Tonlé Sap Multi-Day Adventure: Floating Villages, Flooded Forest & Prek Toal

Hightlight

🌙 The Ultimate Overnight Escape Transform your visit into a true journey. Stay aboard the legendary Queen Tara Riverboat, waking up to a peaceful sunrise on the lake while other tourists are still in their hotels in the city.
🛶 Deep Discovery: Flooded Forests & Villages Go beyond the surface. Navigate the emerald “canopy tunnels” of the flooded forests and explore both floating and stilted communities like Kompong Phluk, seeing a way of life perfectly adapted to the rhythm of the water.
🦅 Wildlife Wonders at Prek Toal Visit the world-famous Prek Toal Bird Sanctuary, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. Witness some of the rarest water birds in Southeast Asia in their natural habitat—a must for nature lovers and photographers.
🍽️ All-Inclusive Floating Hospitality Leave your wallet behind. Enjoy a full itinerary of chef-prepared Khmer and Western meals, including a Sunset Dinner and a free-flow open bar as the sky turns to gold over the Great Lake.
🗺️ Expert-Led Immersion This isn’t just a boat ride. Our professional English-speaking guides are lake experts who provide deep cultural context, from the engineering of stilted houses to the secrets of the local fishing trade.
📸 Photographer’s Golden Hour Capture the Tonlé Sap at its most beautiful. From the vast, mirror-like horizons at sunset to the intimate, mist-covered stilted villages at dawn, you’ll have 360-degree views from the lake’s largest deck.

Itinerary

**Multi-Day Lake Discovery & Exploration Cruise

Tonlé Sap Lake • Flooded Forest • Prek Toal Bird Sanctuary

The most exciting and immersive way to discover the Tonlé Sap Lake.
This multi-day exploration cruise is designed for intrepid travelers, nature lovers, and anyone wanting to experience Cambodia’s floating world in the most authentic way possible.

From stilted villages to flooded forests, from sunset dinners on the Queen Tara to sunrise birdwatching with expert guides — this is a journey into a world few visitors ever get to see.

🌅 Day 1 — Floating Villages, Flooded Forest & Sunset Dinner Cruise

1:00 PM — Hotel Pick-Up

Your adventure begins with a comfortable pick-up from your Siem Reap hotel in an air-conditioned company minivan or tuk-tuk.

1:40 PM — Arrive at Kompong Phluk

Board your traditional Tara long-tail boat and glide into the famous Flooded Forest. Explore towering mangroves, stilted homes, and the serene waterways that define Kompong Phluk unique river culture.

3:00 PM — Cruise Across the Great Tonlé Sap Lake

Sail across Southeast Asia’s largest freshwater lake. Discover the rhythms of life on the water as you pass floating villages, fish farms, floating schools, and family homes.

5:00 PM — Arrive at the Queen Tara Riverboat

Check in to your private floating cabin aboard the majestic Queen Tara, equipped with en-suite bathrooms, hot water, fans, Wi-Fi, and clean 24-hour green solar power.

5:30 PM — Sunset Dinner on Queen Tara

Take in one of the most stunning sunsets in Cambodia. Enjoy a full dinner with unlimited drinks as the sky transforms over the lake. A peaceful, unforgettable night.

Overnight — Queen Tara Riverboat

Sleep under the stars in the heart of the floating villages — the only legally licensed home-stay cruise on the lake.

🐦 Day 2 — Prek Toal Village & Bird Sanctuary Expedition

6:00 AM — Sunrise on the Lake

Wake to the stillness of first light — the best time for spotting rare birds before the heat of the day.

6:30 AM — Breakfast on Queen Tara

Light breakfast served before departure.

7:00 AM — Long-Tail Cruise to Prek Toal

Travel along the scenic Sangkor River toward the protected wetlands of Prek Toal — Cambodia’s most important bird sanctuary.

8:00 AM — Prek Toal Floating Village Visit

Explore this remote floating community, learning how families live on the water year-round. Experience a world untouched by modern time.

