Vietnam/Cambodia Day 7: Tonle Sap River

Wednesday, February 11, 2026

After yesterday’s intense day of touring (both physically and emotionally), today is a lighter touring day. We began with a sunrise photo expedition in Phnom Penh, led by our photography expert, Chris. We had a chance to take some pictures of a Tai Chi exercise along the river and then traveled through a local market area for more pictures of produce and other wares.

Following our return, the Jahan cruised up the Tonle Sap River. Tonle Sap is a tributary of the Mekong, leading northwest of Phnom Penh toward the Tonle Sap Lake, one of the largest in Southeast Asia. The river has the unique characteristic that during the monsoon season it flows in the opposite direction (northward).

During the morning, a local historian gave an extensive talk on Cambodian history, and we were offered another photography class. We then got off the Jahan at the village of Kampong Laeang, where we had a demonstration of the construction of ceramic pots and of harvesting sap from sugar palm trees, which are widely found in the area.

The Jahan then began its cruise southward on the Tonle Sap River, back toward Phnom Penh.

This article is part of a series about our recent trip to Vietnam and Cambodia. To see the introductory article in the series, click here.