Although some of the young children in Kampong Phluk don't make it to school, most do. We climbed up to the classroom in a stilted house to say hello and leave a few riels in the donation box. The children enjoyed having their photos taken and viewing them on the back of the camera. The teacher made a point of telling them that we were from England and not Australia or America. Good Teacher.

Labels: Asia, Cambodia, Kampong Phluk, Siem Reap, Spontaneous Portraits

Labels: Asia, Cambodia, Kampong Phluk, Siem Reap

A life centered on water and fishing.

Labels: Asia, Cambodia, Kampong Phluk, Siem Reap

Kampong Phluk is a cluster of three villages of stilted houses built within the floodplain of the Tonle Sap Lake about 16 km southeast of Siem Reap, Cambodia. The villages are primarily Khmer and have about 3000 inhabitants between them.

Flooded mangrove forest surrounds the area and is home to a variety of wildlife including crab-eating macaques. During the dry season when I was there and the lake is low, the buildings in the villages seem to soar atop their 6-meter stilts exposed by the lack of water. During the rainy season the water rises 4-5 meters and the village becomes a 'floating' village.

The village is pretty poor and exists mainly on shrimp harvesting. The shrimps are cought, boiled, dryed, peeled and packed with anyone and everyone helping out.

Labels: Asia, Cambodia, Kampong Phluk