season, produce mollusks and fish all year round. On the lake there is the only stone building that stands on high stilts - this is a Buddhist temple. Yet the rest of the buildings are floating and migrate throughout the year on the lake. Local residents, in fact, spend their whole lives on the water. To keep pace with the periodically moving coastline, they decided not to constantly move their houses, but simply build them on the water. The "foundations" of houses in floating villages are a cluster of boats, rafts and associated barrels. On them are located not only dwellings, but also small plots of land where local residents manage to grow vegetables, keep domestic animals and raise crocodiles. Shops, schools, temples, a police station, a village club, a restaurant for tourists and a small observation deck are built on the same rafts. Children go to a floating school, the path to which they overcome, swimming in large basins. Locals do not demand much from life. Their houses are protected from floods during the rainy season by stilts. Excellent ventilation in the room helps the lack of doors. And they do not care that the house does not have a TV, air conditioning and computer. Despite such terrible living conditions, the inhabitants of floating villages are invariably welcoming. They are content with what the lake provides and do not share male and female activities. All equally get food for the family. Regardless of the type of work, whether it is harvesting rice fields, fishing, weaving nets or making souvenirs, everyone works tirelessly, not paying any attention to tourists. And although the water in the lake is brown from silt and unsuitable for drinking, but the valleys are dotted with delightful glades of pink lotuses.
