Lake Tonle Sap

In west-central CAMBODIA lies a fairly large lake called Bœng Tônlé Sab in the Khmer language and Tonle Sap in English. Tonle Sap is surrounded by significant historic sites and steadfast centuries-old culture. One such mesmerizing place is Angkor Wat, a vast 12th-century Hindu-Buddhist temple located about 30 kilometers north of Tonle Sap. Fortunately, this and most other sites of interest are outside the boundary of Tonle Sap's largest possible extent. Its typical size is about 3,100 square kilometers (1,200 sq. miles), but the freshwater lake can expand up to 7,770 sq. kilometers (3,000 sq. miles) in the summertime. Tonle Sap is connected to the Sab river, which eventually meets up with the mighty Mekong river at Phnom Penh (Cambodia's capital). The Mekong then treks about 160 sq. kilometers southeast to reach the South China Sea's Mouths of the Mekong, a river delta near southern Vietnam. Communities located in close proximity to Tonle Sap include Batdambang, Kampong Khleang, Krakor, Phumi Phsar, and Pouthisat.