Overview

General Infomation

The Tonle Sap Lake, located in the center-west of the country and a dozen or so kilometers from Siem Reap, is the largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia. It is unique because of its hydraulic flow system, which empties and fills naturally, but at the mercy of the rainy season. The Tonle Sap River, which has the same name as the lake, reverses its flow twice a year. Its surface area increases from 3000 square kilometers during the dry season to a staggering 13,000 square kilometers during the rainy season. This aquatic phenomenon is celebrated every year in the capital during the Bonn Om Tuk, the Water Boat Festival, during which many boat races take place.