Reserve Your Table on the Lake Use the form below to book your all-inclusive village discovery and lunch.
Authentic Siem Reap: Floating Village & Riverboat Experience
Hightlight
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🛶 Immersive Floating Communities Cruise through the heart of authentic floating villages where houses, schools, and even vegetable gardens drift on the water’s surface.
- 🍽️ Chef-Prepared Lakeside Lunch Savor a delicious, freshly prepared Khmer or Western set-menu (with vegetarian/vegan options) served while docked with the mothership (Queen Tara Riverboat) on the scenic Tonlé Sap Lake.
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🥂 All-Inclusive Drinks & Hospitality Relax and stay hydrated with unlimited bottled water, soft drinks, and cold beers While on the Queen Tara Riverboat
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🔭 360-Degree Observation Deck Enjoy the lake’s best views from the upper deck of the Queen Tara, the largest and most stable riverboat on the Tonlé Sap.
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📸 Captivating Village Insight Learn how these nomadic communities move their entire houses based on the seasonal water levels from our expert English-speaking guides.
Itinerary
The Queen Tara Lunch Cruise (10 AM – 2 PM)
Authentic Village Discovery & Dining on the Lake
Explore the heart of the Tonlé Sap with guides who were born and raised in the floating villages. This immersive 4-hour journey combines deep cultural insight with a relaxing lunch aboard the lake’s most iconic historic vessel.
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Village-Born Guides: Hear real stories from those who call the lake home.
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Historic Dining: Enjoy a full lunch on the 100-year-old Queen Tara.
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All-Inclusive & Ethical: No scams, all fees included, and profits support local education.
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Family Savings: Kids under 10 are Half-Price; under 5 are FREE.
At a Glance
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Pickup: 10:00 AM (Siem Reap) | Return: 2:00 PM
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Price: $36 Per Person (All-inclusive)
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Inclusions: Hotel transfers, village cruise, Queen Tara access, Full Lunch + 2 Cold Drinks, and all entry fees.
The Itinerary
10:00 AM | Countryside & Lotus Fields We’ll collect you from your hotel for a scenic drive. We pause at the lotus fields where your guide will explain the many uses of this sacred flower—a perfect spot for photos.
10:30 AM | Deep into the Floating Village Board our smaller, agile boats to navigate the narrow canals of the fishing villages. See homes, markets, schools, and even floating police stations. Because your guide is a local, you’ll get insights you won’t find in guidebooks.
11:30 AM | The Grand Queen Tara We’ll transition from our small boats to the historic Queen Tara. At 100 years old, she is the largest vessel on the lake and serves as your spacious, stable floating restaurant for the afternoon.
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Eat: A tasty Khmer or Western lunch (Vegetarian options available).
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Drink: Two complimentary cold drinks (Beer, sodas, or water).
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Relax: Enjoy the shaded viewing decks, hammocks, and the only western toilets on the lake.
1:00 PM – 2:00 PM | Return Journey A final cruise through the floating villages for last-minute photos before our driver returns you comfortably to your hotel.
Why This Tour is Different
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We Care: By joining us, you directly fund educational and environmental programs in the very village you visit.
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Comfort: Our boats feature sun/rain protection and top-tier safety gear.
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Slow Travel: We don’t rush. This is about soaking in the atmosphere of Cambodia’s “Great Lake.”
What to Bring: Camera, sunscreen, and your appetite!
Includes & Excludes
Door-to-Door Transport: Complimentary pickup and return from your Siem Reap hotel.
Village-Born Guides: Insights from professional, English-speaking guides who were raised in the floating villages.
Private Boat Navigation: Access to narrow canals and stilted villages via stable, traditional flat-bottom boats.
Historic Queen Tara Access: Relax on the lake’s largest and most iconic 100-year-old riverboat.
Full Lunch Aboard: A delicious Khmer or Western-style lunch served on the water (Vegetarian and Vegan options available).
Two Complimentary Drinks: Your choice of cold beer, sodas, or bottled water.
All Entry & Conservation Fees: We cover all village checkpoints and Great Lake entry permits.
Onboard Comfort: Access to the only Western-style toilets on the lake, shaded viewing decks, and hammocks.
Additional Drinks: While two drinks are included, extra beverages are available for purchase at the onboard bar.
Personal Souvenirs: Any handicrafts or items purchased directly from local floating markets.
Gratuities: Tips for your dedicated guide and driver are not included but are a kind gesture for exceptional service.
Important Info
- $36 Per Person
- 10:00am-2:00pm
- Siem Reap
Package Relates
$119 per person
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.
- 7.30am - 4.30pm
- Siem Reap - Battambang
$240 Per Person
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.
- 1:00 PM -3:00 PM Next day
- Siem Reap
$28 Per Person
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.
- 5:00pm - 7:00pm
- Phnom Penh
$139 Per Person
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.
- 7:30am - 4.30pm
- Siem Reap - Phnom Penh
$139 Per Person
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.
- 7:30am - 4.30pm
- Phnom Penh-Siem Reap
$165 Per Person
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.
- 6:00am - 3:00pm
$72 Per Person
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.
- 8:30am - 3:00pm
- Siem Reap
$88 per person
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.
- 1:00pm - 7:30pm
- Siem Reap
$88 per person
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.
- 10:00am - 4.30pm
- Siem Reap
$ 38 per person
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.
- 8:30am - 1:00pm or 2.30pm to 7pm
- Siem Reap
$38 Per Person
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
- 3:30pm - 7:30pm
- Siem Reap
$36 Per Person
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.
- 10:00am-2:00pm
- Siem Reap
$32 Per Person
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.
- 9:00am-12:00am/Noon
- Siem Reap