Everything You Need to Know About Cambodia's Festivals

Shay LaJoie • May 13, 2025

Discover Cambodia's Hidden Festivals: What You Need to Know

If you think Cambodia is all temples and tuk tuks—just wait until you land in the middle of a full-blown water fight, or watch an entire village light up with glowing lanterns by the river. From big national celebrations to hyper-local traditions you won’t find in any guidebook, Cambodia’s festivals are a whole adventure on their own.

Here’s everything you need to know about Cambodia’s festivals—and how to catch the ones that most travelers miss.

1. Khmer New Year (Chaul Chnam Thmey) – April

This is the big one. Celebrated over three days in mid-April, Khmer New Year is basically Cambodia’s version of Songkran, but with its own flair.

Expect: Epic water fights, street parties, traditional games, and every city shutting down to celebrate.
Where to be: Siem Reap is the party capital, but smaller towns offer a more traditional vibe with temple visits and ceremonies.
Pro tip: Wear clothes you don’t mind getting drenched in, and pack your waterproof phone pouch!

2. Pchum Ben – September/October (dates vary)

A more spiritual festival, Pchum Ben is when Cambodians honor their ancestors by offering food at temples and pagodas. It’s deeply meaningful and a chance to see Cambodia at its most reflective.

Expect: Early morning chants, offerings of sticky rice and fruit, and a peaceful, respectful energy across the country.
Where to be: Anywhere with a pagoda—just walk quietly, observe respectfully, and you might be invited to take part.
Hidden tip: Visit a countryside temple during Pchum Ben for an authentic, moving experience.

3. Bon Om Touk – The Water Festival – November

This one’s big and beautiful. Held during the full moon in November, Bon Om Touk marks the natural reversal of the Tonlé Sap River’s flow—yes, it’s the only river in the world that does that!

Expect: Longboat races, riverside celebrations, concerts, and food stalls galore.
Where to be: Phnom Penh is the heart of the action, but smaller races happen in Battambang and Kampong Cham too.
Adventure tip: Book ahead—accommodation fills up fast, and the riverfront gets packed.

4. Meak Bochea & Visak Bochea – Lunar Calendar Buddhist Holidays

These two Buddhist holidays are lesser-known but incredibly important here. They mark key events in the Buddha’s life and are celebrated with peaceful candlelit processions at pagodas across the country.

Expect: Monks chanting, quiet rituals, and glowing temples under the moonlight.
Where to be: Ask a local where the nearest pagoda is holding a ceremony—most are open to respectful visitors.
Hidden magic: Seeing a line of candle-holding monks walking around a pagoda in silence? Unforgettable.

5. Local Village Festivals – Anytime, Anywhere

Here’s where the real secret lies. All over Cambodia, especially in rural areas, small festivals pop up around harvests, village anniversaries, or even just local pride. You won’t find these on TripAdvisor—but if you’re with a local guide or staying in a homestay, you might just get swept up in one.

Expect: Loud music, traditional dancing, food, and warm invitations to join.
Where to find them: Kampong Thom, Mondulkiri, and the islands often surprise travelers with random community festivals.
Local tip: Ask your guide or guesthouse host if anything is happening nearby—they’ll know where the party’s at.

Whether it’s a nationwide celebration or a tiny temple gathering, Cambodia’s festivals are where the country’s heart really beats. They're colorful, chaotic, joyful, and full of meaning—and they’re a perfect way to dive deeper into the culture while you're here.

So if you’re planning your trip, consider syncing it with a celebration—or just stay open to surprises. Around here, you never know when a quiet night might turn into a dance party under the stars.

Discover Cambodia's hidden festivals and you’ll leave with more than just photos—you’ll take home the feeling of being part of something special.

Want help timing your trip around a festival (or finding one that’s totally off the radar)? Give us a shout. We’re always happy to help you join the celebration.

< Older Post

Newer Post >

Cambodia Travel Planning: Benefits & Expert Tips

By Brad McComb • February 21, 2026

Discover why smart travel planning transforms your Cambodia trip. Save time, reduce stress, travel responsibly, and experience more.

2 Days on a Budget in Siem Reap

By Brad McComb • February 16, 2026

How to Make the Most of 2 Days in Siem Reap

Eco Tourism & Regenerative Travel in Cambodia

By Brad McComb • February 3, 2026

How to Travel with Positive Impact

Best Tours in Cambodia

By Brad McComb • January 21, 2026

Unforgettable small-group adventures across Cambodia — guided, ethical, and expertly designed.

