Countryside & Villages
Beyond the temples — the real heart of Cambodia
Siem Reap is so much more than Angkor Wat. Once you step outside the main temple complex, you discover a completely different Cambodia — rice fields, floating villages, ancient silk farms, and rural communities living in harmony with the land and the water.
These tours are our personal favourites to recommend. They take you further, slower, and deeper into Cambodian life than any temple visit can.
How booking works
All countryside tours can be booked directly at reception when you arrive. Some require advance booking — these are clearly marked below.
Village tour
The Babel Village Tour — from $25
A local family experience — our personal favourite
This is not a standard tour. It is an invitation into the community of our own tuk tuk drivers.
Your driver will take you to the local morning market, where you can see how rural families shop and eat — the seasonal produce, the street snacks, the preservation techniques passed down through generations. You will visit the village pagoda and walk through a family garden of jackfruit, coconut, and banana trees.
The highlight? A traditional meal cooked by the family themselves. You are welcome to help prepare it.
This is one of our favourite tours for families with children. Kids speak the international language of play — and our tuk tuk drivers' families always make sure everyone has fun together. The land is also home to dogs, cats, and a few other farm animals, which younger visitors tend to love just as much as the cooking!
Please let reception know of any dietary requirements in advance.
You decide yourself when you would like to go - depending on the availability of the driver.
Prices for your whole group:
1 person: $25
2 people: $35
3 or more people: $40 (includes tuk tuk, driver/guide, and the village experience — the family meal is a small additional cost)
The Tonle Sap Lake
Tonle Sap is the largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia and one of the richest fishing lakes in the world. What makes it extraordinary is how dramatically it changes between the wet and dry seasons — swelling from around 2,500 km² to 12,000 km², with water levels rising by 8–10 metres. Every visit is different depending on the time of year.
Is it worth going in the dry season?
The experience changes completely by season.
In the wet season (August–December), the villages are flooded and houses appear to float — this is the time for the famous flooded forest canoe trip.
In the dry season (January–July), the water recedes to reveal remarkable 6–10 metre bamboo stilts supporting the houses. You can walk through streets that were underwater months before.
Both seasons are worth visiting — just for completely different reasons.
Chong Khneas Floating Village
Chong Khneas Floating Village
Chong Khneas is the most accessible floating community on the Tonle Sap. For a while it became heavily commercialised and felt too touristy — but things have changed. Most visitors now head straight to Kampong Phluk instead, which means Chong Khneas has become surprisingly quiet again, especially off peak season. A hidden gem hiding in plain sight.
Tuk Tuk Transfer: $15 round trip
Bonus Stop – The Lotus Fields: Ask your driver to stop at the beautiful lotus fields on the way. A perfect spot for photos, a refreshing drink, and a quiet moment away from the crowds.
Sunset Experience: We highly recommend a late afternoon trip to watch the sunset over the horizon of the lake.
A note on responsible visiting If a boat driver or local guide suggests stopping at a floating school to buy schoolbooks, rice, or noodles for the children — please politely decline.
The Reality: These "schools" are often set up purely for tourism. The supplies you buy are frequently returned to the shop and resold once you leave.
The Children: The children are often brought to these locations by recruiters rather than attending their actual village schools.
How to help instead: ChildSafe works hands-on directly in the Chong Khneas communities — all 6 villages in this area are extremely poor, and ChildSafe is one of the most effective organisations working there. Supporting them is one of the most meaningful things you can do during your visit. We will be adding ChildSafe tours to this page very soon!
Kampong Phluk: The Stilted Village & Flooded Forest
A village 25km east of Siem Reap, famous for its extraordinarily tall houses built on bamboo stilts. Kampong Phluk is also a leader in keeping the Tonle Sap clean, running community recycling programmes to protect the lake.
Tuk Tuk Transfer: $18 round trip
Community Boat Ticket: $20–$27 per person (rates managed by the local cooperative — Babel does not control these)
Optional Canoe Ride: ~$5 per person (highly recommended in the wet season for exploring the mangroves)
Insider tip: Ask your Babel driver to walk the main paths and the pagoda with you. It is the best way to see the village through a local's eyes