• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • About +
    • Press
  • Start Here +
    • Accommodations
    • Budgeting & Money
    • Adventure Travel
    • Food & Drink
    • Gear & Gadgets
    • Packing Tips
    • Travel Blogging
    • Trip Planning
    • UNESCO Sites
  • Travel Blog
  • Destinations +
    • Africa +
      • Botswana
      • Egypt
      • Ethiopia
      • Morocco
      • Rwanda
      • South Africa
      • Tanzania
    • Asia +
      • Cambodia
      • China
      • Hong Kong
      • India
      • Indonesia
      • Japan
      • Laos
      • Malaysia
      • Nepal
      • Philippines
      • Thailand
      • Vietnam
    • Europe +
      • England
      • France
      • Germany
      • Greece
      • Iceland
      • Ireland
      • Italy
      • Spain
      • Switzerland
      • Turkey
    • North America +
      • Canada
      • Costa Rica
      • Cuba
      • Guatemala
      • Mexico
      • Nicaragua
      • Panama
      • United States
    • Oceania +
      • Australia
      • French Polynesia
      • New Zealand
    • South America +
      • Argentina
      • Bolivia
      • Brazil
      • Chile
      • Colombia
      • Ecuador
      • Peru
  • Resources +
    • Travel Insurance
  • Work With Us

Go Backpacking

Adventure Travel Blog

Go Backpacking > Destinations > Asia > Cambodia > Swimming In A Volcano’s Crater Lake

Swimming In A Volcano’s Crater Lake

September 28, 2008 By Dave

  • Share
  • Tweet

Center of Ban Lung

I slept late the morning after my harrowing bus ride to out of the way northeast Cambodia. When I walked downstairs to find breakfast, I was practically ambushed by a tour guide for the hotel. I agreed on a half day moto tour of three local waterfalls, along with a stop at Boeng Yeak Laom, the local swimming hole.

Typical dirt road in the area

While I needed to see more waterfalls like I needed a hole in the head, I went along for the ride to savor a few more hours of weaving through rural villages, rubber plantations, and farmland. The first waterfall was the best, as you could walk behind the wall of cascading water. By the third I was more than ready to see the lake.

 

Help, I'm being sucked under by the volcano!

The moment we arrived, it began to rain so we sought shelter under one of the few small restaurants. After the rain passed, I went for a wonderful swim. The water was clear, the temperature perfect. Nature's bath! Perhaps it was the rain, or the late hour, but I had the jungle-enclosed lake to myself. Well, aside from a baby getting a scrubdown on the stairs. According to my guide, it is dangerous to swim near the center of the lake because water is sucked down into the volcano. And while he assured me there were no volcano sharks lurking around, there was still an eerie quietness I found slightly unsettling.

Playing around at the volcano crater lake

The opportunity to swim in such a beautiful lake, yet to be disturbed by development, was worth the discomfort of my bus ride. The guide said there was news of a 5-star hotel to be built using the lake as it's “swimming pool.” If true, it would be a shame to have the very tranquil nature of the lake disrupted by hotel development trying to sell the seclusion it has destroyed! The idea reminded me of an article I had read in a Southeast Asia magazine which detailed how much of Cambodia's land is currently being sold to foreign investors. Hundreds of islands have been bought, and the impression I was left with is the country is up for sale.

Planning a trip? Go Backpacking uses and recommends:

  • G Adventures for small group tours
  • Skyscanner for researching flights
  • Hostelworld for booking hostels
  • Airbnb for renting rooms and homes
  • Rail Europe for train passes
  • World Nomads for travel insurance

  • Share
  • Tweet

Related

Filed Under: Cambodia

About Dave

Dave is the Founder and Editor in Chief of Go Backpacking and Feastio. He's been to 65 countries and lived in Colombia and Peru. Originally from New York, Dave now calls Austin, TX home. Find him on Instagram and Twitter.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. ugg uk says

    October 29, 2010 at 5:05 am

    Most helpful site and information

Primary Sidebar

Hi, I'm Dave and I've been backpacking for 20+ years. We're here to make your next trip your best trip! Read More…

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Topics

About | Archive | Travel Resources | Submissions | Work With Us | Contact

© 2021 Go Backpacking · All Rights Reserved

Privacy Policy · Cookie Policy