What to gift when travelling in Cambodia

By Jay Austin • December 2, 2025

Visiting Cambodia offers an enriching experience and an unparalleled opportunity to connect with the local community. Cambodian people are warm, open and very accepting of foreign visitors into their communities. Many travellers enjoy these interactions and getting to know your guides, tuk tuk drivers and hotel staff on a more personal level can make your trip truly unforgettable. For those who wish to contribute a little more than their base tourism spend, there are many ways that you can give that will be beneficial for those that you meet. Tips Though tipping in Cambodia is not expected, it is always deeply appreciated. Most Cambodian people will never ask you for a tip, but what you choose to give after exceptional service can always be put to use in any number of ways. The Cambodian culture is deeply rooted in food, which means your tip could mean the difference between a family eating rice and soy sauce with basic vegetables to that same family being able to incorporate fish into their evening meal (over 75% of the Cambodian diet is related to fish in some way, but it can be expensive for lower income families). Cambodian families are also very focused on educating the next generation. Tips are often used for the payment of school fees for children as even a public education requires a payment of some sort as well as the purchase of uniforms, books etc. as the public education system is still very underfunded. As a general guide for tipping, here are the amounts we would recommend: Drivers $5 - $10 USD per day Guides $10- $20 USD per day Group Leaders $50 - $200 USD total from the group, depending on the length of the tour Educational Supplies With public schools being largely underfunded, educational supplies are always welcomed as donations. At Adventure Travel Co. we adhere to strict ChildSafe policies which dictate that visiting schools during class hours is detrimental to the learning process, but we are happy to arrange meetings with teachers and school principals where donations can be made appropriately without any negative impacts. Educational supplies are widely available in Cambodia which means that buying locally is both more affordable for you and also contributes to the wider Cambodian economy. Contact us for a list of stores you can visit and school wishlists for your trip. Used laptops are a wonderful donation for schools that focus on technological education. If you have an old laptop laying around at home, bringing this to Cambodia to donate is a wonderful way to support education into the future. Even broken laptops can be donated to technical training schools to be used as a training tool for technological repair classes. Second hand laptops are also available for purchase in Cambodia for affordable prices and we can help to guide you through the purchase process if you would prefer to purchase technological supplies in-country. Capacity Building Gifts So the saying goes, if you give a man a fish, he can eat for a day, but if you teach a man to fish, he can eat for a lifetime. Focusing your gifts and donations on capacity building is a great way to ensure that your donations go a long way. Keeping with the saying in literal terms, we will start this section with fishing supplies. Cambodian people rely largely on fishing around the country to feed their families. Though their style of fishing is much more rudimentary than what we might be used to in our home counties, there are basic supplies like hooks, lines and sinkers that can always be used in countryside locations surrounding the Tonle Sap lake. For seaside villages, basic fishing rods as well as gear and tackle will always be valuable gifts for local people to help them achieve the catch they need. Bicycles are often a well received gift which enables children to reach school safely. Bikes are available around the country for affordable prices and we can help to direct you to the communities that need them the most. Sadly, access to clean water is still a major issue in the Cambodian countryside. Something as simple as a ceramic water filter (in-country cost of around $25 USD) can help to prevent illnesses from bacteria that is contracted from ingesting unclean water. For those who have a little more to give, we can link you up with NGOs that provide wells for clean water access in villages that still don't have access to running water. Though this would be a financial donation, it is something that provides hygiene and sanitation to entire communities rather than a donation to a single person. On the hygeniene side of things, items such as toothbrushes, toothpaste, reusable menstrual pads, period underwear, cloth nappies and soap are valuable items within Cambodian communities. There are a number of organizations that can assist with distributing these items along with the educational resources required for assisting women and children on the proper use of these items. We can help you to arrange community visitations for the distribution of hygiene items in partnership with local NGOs ensuring that your donations are going to the communities that need them. Gifts are a wonderful way to give back to a community and country that offers you a wonderful holiday experience. For more information or to arrange visits with non-government organizations, schools, village leaders and local monks, please contact our expert travel planners who can help to create a responsible tourism experience that allows you to give back with tourism..