Bait and Switch on the Tonle Sap River

Once my traveling companion, Larry Bosco, and I had exhausted land-based attractions in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, we turned to the water. Rivers are the lifeblood of Cambodia and Phnom Penh is located at the confluence of the Mekong, Tonle Sap, and Bassac. We walked along Sisowath Quay beneath international flags of countries flapping in the breeze, perusing the various options for sunset river cruises on the sluggishly flowing chocolate Tonle Sap.

Sisowath Quay, near the confluence of the Mekong and Tonle Sap Rivers in Phnom Penh
Sisowath Quay, near the confluence of the Mekong and Tonle Sap Rivers in Phnom Penh

On a whim, we popped into one of the piers at water’s edge, where a tout with finely honed radar pounced. He shoved a plastic laminated flyer under our noses and reeled us in with the photo of an attractive cruise boat, pushing us to make a quick decision if we hoped to see the sunset. With only a few days in Phnom Penh, we seized the opportunity, hoping that the overcast skies would clear enough to see the Royal Palace silhouetted by a red sky. The tout hurriedly flagged down a cyclo-rickshaw and we were off to board the boat. A couple of minutes later he pulled up to a high concrete abutment and motioned for us to descend to the bottom via a narrow set of steps. At the bottom, we were met by a stick-thin, sinewy man who led us through a minefield of scrap lumber and soggy marsh grass to a row of boats shoved up to the shore.

To our right were several attractive yachts and double-decker boats that resembled Mississippi River paddle-wheelers. We turned left. My brow furrowed as I balanced on a rickety narrow board leading through the swamp to a row of broken down boats. A moment later, we stopped in front of a decrepit, derelict scow with a handful of plastic red chairs set on the otherwise barren deck. With a gap-toothed smile, our guide motioned for us to climb up the unsecured narrow wooden gangplank.

Boat for sunset cruise on Tonle Sap River, Phnom Penh Cambodia
The boat we were expected to board for our sunset cruise, which in no way resembled the photo of the boat we were shown.

No way in hell I’m getting on that boat,” I said, stopping in my tracks. “This is not the boat in the photo. What happened to the nice new boat we were shown in the photo?” “Boat safe,” our guide insisted, but no amount of wheedling would convince me to set foot on that disaster of a barge waiting to sink. When I crossed my arms and demanded our money back, he finally changed his tune. “New boat coming, just wait. I think you want to go right now, so I bring you to this boat.” Sure enough, a nice craft soon slipped into the shore. We waited for the passengers to disembark, then stepped onto the one-way wooden plank leading to the boat. Our guide redirected us at the last moment, pointing to an older wooden craft tied up next to the one that had just emptied. I grimaced. It wasn’t much larger than the boat I had rejected, but at least it appeared to be more seaworthy.

Larry relaxes on the upper deck as we pull away from the shore on our sunset cruise
Larry relaxes on the upper deck as we pull away from the shore on our sunset cruise

Using wooden cross slats to gain purchase, I struggled up a severely inclined six-inch wide board with no railings and stepped onto the prow, questioning whether I’d lost my sanity. We settled into chairs on the upper deck as we motored out for our one-hour float down the Tonle Sap to the confluence of the Mekong River. Out in the middle of the river a refreshing breeze dried the beads of perspiration on my brow and the hypnotic slapping of silt-laden water on the hull lulled me into relaxation.

Cruising the Tonle Sap River in Phnom Penh on an overcast day
Cruising the Tonle Sap River in Phnom Penh on an overcast day

The last speck of clear sky disappeared behind leaden clouds as we sailed past the Royal Palace, removing any hope for a colorful sunset, but by the time we turned around at twilight Phnom Penh’s squat skyline was nicely lit up. We picked out a twinkling riverfront restaurant located just a short walk away from the landing site and gratefully settled into comfy chairs at a table with a prime view of the river.

After our boat ride we enjoyed dinner at a riverfront restaurant overlooking the "real" sunset cruise boats
After our boat ride we enjoyed dinner at a riverfront restaurant overlooking the “real” sunset cruise boats

Take a look behind you,” Larry said as we perused menus. I glanced over my shoulder to a pier where scores of people were boarding a double-decker river boat bedecked in multi-colored lights. “That’s the boat in the photo.” We had a good laugh and after an absolutely delicious dinner, decided that we never would have tried the restaurant were it not for the boat ride, so everything worked out in the end. But as far as sunset cruises on the Tonle Sap go, next time I’m going to demand to see the actual boat before I pay for the tour.

6 thoughts on “Bait and Switch on the Tonle Sap River”

  1. I think all of us World Travelers, have at some point in our adventures, made a similar mistake. For us, it was Cairo. A very nice tout (who spoke great english) managed to get us to let our guard down and we agreed to hire a car/driver for the day to take us out to Giza and show us the city. He promised it would be a “brand new tourist van with A/C and an english speaking driver”. Well, the next day at the appointed location an old beat up sedan shows up for us…no A/C, windows that don’t even operate, and a driver that couldn’t speak a lick of english! lol. Live and Learn!

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  2. I’m sure many of us have fallen for a similar tout. Smile and enjoy is the best policy and it sounds like you had a memorable afternoon/evening.

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  3. Barbara,
    The rule; Always, Always: Never up-front money ’til you know what you’re getting!! I have to laugh with you as there’s always a new way to bend the touted offer. I’ve been in your shoes. If you can’t laugh, you’re in trouble. Chalk it up to the “Trick me once …” rule. I like that there was a good outcome and that you recognized it. lol

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  4. Your story made me laugh – when we were in Greece we made a deal for a private boat trip only to find that when we were about to board the agreed price was €5 per person more than we discussed – and had to put it down to a “misunderstanding” although we had a great boat trip.

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  5. Pingback: River Cruises in Phnom Penh, Cambodia | Hole In The Donut … | Tour Cambodia

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