FAQ

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Answers to some common questions

Transportation

Learn how we get to Kampong Khleang, where we will pick you up, and total travel time.

Preparation

Learn about online and cash payment options and what you should bring on the trip.

Other Matters

Everything else you need to know about visiting tours with Kampong Khleang.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

The group tour costs $35 USD per person ($25 for children under 12).

This price is all inclusive – it includes transportation, water and snacks, English-speaking guide, and boat tickets. There are absolutely no additional or hidden costs on the tour.

You can pay in USD or Khmer Riel after the tour. If possible please bring exact change or request change ahead of time.

We also accept wire transfers to our bank account in Cambodia. Please contact us directly and we can provide wire instructions.

We are working on online payment solutions and should have an update soon.

Unfortunately, we typically do not have a morning, group tour. We prefer the afternoon tour as it allows us to see the sunset on the lake most of the year. During the busy tourism season (December – January) and some weekends, however, we will occasionally do morning tours leaving around 8:00 AM. Please let us know if this is preferred when contacting us. We can also do morning tours if you choose to book a private tour.

We can leave Siem Reap as early as 8:00 AM so that we arrive after class and avoid interrupting pre-primary students. If you would like to do a private tour, please send us a message via our Contact Page.

The tour includes free pick-up and drop-off if you are staying in Siem Reap city. If you’d prefer us to pick you up around the Old Market / Pub Street area, we can meet in front of Platinum Cineplex. On the way back, we offer to drop guests off at Old Market / Pub Street, but we are also happy to take you back to your hotel or guesthouse.

This is a very important question. First, we want you to have visual memories of your visit. We hope you take photos so you can remember your floating village tour and share it with others. That being said, as a ChildSafe certified tour company, we take the safety and security of residents seriously, particularly the children who live here. As a result, we have developed a child and community protection policy that balances both photography and the security of residents. In an effort to protect and respect the community we ask that you abide by these specific rules:

  • We respectfully ask guests not to take close up photos of any underage children during the tour. If they are not identifiable (i.e. a distant shot where you cannot make out the child’s face) you are allowed to take a photo. That being said, if the children are not wearing shirts or clothes they cannot be photographed, even if it is a distant shot, at any time.

  • We ask guests to never touch or pick up a child.

  • We ask guests to always stay with the guide at all times. Please do not wander out into the village on your own.

The easiest way to think of and remember the policy during the tour is through the following: “if it’s appropriate back home, it’s most likely appropriate here; if it’s not appropriate back home, it’s not appropriate here”.

If you have questions about this policy or you take a photo you are not sure is permissible ask our guide who has been trained to make the decision.

During the tour we will try local snacks which are popular in the countryside. The first stop is for Cambodian sticky rice. It consists of rice, beans, palm sugar, and coconut.

Afterwards, we will visit a very interesting local bakery. They make different products everyday but we usually get to try donuts and some other items. The donuts are vegan but have rice and flour so they might not be suitable for those with gluten allergies.

If you have any dietary restrictions or are allergic to certain ingredients, please feel free to talk with the staff ahead of time and they can clarify. If you are not sure it is better to not try the snacks.

Please note we are we are very cautious about what guests eat during the tour. The items we eat are boiled, fried and/or smoked. Furthermore there are no uncooked vegetables or meats.

Unfortunately we do not offer a homestay at this time as we do not have English speaking staff who live in the village. That being said there are homestay options in Kompong Khleang and other floating villages. You can read about different homestay options here.

Kompong Khleang (sometimes spelled Kampong or Khampong Khleang) is a floating village located outside of Siem Reap. Residents live on the Tonle Sap (via stilted or floating homes) and earn their living through fishing. The Tonle Sap features a unique ecosystem and is a UNESCO site, making it a popular destination for tourists to visit.

Community First: Kompong Khleang Floating Village Tours [“Community First”] is a not-for-profit tour company. We provide socially responsible, community-based tours of the floating village and Tonle Sap lake. We are registered with the Ministry of Tourism in Cambodia under the umbrella of Impact Adventures (Cambodia) Co., LTD.

Bridge of Life Organization [“Bridge of Life”] is an NGO providing educational and community wellness programming in Cambodia. Bridge of Life works at several sites, and has been working in Kompong Khleang since 2012 providing free pre-elementary education, computer classes, a sewing program, clean water filters, and other programming and services. Bridge of Life is a registered charity in Cambodia with the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport.

Community First and Bridge of Life School are separate entities and not directly related or connected. However, all profits from Community First tours are donated to Bridge of Life. Furthermore, during the trip, participants on a Community First tour will visit Bridge of Life’s school.

The distance between Siem Reap city and Kompong Khleang is about 50km. The drive is a little more than an hour and a half on the way to Kompong Khleang (as we make stops on the way). It is about one hour on the way back but can be a few minutes less or more depending on water levels, traffic and rain.

The most important thing to bring is appropriate clothes. Khmers tend to dress conservatively especially in the countryside, so we ask you to cover your arms and avoid tank-tops. If you are not dressed appropriately, we may ask you to change before the tour.

It is also a good idea to bring sandals or shoes with traction as there is a brief walking component. We encourage you to put on sunscreen and bug spray before the tour. We will provide snacks and water, but you are also welcome to bring personal food or drinks.

When parking at the pagoda during the dry season, you will occasionally see children selling small trinkets. While it is difficult, we ask that you decline purchasing these wares. Our concern is that students studying at the adjacent primary school may see their friends earning money and then drop out of school as well. While this allows them to make money in the short term, it can hurt their prospects in the long run. Generally speaking, it is better to purchase souvenirs in Siem Reap from social enterprises or the Made in Cambodia market.

That’s a great question. As we provide a sunset tour we do not recommend doing both our tour and Phare on the same day. While we usually arrive in time, they have a very strict cut-off time at 7:45pm, and if there is traffic, a slow boat, or a magnificent sunset, it’s possible we won’t make it on time. Therefore we cannot guarantee you will make the show. We recommend requesting a morning group tour or visit Phare on a different day. Phare tends to be a great compliment to a day at the temples as they are closer to town so you have time for dinner and a show.

Trip Preparation

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An Important Note About Photography

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What to Bring

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