The Quiet Craft of Khmer Basketry: A Morning in Chreav Commune

We wake early, before the heat settles over the rice fields, and head south from Siem Reap along National Road 6. After about fifteen minutes, we turn onto a dirt track that leads into Chreav commune, a patchwork of rice paddies and stilted wooden houses. Here, in the shade of sugar palms, a handful of families keep alive the quiet craft of basketry, weaving palm fronds and bamboo into baskets, mats, and fish traps. It is not a spectacle. It is simply work, done on a porch or under a tree, the way it has been for generations.

The material and the hands

We arrive at a house where three women sit on a low platform, their fingers moving fast. One splits a length of bamboo into thin strips with a knife held between her toes. Another takes strips of palm leaf, already soaked and softened, and begins to weave. The rhythm is steady: over, under, pull tight. The smell is green and faintly sweet, like fresh-cut grass. The only sounds are the swish of the strips and the occasional cluck of a chicken. We are offered a stool and a bundle of palm. It looks easy. It is not. The first few rows of our own attempt are loose and uneven, but our teacher just smiles and adjusts our grip.

What they make and why

These baskets are not souvenirs. They are tools. We see round winnowing trays for rice, deep baskets for carrying vegetables to market, and small traps for catching fish in the flooded fields. Each piece is shaped by its purpose. A woman named Srey Mom shows us a basket she has just finished. It took her a morning. She sells them to neighbours or traders who come through the village. The price is modest, but the work is steady. We learn that the palm used here is the same sugar palm that gives the region its sugar and wine, so nothing is wasted. The leaves that are too old for weaving become fuel or mulch.

A pause for tea

Around mid-morning, we stop for tea. A kettle boils over a small fire of coconut husks. We sit on a wooden bench, sipping weak green tea from glass cups. The conversation drifts to family, rice, and the weather. Our host asks where we are from and nods when we mention the temples. She has lived here all her life but has never been to Angkor Wat. It is not far, she says, but there is always work. We feel the weight of that. The morning light shifts through the palm fronds, and for a moment, we just listen to the silence.

Getting there

Chreav commune is about 5 kilometres south of Siem Reap town, just off National Road 6. The easiest way is by tuk-tuk or motorbike, which takes around 15 to 20 minutes from the centre. Tell your driver you want to go to Chreav commune; they will know the area. If you are cycling, the roads are flat and quiet, but watch for traffic on the main road. There is no formal entrance or ticket. You are visiting people’s homes, so ask your host or hotel to help arrange a respectful visit, or simply ask permission when you arrive.

Good to know

• The best time to visit is in the morning, from around 8am to 11am, before the heat becomes intense. Afternoons are often too hot for weaving.
• Wear comfortable clothes that can get a little dusty. You may be sitting on the ground or on a low platform.
• Bring small notes in riel or US dollars if you wish to buy a basket. Prices are not fixed; ask politely.
• Always ask before taking photos. A smile and a gesture towards your camera is usually enough.

More Cambodia stories: The Temple of the Leper King: A Quiet Corner of Angkor ThomStaying in Siem Reap? Bungalow 1955 is nine private apartments around a shared pool, minutes from Angkor — enquire about dates.