The Queen Tara Boat, (ex Cargo Vessel) Siem Reap. The Biggest Boat on the Tonle Sap Lake

Did you know that our staff build most of our own boats, we also have a floating Apprentice training school, in the actual floating village, the school is run by our expert builders and was created in 2004, it teaches students in all types of both traditional and advanced building methods. we also make most of our fixtures and fittings, mainly from recycled material, also engine rebuilds, all maintenance and repairs, we are a big believer in education and Multi Skilling of all our staff, in a place like the floating villages Multi Skilled workforce is highly regarded, we have many different types of boats all designed for different tasks, some big and some small, our biggest is the Queen Tara, at over 41 meters in length, with a 120ft steel and concrete reinforced haul and weighing in at over 350 dry Tonnes, the Queen Tara is the biggest boat on the Tonle Sap Lake. Known locally as the ‘Freedom Boat’, it was originally used for the Cambodia-Vietnam run (as a cargo vessel) and is capable of carrying more than 250 people.

The Grand old Queen Tara Riverboat was built in 1927. The Queen Tara has a rich history, and she has seen a lot of different changes over the years. She was built from 8mm steel for her haul and has steel columns and strong hard wood for her decking. She can carry over 250 Tonnes and was originally built as a cargo vessel traveling from Vietnam to Cambodia via the Mekong and Tonle Sap rivers. Built with a flat hull and able to travel in less than 1.5 meters of water, making her ideal for the shallow rivers and lakes she had to transverse at times. The Queen Tara has had a rich and varied history. From 1927 to 1964 she was a cargo boat, carrying much needed supplies into Cambodia and along the rivers and lakes. Between 1964 to 1979 she was a hospital boat, (in the days that the roads where nonexistent or in such poor conditions that doctors and nurses would travel via boat to access the people) in fact even today many floating villages have only water access, then from 1979 to 1999 she was a passenger boat/cargo boat from Vietnam to Siem Reap. After that in 1999 to 2005 she was converted to a floating guesthouse on the Tonle Sap Lake. Since 2005 we have proudly looked after her operating now as a Restaurant and Bar and also home stay guesthouse anchored on the great Tonle Sap Lake near Siem Reap for our guests to enjoy. (Our Queen Tara Riverboat now runs on 100% solar power) All excess power we generate from our solar systems, we use to supply power to the floating villages, who rely on batteries for there daily needs.

Comfort & Luxury on the Tonle Sap

With a viewing deck, comfortable seating, hammocks, two bars, music, a large dining area and multiple clean toilets / bathrooms – the Queen Tara offers a level of comfort and luxury which other boats on the Tonle Sap cannot begin to rival. Get your photo taken at the captain’s bridge or wave at other tour groups as they drive by on their rickety boats, whilst you sip from a cold beer in a comfy chair, enjoying the stunning views that the Tonle Sap has to offer. The Queen Tara Riverboat awaits your inspection, and the captain welcomes you aboard. Now the Beautiful Queen Tara has a/c and fan cabins with en-suites and hot water for your overnight floating villages stay.

Freshly Prepared foods.

Our tour guides are experienced and knowledgeable, and our drivers, waitresses & captain are all friendly and professional. (Mostly they were born in the floating village) We offer a wide range of Western and Khmer dishes aboard. It is food fit for a king, and it is all included in your tour price. We also have beers, cocktails, soft drinks, water and numerous spirits available on the Queen Tara. Read our menu for more information.

Queen Tara – Available for Hire!

Are you a tour agent with a very large group of important guests? An employer looking to motivate the team with a staff party they will never forget. A newlywed couple wanting to kick off your life together in a truly stunning location? If so, look no further than the Queen Tara Boat. The Queen Tara is capable of carrying more than 250 people and is available for hire for private functions upon request. Enjoy a big buffet dinner then kick aside the tables and chairs and dance away to a live musician. we have catered for weddings, theme parties, wine and cheese cruisers, Christmas cruisers and many Birthdays, so let us put on the best cruise for your group. Contact us for more information on booking the Queen Tara for private functions.

