Mechrey Village is one of a number of communities that live on and around the Tonle Sap Lake near Siem Reap.
Located just 6km from the Prek Toal Biosphere, Mechrey village offers visitors the opportunity to explore land-based villages upon ox or buffalo drawn carts and floating villages and flooded forests in small boats. Mechrey is one of the newest Tonle Sap communities to open itself up to tourism and the experience for visitors is likely to be more authentic and less crowded than visits to the established and more popular sites, such as Chong Kneas and Kampong Phluk.
Far from the more tourist-heavy floating villages like Chong Kneas, Mechrey offers a more authentic and tranquil experience. The village provides visitors with a glimpse into the traditional way of life of Cambodia’s lake-dwelling communities, where homes, schools, and even shops float on the water, rising and falling with the lake’s seasonal fluctuations.
Getting There
Contact a tour agent or the Tourist Information Office in Siem Reap. The turnoff to the village is 9km west of Siem Reap along National Road No. 9 towards the Thai border. If attempting to visit on your own with a tuk-tuk, turn left at the large billboard for Mechrey Natural Tourism and continue south for 6km.
Need to Know
- What is It?: A community of villages on and around the Tonle Sap lake where visitors can experience Cambodian life and relatively unspoiled nature.
- When to Go: Any time of year though the area is more scenic when the monsoon rains have made the countryside verdant and full of life (May-October).
- Nearest Town: Located 15km southwest of Siem Reap off National Road No. 9 towards Banteay Meanchey Province.
- Opening hours: Normal daylight hours.
- Entrance fees: None.