A smaller Water Festival is held around Angkor Wat, but for the real thing you’ll have to go to Phnom Penh.
In Khmer the annual Water Festival is called Bonn Om Toeuk.
The Water and Moon Festival ushers in the fishing season. It also marks
the reversal of the current in Tonle Sap river. Boat races as well as
fireworks displays are held at the river.
Date in 2008:
11-12-13 November
More than 300 boats, propelled by precision-trained oarsmen, take part in the annual boat race,
the highlight of the Water Festival or Bonn Om Touk. This is one of the
major events in the Kingdom which attracts multitudes of people from
the various provinces to the capital Phnom Penh.
They arrive by buses, cars, bikes, cyclos, bicycles and even trucks. Many stay over in the city during the three-day festival,
lending support to their boat team. Others use this opportunity to
explore the sights and sounds of Phnom Penh - for many it is the only
occasion to visit the city.
Source: Frizz Restaurant