The Mekong Tara Prince – Phnom Penh

In Phnom Penh we operate two vessels our very special Mekong Tara Prince. And our Mekong Tara Explorer, both have very specially designed hulls to navigate the numerous waters, rivers and lakes in Cambodia. These boats are luxury River Boats One was once owned by H.R.H. Prince Norodom Sirivudh of the Cambodian Royal Family and lovingly restored by the Tara Boat Company to its former glory, with the addition of some modern comforts plus solar power and GPS. Comfortably seating up to 30 people, this beautiful boat has been refurbished to offer comfort and style to ensure a perfect journey. This unique boat comes equipped with a Double Hull which enables us to explore areas and get up close to the riverbanks where other boats cannot. The other boat we operate is our Mekong Tara Explorer, she is also of special design and can get up close and personable to the many smaller rivers and lakes on route, she is a very strong vessel made in the traditional method, The two Tours we operate offer a chance to experience the Mekong and Tonle Sap Rivers, floating villages and surrounded by stunning natural scenery and wildlife, all from the comfort of our beautiful boat to give you a truly memorable experience. This is simply the best way to cruise between Phnom Penh and Siem Reap.

Mekong Tara Prince – Available for Hire!

The Mekong Tara Prince is available for private hire in Phnom Penh at very competitive rates for both private day cruises and Sunset tours. Are you are looking to celebrate a birthday with a group of friends? Or maybe a tour agent with a group of important guests? An employer looking to motivate the team with a staff party they will never forget. Whatever your occasion please contact us for more information about our rates and tours.

THE NAVY PBR (GUN BOAT) 

 Our newest addition to our small fleet is an ex-navy PBR (gun boat) Russian built and seen service in the Vietnam War, she is fun to drive and made from strong Aluminium. built in 1966 , We use this PBR boat for the Kompong Phluk two villages tour.

Tara River Boat Company Staff Receive Child Safe Certificates from Friends International

In August 2015 Tara Boat Company became certified in the Child Safe Business principles in recognition of its work towards supporting and protecting children, as part of the excellent work the Child Safe Network do of ensuring children are protected and prevent abuse and exploitation towards them, as well as raising awareness to the many visiting tourists and locals alike who use our tours.  As a responsible business operating tours in both Phnom Penh and Siem Reap we are proud to promote Child Safe Practices in our day-to-day business. To do this we ensure that we do not exploit children or perpetuate any areas where children are exploited in our tours for example the exploitation of “orphans” on the Tonle Sap Lake to get money from tourists and ensure our guests are made aware of this.  As a part of this Tara River Boat Staff received Child Protection training including how to spot dangers and warning signs and how to alert the Child Safe Network if they suspected a child might be at risk and received their Child Safe Certificates from the NGO Friends International. If you would like to learn more about Child Safe or the excellent work Friends International do then please follow the links. http://thinkchildsafe.org/in-my-company / http://friends-international.org

Tara River Boat Staff Service Staff Receive Training from Top Chef

In September 2015 the Tara River Boat service staff who serve all the delicious food on board were fortunate enough to get some further cooking training from top Chef Chris Butler to ensure the food served is tastier than ever. Chris has worked as executive Chef at top restaurants around the world including the Orient Express, Radisson Blu Doha and Rotana at Jumeirah Beach Dubai. Our staff enjoyed the training and the opportunity to have such an experienced Chef to show them new techniques and improving the recipes. All the staff received certificates in recognition of this training.

 (As always 100% of all our profits go back into the very villages we visit) after 20 years of conducting tours of the lakes and villages we certainly know all the places worth a visit.

We at Tara Riverboats own all our own boats, meaning our guests do not have to wait in line to fill up the public boats as other operators do, this saves you both time and money.

All our tours can be taken as a private tour, inquiries welcome. we will give you the best price possible. we also can arrange overnight tours, multi day cruisers to all parts of the lakes and rivers in Cambodia, inquiries welcome.

Like all our tours, no more to pay, zero scams, just good clean service with a smile