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As I learned from the Gecko Environmental Center in Chong Khneas, the Tonle Sap lake is unique because its flow actually changes direction twice a year. I visited in January, during the dry season, and the lake was draining southwards into the Mekong River. However, when the rainy season begins in June, the river will start to flow backwards to fill up the lake to five times its dry season size. Photo 4 of 10 in Living on Water: Floating Villages by Tiffany Chu

Living on Water: Floating Villages

4 of 10

As I learned from the Gecko Environmental Center in Chong Khneas, the Tonle Sap lake is unique because its flow actually changes direction twice a year. I visited in January, during the dry season, and the lake was draining southwards into the Mekong River. However, when the rainy season begins in June, the river will start to flow backwards to fill up the lake to five times its dry season size.