Water Festival Phnom Penh - Cambodia

The Water Festival is a three-day event, celebrating the end of the rainy season and reversing of the flow in the Tonle Sap river. During the dry season the water flows into the Mekong, but in the wet season there is so much water flowing down the Mekong, forcing the Tonle Sap to reverse its flow back into the Great Lake (Tonle Sap Lake).

The Water Festival brings about 1 million visitors to Phnom Penh, almost doubling the inhabitant figure of the Cambodian capital. The main event is the boatraces on the river, with competing teams from all over the country. Colorful boats and cheerful crowds. Every now and then a crew rows too enthusiastic and the boat almost sinks, but others come to the rescue quick.

The riverfront is lined with food, drink, fruit and other stalls. This is your chance to eat snake or spiders.

At night luminated boats sail up and down the river, docking at the river side at around 10pm.

The atmosphere is friendly and a little carnival like. In 2005, the Water Festival will be from November 15-November 17.

Posted in: Travelling to Cambodia