The Living Waters of Banteay Srei: A Day in the Lotus Fields

A Different Kind of Temple

Most visitors to the Angkor region come for stone. They climb the steep steps of Angkor Wat, trace the carvings of Bayon, and watch the sun rise over the eastern gopura. But thirty-two kilometres north of Siem Reap town, past the pink sandstone of Banteay Srei, the landscape softens into something else: water, green leaves, and the gentle pink of lotus flowers.

We first came here on a whim, after a morning at the temple. The road north from Banteay Srei runs through the commune of Preah Dak, where the rice paddies give way to shallow ponds. In the dry season, the water is low and clear. In the wet season, it rises to the brim. Either way, the lotus is everywhere.

Our guide, a farmer from the village of Khnar Sanday, met us at the edge of his family’s pond. He waded in without hesitation, the water up to his knees, and showed us how to read the leaves. A lotus that is ready to harvest, he explained, has a bud that is still tight, but with the first hint of colour. He cut three stems with a curved knife, and handed them to us. The stems were hollow, cool to the touch, and smelled faintly of cucumber.

The Morning Harvest

The best time to visit is between seven and nine in the morning. By then, the sun is high enough to light the ponds, but the flowers are still open. In the heat of the afternoon, the petals close and the blooms lose their freshness. We walked along the bunds between the ponds, our sandals sinking slightly into the mud. The air was thick with the smell of wet earth and vegetation, and the constant low hum of insects.

Around us, other farmers were working. Some were harvesting lotus stems for the vegetable market in Siem Reap. Others were collecting the young leaves, which are used to wrap food. A few were gathering the seeds, which are eaten raw and taste a bit like fresh peas. The ponds themselves are not deep, maybe waist-high at most, and the water is surprisingly clear. You can see the thick, rope-like roots anchoring the plants to the mud.

We spent a good hour walking the perimeter of several ponds. Our guide pointed out the different varieties: the white lotus, which is used more for religious offerings, and the pink lotus, which is preferred for eating and weaving. He also showed us the giant water lilies that grow in the deeper corners, their leaves as wide as a child’s bed. The whole scene felt alive in a way that the temple stones, for all their grandeur, do not.

The Quiet Craft of Lotus Fibre

Back at the family’s stilted wooden house, we watched a woman from the village of Krobei Riel demonstrate lotus fibre weaving. It is a craft that has become more known in recent years, but here it is still done by hand, in the shade of the house, with a simple wooden loom.

The process is surprisingly simple and surprisingly labour-intensive. The farmer takes a fresh lotus stem, snaps it into a short length, and then twists it to break the outer skin. He pulls the stem apart, and out comes a thin, white fibre, about the length of a forearm. These fibres are then twisted together, dried, and spun into a thread. It takes many stems to make a single metre of thread, and many metres of thread to make a scarf.

We tried it ourselves. It is harder than it looks. The fibre is slippery, and it breaks if you pull too hard. But after a few tries, we managed to produce a short, uneven piece of thread. The woman smiled and took it from us, adding it to her own bundle. She told us that a single scarf can take three days to make, from stem to finished cloth. The resulting fabric is light, slightly stiff, and has a natural sheen that catches the light.

The workshop is not a formal business with a sign and a price list. It is simply the family’s home, and they are happy to show visitors what they do. If you are interested in buying a scarf or a piece of cloth, you can ask them directly. There is no fixed price, so it is best to ask your host what is appropriate. The money goes straight to the family, which is more than can be said for many souvenirs in the town market.

Lotus Tea and a Simple Lunch

Before we left, our guide’s wife brought out a pot of lotus tea. It is made from the dried stamens of the flower, which are a deep yellow and have a honey-like fragrance. The tea itself is pale, almost clear, with a subtle sweetness and a floral note that is not overpowering. We sat on the porch, looking out over the ponds, and drank it slowly.

For lunch, we were served a simple meal of rice, fried fish, and a soup made with lotus stems and young leaves. The stems have a crisp texture, a bit like water chestnut, and a mild, slightly sweet flavour. The leaves are more tender and taste a little like spinach. It was a meal that tasted of the place itself, of the water and the mud and the sun.

There are a few small eateries in the area, but they are not always open. If you want to eat, it is best to bring a picnic or ask your host to arrange a meal with a local family. The people of Preah Dak and Khnar Sanday are used to visitors, but they are not in the business of tourism. They are farmers first, and the lotus is their crop.

Getting there from the villa

From our villa in Siem Reap, the drive to the lotus fields takes about forty-five minutes. Head north on National Road 64, towards Banteay Srei. Pass the temple entrance and continue for about three kilometres. You will see the ponds on both sides of the road. The best approach is to ask your host to arrange a tuk-tuk or a car for the morning. A tuk-tuk is fine, but a car is more comfortable on the dusty road. The driver will know the area, but it is a good idea to ask for the village of Khnar Sanday specifically.

Good to know

• Wear sandals or water shoes. You will be walking on muddy bunds, and you may want to wade into the shallow ponds.
• Bring a hat and sunscreen. There is very little shade out in the fields.
• The lotus flowers close in the afternoon, so go early. The morning light is also the best for photography.
• There are no entrance fees or formal tours. This is a working landscape, not a tourist attraction. Be respectful, ask before you take photos of people, and consider buying a small item or leaving a small tip if you have been shown the weaving.

More Cambodia stories: Mud, Silk, and Morning Light: A Day Around Siem Reap

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