Due to their uniqueness, Cambodia's unusual floating towns have become popular tourist attractions.
Land in Cambodia is expensive and most locals cannot afford it so they live on the water as they cannot buy land to build homes on. When it comes to living on the water, most people make a living by fishing, as there are about 300 different species of fish which in turn feeds about 3 million people. While exploring the water and the villages you may also spot crocodiles, turtles, and snakes especially if you are lucky enough to stop by the crocodile farm. Other buildings you can find amongst the floating village are shops, schools, hospitals, mechanic shops, and amenities for the tourists like restaurants.
The settlements are built by the people who live on water close to or on Tonle Sap Lake so they have to be floating to adapt to the periodic changes in the rivers. Every rainy season, for example, Tonle Sap's water surface area increases from the lowest point at 3,000 sq. km with a 2m depth to 10,000 sq. km with a 14-meter depth. In case you are planning on visiting, June to October is the rainy / wet season and November to May is the dry season. I went during September and the weather was gorgeous but the water was quite high. December and January are popular months to visit because the humidity is low compared to the rest of the year. I went hiking through the temples at Angkor with 100% humidity and you are wet in places you did not know you could be wet!