9:00 AM — Bird Sanctuary Guided Tour

Led by our expert bird guides and accompanied by official rangers.
Spot endangered and migratory species such as:

Painted Storks
Greater & Lesser Adjutants
Black-headed Ibises
Milky Storks
Purple Herons
And many more seasonal visitors

This is the premier birding location in Cambodia — a dream for serious wildlife enthusiasts.

12:00 PM — Lunch Included

Enjoy a final lunch on the lake before returning to the Queen Tara.

1:00 PM — Begin Return to Siem Reap

A relaxing journey back across the great lake and along the river.

3:00 PM — Drop-Off at Your Hotel

Arrive back in Siem Reap with unforgettable memories of Cambodia’s floating world.

Why Choose Tara Riverboat Tours?

Only licensed operator offering guided home-stays on the Great Lake
We own all our own boats — no waiting for public boats
Ethical, community-supporting tourism
Professional, safe, reliable team
Authentic & unforgettable lake experiences
25 years plus experience

Sail Into Another World

A world time seems to have forgotten.
A world of floating villages, forests, birds, and endless water.

Join the Tara Riverboat for the ultimate Tonlé Sap adventure.

Includes & Excludes

Hotel pick-up and drop-off (Siem Reap city area)

All boat transfers

English-speaking local guide

Expert bird guides

Rangers and community fees and taxes

3 meals, (dinner, Breakfast and lunch)

Overnight stay on the Queen Tara Riverboat

24 hours Solar Powered Vessel and WIFI

Personnal purchases at floating markets

Tips/gratuities (optional)

Important Info

The Ultimate Bird Watching and Overnight Experience in Cambodia

For nature enthusiasts and intrepid travelers, our Multi-Day Tonlé Sap Discovery is the most comprehensive way to see the heart of Cambodia. While most visitors only see the edge of the lake, this tour takes you deep into the Prek Toal Core Bird Reserve, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. As the only licensed operator offering overnight stays on the Great Lake, Tara Boat provides a rare opportunity to witness the lake at dawn—the peak time for bird activity and photography.

Our expert birding guides work alongside local Rangers to ensure you see the rarest migratory species, including Spot-billed Pelicans and Black-headed Ibises. Staying overnight on the Queen Tara Riverboat allows you to skip the long early-morning commute from the city, putting you exactly where the wildlife is at sunrise. From the sustainable solar-powered cabins to the ethical support of local floating schools, this expedition is designed for those who want to experience the authentic floating world of Cambodia with comfort, safety, and a deep respect for the environment.

Tonlé Sap Multi-Day Adventure: Floating Villages, Flooded Forest & Prek Toal

Price List

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Package Relates

$119 per person

Private River Cruise: Siem Reap to Battambang | Sangkae River & Floating Villages

You will be picked up at your Hotel in Siem Reap or Battambang by our Tara lake guide just prior to 7:30 AM and be taken to our boat, we pick up in either tuk tuks or cars or mini vans depending on number of guests, the boats we use for this tour have western toilets on board, fully covered and comfortable seating for your comfort, luggage is not a problem, the cruise itself is awesome, lots to see along the way of this beautiful Sangkor River, as the only way to these villages are by boat, its basically untouched over time, You will enter a time forgotten, numerous sights and sounds, wildlife a plenty, water buffalo, jumping fish, the odd Siamese Crocodile, large endangered water birds, so many sights to see, once in a life time cruise, adventure and a real eye opener, numerous floating villages, Pergolas, fishing in the traditional ways and much more, your journey will be a life memory that few get to enjoy, be guided throughout your tour by a qualified local Tara Riverboat guides, who will explain all the sights and how the communities work, yes most of our guides are from the lake and floating villages, so can give a great in-sight into daily life, cruising the famous Sangkor River passing rice paddies, traditional villages and local areas. As no road exist here everything has to travel via boats, children going to floating schools, market shopping, community centers, all by boats, Along the way, discover traditional lifestyles, enjoy magnificent landscapes and experience rural Cambodia.

