Phat Sanday Village’s Hidden Tourist Treasure

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By:
- Teng Yalirozy
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January 17, 2025, 5:15 PM
KAMPONG THOM – Often overlooked as a tourist destination, the Phat Sanday Ecotourism Community thrives on the water, with homes and livelihoods intricately linked to the Tonle Sap River's ebb and flow.
Like other floating communities, it sits in tranquility on the water as members survive by fishing and by transforming it into a tourism attraction, hoping for a decent life on the wide expanse of the water with a view of the popular Phnom Neang Kong Rei, or Mountain of the Sleeping Lady in Kampong Chhnang province.
Covering about 23,000 hectares, this community was established in 2019, adding more tourist services and offering the experience of life on the water, boat trips, birds and flooded forest sightseeing as well as a tales of the community.
Covering about 23,000 hectares, this community was established in 2019, adding more tourist services and offering the experience of life on the water, boat trips, birds and flooded forest sightseeing as well as a tales of the community. Photo: Yousos Apdoulrashim
Traveling through the province for a quicker trip, tourists take a boat trip from Chhnok Tru Floating Village in Baribo district for about 15 minutes to reach the Phat Sanday community.
Tourists can opt to travel by ferry along the Stung Sen River to reach the community 50km from the Kampong Thom province’s capital.
I embarked on a one-day trip to the community where I was warmly welcomed by the locals and captured by the smiles of little children and friendly people.
At one point the village had been left with declining fishing stocks and no reputation as an attraction. It is now lively with the locals’ busy daily lives, business activities and more infrastructure.
There are homestays, handicrafts, locals cleaning fish for prahok, a safe drinking water enterprise and more.
A young man cleans up fish. Photo: Teng Yalirozy
We stopped by a place where locals were cleaning fish to make prahok. Children accompanied their parents on a Sunday school holiday while their parents were busy cleaning the fish. One little girl was smiling nonstop seeing us coming to visit them.
Children accompanied their parents on a Sunday school holiday while their parents were busy cleaning the fish. One little girl was smiling nonstop seeing us coming to visit them. Photo: Teng Yalirozy
If you want freshly smoked fish, you can also get it in the village. Many of us brought smoked fish back home as the product had a rich flavor stemming from the fresh fish used.
At a smoked fish floating house, we laughed with the friendly owners as a toothless infant boy tried to talk to us. Even their dog was playing with us.
Surprisingly, I didn’t encounter any tourist boats besides the locals traveling about their day.
Tourist Potential but Less Known
Head of patrol team Nhem Ran said the Fisheries Action Coalition Team (FACT) and VSO Cambodia have collaborated to establish a community in the area, recognizing its ecotourism potential.
Excessive fishing crime is one of the reasons the community has to be designated as an ecotourism community, where patrolling has been increased and locals are taught to provide tourist services, he said.
Head of Patrol Team Nhem Ran said the community is less known to domestic and international tourists than the other floating villages in the Kingdom. Photo: Teng Yalirozy
The community is less known to domestic and international tourists than the other floating villages in the Kingdom, said So Son, hoping to spread word of the community’s tourist potential.
“The Phat Sanday comprises five villages with over 1,000 families and 90 percent of them engage in fishing,” said Nhem Ran.
“We cannot solely rely on fishing, so some families run a homestay business but we don’t receive a lot of tourists. Probably, they don’t know about our community.
“Most tourists were foreigners who were introduced to our community by their tour guides. We have a lot to offer.”
Oung Chanthorn, who runs a floating restaurant and homestay, said different visiting packages are offered. The village has started offering a one-day trips that include dinner and cost $29 from Kampong Chhnok Trou in Kampong Chhnang province or $39 from Phnom Penh.
Oung Chanthorn, who runs a floating restaurant and homestay, said different visiting packages are offered. Photo: Teng Yalirozy
A small boat trip for 1-3 people costs $15; a large boat trip for 4-6 people costs $20, and a short boat excursion around the hamlet costs $5 each. Scenic services range from $20 to $60.
To help the community, $1 and $7 are subtracted from the price of lunch and dinner for domestic visitors and foreign visitors, respectively, she said.
Lunch is prepared by Oung Chanthorn. Photo: Teng Yalirozy
Chanthorn also has a handicraft business where she makes bags and items from water hyacinth, which adds up to her livelihood of a family of five.
“I enjoy offering service to tourists,” she said. “I’m excited to show them the beauty of our community. When you come to visit us, you are helping us to have a life as fishing cannot be the only source for us.
Tourists should include the Phat Sanday community in their visiting list.
Photo: Yousos Apdoulrashim
A couple runs a smoked fish business in the community. Photo: Teng Yalirozy
A view of the popular Phnom Neang Kong Rei, or Mountain of the Sleeping Lady in Kampong Chhnang province. Photo: Teng Yalirozy
