The swollen river is slow moving and peaceful, perfect conditions for boat racing during the day and large water float displays at night. Every branch of the Khmer Government decorates their own floats in bright colors and traditional themes. Paired with the floats are an impressive fireworks display. Bright fireworks and water balloon fights happen all over the city for the three days of the festival.

Ak Ambok

Yummy food is for sale all among the banks of the river, the main dish being Ak Ambok⁴. The dish is made by first frying the rice in its natural husks, then beating it in a pestle till soft, and finally, mixing in banana and coconut meat for flavor. Sold everywhere for about $2.00 it’s a sweet treat to eat while watching the boats. Another good Khmer dish is Cambodian Curry. Served with baguettes the curry is made using traditional spices, like lemon grass and ginger. Most commonly the meat is chicken, but you can also order it with beef or fish. Its served in most of the restaurants on the river and is a great meal to enjoy with a group of people

So if you are into meeting a ton of new people, enjoy watching boats race, and eating good food the water festival is for you. Just beware of lots of traffic and the possibility of getting splashed by flying water balloons.

¹ David P. Chandler, A History of Cambodia (Boulder: Westview Press, 1992.)

² Higham, C., 2001, The Civilization of Angkor, London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson, ISBN 9781842125847

³ “Tonle Sap Cambodia — River Lake”. Tonle Sap. Archived from the original on May 4, 2015. Retrieved May 12, 2015.

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