Tonle Sap Lake

Tonle Sap Lake is the largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia and one of the most biologically productive inland water bodies on the planet, serving as the ecological heart of Cambodia. Its extraordinary feature is a reversing flow: each wet season from May to October, monsoon floodwaters cause the Tonle Sap River to reverse direction and push backward into the lake, swelling its surface area from around 2,500 square kilometers to over 16,000 square kilometers and its depth from one meter to nine. This annual flood deposits extraordinary quantities of nutrients supporting over 200 fish species and making the lake responsible for roughly 75 percent of Cambodia's inland fish catch. Floating villages, stilted communities, flooded forests, and abundant birdlife make it one of Southeast Asia's most remarkable natural destinations.