$240 Per Person

Tonlé Sap Multi-Day Adventure: Floating Villages, Flooded Forest & Prek Toal

2 days & 1 Night Lake Discovery and exploration cruise is the most exciting, interesting and amazing way to discover the Great Tonle Sap Lake, Flooded Forest, Floating villages and the most famous Bird sanctuary at Prek Toal. this is the area rare and endangered large water birds seasonally migrate for their nesting.

$28 Per Person

Phnom Penh Sunset Cruise on the Mekong & Tonlé Sap Rivers

Escape the city, tour the Tonle Sap and Mekong Rivers and watch the sunset over Phnom Penh whilst relaxing on the Mekong Tara Prince. We cruise by the Royal Palace before turning into the Mekong River towards Silk Island, passing the floating villages all from the comfort of the top decks enjoying the included BBQ and drinks. Once owned by the Prince of Cambodia, this beautiful boat has been refurbished to offer comfort and style ensuring a perfect journey, and its unique double hull enables us to navigate areas other river boats cannot. Come and join us as we escape the hustle and bustle of the city of Phnom Penh and cruise up the Tonle sap river and join the mighty Mekong River to watch the sunset over Phnom Penh. whilst relaxing on the special Mekong Tara Prince. (Once owned by the Royal Family) Please note, we have 2 boats currently in Phnom Penh, they take in turns to operate daily.

$139 Per Person

Cambodia’s Only Scenic Land & River Cruise Between Siem Reap and Phnom Penh

This is an exciting and different way to travel, we Cruise/land tour, we go both ways Phnom Penh to Siem Reap and Siem Reap to Phnom Penh Daily. Travel from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap has always been difficult due to the ever-changing water levels on the Tonle Sap Lake, even in the wet season when the water levels are high enough you have other issues, low lying bridges,making the riverboats unable to pass, storms on the lake that can make the crossing treacherous. fishing nets and water hyacinth are also issues, the sheer boredom of crossing the lake as there is nothing to see apart from vast swathes of water, not anymore.

$139 Per Person

A Unique Journey from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap: Cruise the River, Explore the Countryside

his is an exciting and different way to travel, we Cruise/land tour, we go both ways Phnom Penh to Siem Reap and Siem Reap to Phnom Penh Daily. Travel from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap has always been difficult due to the ever-changing water levels on the Tonle Sap Lake, even in the wet season when the water levels are high enough you have other issues, low lying bridges,making the riverboats unable to pass, storms on the lake that can make the crossing treacherous. fishing nets and water hyacinth are also issues, the sheer boredom of crossing the lake as there is nothing to see apart from vast swathes of water, not anymore.

$165 Per Person

Prek Toal Bird Sanctuary: Home of Cambodia’s Most Endangered Birds

The bird sanctuary at Prek Toal is one of the wonders of Southeast Asia, with the abundance of fish it attracts thousands upon thousands of rare and endangered water birds, on the freshwater lake and flooded forests and mangroves, (see bird list below), The most common bird species we see are the Spot billed Pelicans, Open billed storks, Chinese Pond Herons, Terns, Egrets.

$72 Per Person

Kompong Khleang Not Just a Tour — A Glimpse Into Floating Life.

Take a break from visiting temples and experience the amazing floating fishing villages and Stilted villages homes of Kompong Khleang on a day tour from Siem Reap. Enjoy the scenery on the boat ride (traditional long tail type) and meet the children and teachers at the local floating school. Our guide for this tour is actually from this same village, so can give you a great insight as to how the village operates. This village receives very few visitors as its 50km from Siem Reap, but certainly worth the extra effort, the trip out to the village is also interesting as we visit the local brick making kilns, a few stops on route also to explore the countryside, rice fields and taste of the sticky rice. Don’t miss this opportunity to visit the unique and remote floating fishing village of Kompong Khleang, as Kompong Phluk, Kompong Khleang is mainly made up of stilted homes raising some 10 meters high, however does also have a small floating village, but not a large one like the floating villages of Chong khneas, its located on the Northeast of the Tonle Sap Lake, the largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia and the richest fishing lake in the World. The Tonle Sap is a unique ecological hotspot. Kompong Khleang is situated around 50km from Siem Reap. (Please note Kompong Khleang does not have a flooded forest as does Kompong Phluk, but it is a much larger village.

