Wonder-Filled Water Festival
Phnom Penh | 14-16 Nov 2024

The annual Water Festival, Bon Om Touk, is a major highlight on Cambodia’s cultural calendar. Marking the end of the rainy season, this multi-day event makes a splash with thrilling boat races, traditional dance performances, delicious food and revelry.

Celebrated since the 13th century, the water festival is held to attract good luck and an abundant harvest. While Cambodians across the country join the fun, Bon Om Touk takes on a carnival-like atmosphere in major cities like Phnom Penh. This year’s celebrations in mid-November bring visitors an opportunity to indulge in special feasts, performances, dances and parties. Look out for fiercely contested boat races and dazzling firework displays as the sun sets. This is also the time when the Tonle Sap River usually reverses its flow, a unique natural wonder for visitors to witness.

Phnom Penh riverfront.
Photos: Shutterstock