Chong Kneas is the most accessible of the Tonlé Sap's floating villages, located about 15 kilometres south of Siem Reap at the point where the Siem Reap River empties into the lake. It is a genuine floating community of several thousand people who live in houses built on wooden platforms, which rise and fall with the lake's 8-9 metre annual water level change. Boat tours depart from the main pier and take about two hours to cover the village, a school, a floating monastery, and the open lake.
Be aware that Chong Kneas has a reputation for aggressive tourist management: tours can feel orchestrated and visits to the floating fish farms or "schools" sometimes amount to donation solicitation. If you want a more authentic experience, the village of Kampong Phluk (20km further, accessible by longer boat trip or road) is worth the extra distance. However, Chong Kneas remains genuinely remarkable — the sight of a dense community of floating houses, fishing boats, and daily life conducted entirely on water is one Southeast Asia's more striking scenes.