Diary Entry: A Visit to Tonle Sap

by Nurina Malinda


I felt the breezy air on my face on the way to Tonle Sap. Aron, Su Lyn and I decided to take the tuk-tuk to Tonle Sap and visit South East Asia’s largest freshwater lake. The journey took us to paddy rice fields, flat land and picturesque landscapes. Interestingly, houses in the countryside reminded Su Lyn of her hometown, Johor. The houses are reminiscent of those found in Malaysian villages or kampungs.

The entrance fee as well as a tour of the floating village cost us USD 15. Our guide, Ray, explained to us that July brought in the dry season therefore; people from the floating village can stay here. When the rainy season arrives, the entire area will be covered in water, so they would have to move further away. He said that they have everything there. I did not believe him at first. But the boats that sold a myriad of products from hair care to various foods, battery shops (battery is used to charge their television), the mosque, church, school and hospital confirmed whatever he said as true.

They also had a small fish and reptile exhibition area. We were greeted by children who carried snakes on their necks, for tourists should they want a photograph with the reptile. Ray showed us how to feed the cat fish and make them eager to get out of the water. They had the biggest cat fish I ever saw.

Other than snakes crocodiles were also seen. The crocodiles were caught from the Mekong River. I was so excited taking videos when Su Lyn tapped me on my shoulder and asked me to look below. Looking down, I saw a float of big crocodiles on top of each other. Numbness spread all over my body. I carved an escape path by asking Aron and Ray to move aside. I cringed, as the only thing that separated me from the hungry reptiles was a plank of wood.

We then proceeded to the fishing exhibition. Ray explained various tools and different techniques that they used to catch crabs, catfish and tortoise. The traps are stretched out from the beach until a few kilometers into sea. So fishes that swim near the beach and follow the current of the water are trapped, making them easier to catch. He mentions besides using bamboo traps they also use spears to catch crabs.




At the end of the tour we went up to see the river from above a platform. We realized that we were unable to reach the main river due to water plants that covered the area. We took some pictures and Su Lyn became the narrator for Aron’s video. Ray went up and help us took pictures three of us together.

Although Aron had to return before 3pm to help Maxine with her interview, we still had time to visit the school at the floating village. The teachers welcomed us and allowed us to take some pictures and videos with the students. The students there were learning Vietnamese. We gave a small donation so that books can be purchased to aid their learning experience. We thanked the teachers and said goodbye to the students and continued our journey back.

We got out from the boat and said thanked Ray. When we were about to hop on our tuk-tuk, a little girl surprised us with our picture. I then recalled her taking a picture of us with her digital camera before hopping on the boat. Aron was kind enough to purchase the photo which was beautifully framed in marble from her.

Overall, I enjoyed our little outing today. I will always remember my fear of the crocodiles, the kindness of the teachers and appreciating the wonders of nature.