From the hotel, you drive to the pier to board a wooden boat and cruise across the water. The revered lake – also called the Great Lake – is the beating heart of Cambodia, providing Cambodians with the majority of their protein. Standing as South-east Asia’s largest body of freshwater, it is one of the richest inland fishing areas in the world and is home to more than 149 fish species. It is also a popular breeding ground for many rare and endangered birds. In 1997, it was designated a UNESCO biosphere reserve. It is also home to several floating villages, where people live out their lives on the water. You head to one of them to sail past floating houses, shops, restaurants, schools and even karaoke bars.