$88 per person

Kompong Phluk Flooded Forest & Two Villages Sunset Tour – Siem Reap’s Best Evening Adventure

Does it get any better than this? Watching a magnificent sunset over the largest freshwater lake in SE Asia on board a 100-year-old ex-cargo boat. This unique cruise (Voted best in Siem Reap) is only available through Tara Riverboat tours and is the best way to experience 2 very different types of floating and stilted villages whilst also crossing the Great Tonle Sap Lake and enjoying a full buffet dinner (or fixed menu) and all-inclusive drinks (Includes Champagne, wines from Australia, beers, cocktails, spirits, soft drinks and water)on board our famous Queen Tara, (Queen Tara is the largest by far riverboat on the Tonle Sap Lake, the largest fresh water lake in S.E Asia). We depart your hotel just before 1.30pm, (our lake guide will meet you in your hotel or guesthouse foyer/reception area). and head to the docking station of Kompong Phluk where our traditional flat-bottomed boat will be waiting to cruise you through the floating villages and stilted villages and into the township of Kompong Phluk.

$88 per person

Kompong Phluk “Discover Two Worlds on the Water – Floating & Stilted Villages

Exploring 2 very different floating villages and fishing villages is a great way to experience and get a better understanding of how the villages work on the greatest fresh water lake in S.E Asia, the Tonle Sap lake, the first village is a true floating village whereas the second village (Kompong Phluk or Kampong Phluk) is home mainly to stilted homes and the famous flooded forest, this tour also includes the crossing of the Tonle Sap lake so we are able to explore more than just the different villages.

$ 38 per person

🛶 Kompong Phluk Village Cruise – A Journey Through Cambodia’s Living Waterworld

Our exploring journey to Kompong Phluk or Kampong Phluk (same village, different spelling) floating villages and stilted homes is one of our most popular , and after 20 years of conducting this cruise tour, we know of all the great places to visit, in fact some of our guides for this tour was actually born here, makes it even more exciting for our guests, we leave Siem Reap just before 8:30 am, or 2.30pm two difference daily (our Tara riverboat lake guide will meet you in your hotel or guesthouse foyer area)and travel (via a/c car or tuk tuk ) south/east through small beautiful rural villages and rice fields towards the great lake. Depending on the time of year and the current water levels we go as far as we can by road where our boats will be waiting for you. We travel the rest of the way by boat down the Kompong Phluk river and into the main fishing village.

$38 Per Person

Experience the Most Stunning Siem Reap Sunset on the Queen Tara Riverboat

Unique cruise tours in and around the local floating fishing villages and lake with floating houses, markets, police stations (even a floating jail), floating churches, floating vegetable gardens, floating markets, floating basketball courts, floating police stations, floating health care centers, complete floating villages & schools

$36 Per Person

Authentic Siem Reap: Floating Village & Riverboat Experience

Best cruise tour of the floating fishing villages and lakes with floating homes, churches, floating markets, floating police stations, floating petrol stations, yes floating villages & schools (you name it, the village seems to have it) i guess that is why a lot of people refer to this village as the water village– then chill out on the Queen Tara Riverboat with lunch (Vegetarian options available) and 2 refreshing cold drinks, all free as part of the cruise tour. All our staff from cooks, to Captain, boat drivers and bar staff were born in this unique floating village, so can certainly answer any questions in regard to village life, described as (simply the best floating villages tour in Siem Reap) Trip advisor. ( best floating villages cruise is with the Tara boat guys) Lonely Planets.

$32 Per Person

Tara Riverboat Floating Village Tour -Explore the Authentic Life on Tonle Sap Lake

This is the largest true floating villages in Cambodia, sometimes called the water villages its home to some 6000 people, its a true floating fishing village, in fact it’s actually 2 villages in one, as our very professional Tara lake guides will point out.