Festivals
& Events
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01
January International New Year's Day
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07
January Victory Day
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08
March International Women's Day
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13-16
April Bonn Chaul Chhnam
the New Year's Festival spans three days following the end of
the harvest season. Clean and decorat their houses with altars
of offerings. Then people play traditional games such as Angkunh,
Chaol Chhoung, leak Kansaeng, and tug of war.
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01
May International labour Day
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7
May Bonn Visaka Bochea
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11
May Boon Chroat Preah Nongkoal
The Royal Ploughing Ceremony is the inau guration of the planting
season. The ploughing is performed by a man, king, who leads the
yoke and plough, followed by a woman, Queen, who sows seed
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01
June International Children's Day
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18
June Samdech Preah Mohesey Norodom Monineath Sihanouk's Birthday
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16-17-18
September Bonn Dak Ben & Bonn Pchoum Ben
The Spirits Commemoration Festival is held for the spirits of
the dead. For Bonn Dak ben, food is offered to monks to last them
15 days. The 15th day of the ceremony the full moon is called
Bonn Pchoum Ben, the col lection of the bens (offerings). During
this celebration, if departed souls do not find their family naking
offerings at a Pagoda, it is believed that the soul is cursed
and will bother the descendent throughout the year.
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24
September Constitution Day and Recoronation of H.M.Preah Bat Samdech
Preah Norodom Sihanouk.
October Bonn Kathen
The
30-day religious festival is marked by town and country folks
marching in procession. to the Pagoda where the monks are waiting
to change their old saffron robes for new ones offered during
the festival. The ceremony, brings spiritual merit to both lay
people and the monks.
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23
October: Parispeace Agreement on Cambodia
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30
October-1 November
His Majesty the King's Birthday and Water Festival, Moon Festival
His Majesty Preah Bat Samdech Preah Norodom Sihanouk, King of
Cambodia, was born on 31 October 1922 in Phnom Penh. The Water
Festival, which ushers in the fishing season and marks the reversing
of the current in the Tonle Sap River, is a spectacle to be hold.
At the height of the rainy season,
The
water in the Mekong River folws with such power that it backs
up into the Tonle Sap river, forcing the Tonle Sap to reverse
its current and begin flowing northward to the Great Lake. As
the water level begins to subside, the current reverses again.
The festival draws tens of thousands of people to the river banks
to watch long boat races, fireworks and a lighted flotilla of
boats under the full moon.
-
9
November Independence Day
The date Cambodia achieved independence from France in 1953, is
marked by a parade with floats and spectacles high lighting the
nation's achievements.
-
10
December United Nations Human Rights Day
ACCESS
TO CAMBODIA
BY AIR
There are 14 airline companies including one Cambodian airline, Royal
Air Cambodge have been operating International flights between Cambodia
to/from many countries in the world there are two international airports
Phnom Penh & Siem Reap that recently, around 170 flights weekly
including 70 flights direct to Siem Reap - Angkor, the World Heritage
Site of Cambodia where have more than 100 stone temples built about
1,000 years ago by Khmer kings.
Domestic
Flight
There are four domestic air companies in Cambodia, Royal Air Cambodge,
Phnom Penh Airways, President Airlines and Siem Reap Airways International.
These airlines are daily operating domestic flight between Phnom Penh
capital city and most of Provincial towns, including around 7 flights
per day Phnom Penh - Siem Reap.
Airlines:
Royal Air Cambodge, China Sonthern Airlines, Phnom Penh Airways, Air
Mandalay, President Airlines, Bangkok Airways, Siem Reap Airways,
Dragon Air, Lao Aviation, Malaysia Airlines, Silk Air, Shanghai Airlines,
Thai International Airways, Vietnam Airlines.
BY
LAND
It's possible access into Cambodia by land from neighboring countries,
Vietnam and Thailand (recently from Lao P.D.R. is not international
border check point).
Access
from Vietnam:
There are one international border check point at Bovet (Cambodia
site) and Mocbay (Vietnam site). Visitors can travel by land across
this point mainly from Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam to Phnom Penh City,
Cambodia, it around 230 km between these two cities. At the border,
there are many taxis in both sites, and taxi cost to Phnom Penh is
about US$ 10 per person, by National road No.1.
Travel
by this way visitors can enjoy the beautiful landscape of the east
part of Cambodia in the Mekong area, but one thing should be notice
that the road No.1 is under construction, and it will be completed
in 2003.
Access
from Thailand:
Recently there are 2 international border check points between Cambodia
and Thailand.
1).
Poi Pet (Cambodia) and Aranyaprathet (Thailand)
This point can connect Bangkok or North-East of Thailand to Phnom
Penh via North-West part of Cambodia including Angkor area. This point,
visa on arrival is available with cost of US$20. Taxi also available
there, especially for Siem Reap - Angkor, it cost around US$15 per
person on the National road No.6, it take about 5 hours from border
to Siem Reap town.
2).
Chamyem (Cambodia) and Trat (Thailand)
Visitors can reach this point by road from Bangkok or South - East
of Thailand. From Trat Province of Thailand and than meet the international
border check point, Cham Yem in Koh Kong Province of Cambodia. Visa
on arrivals, or at Royal Cambodian Embassy to Thailand in Bangkok
or other places. From Koh Kong, visitors can contivue their trip to
Sihanoukville, by fast boat around 4 hours and cost US$ 15 (one way),
and then connect to Phnom Penh City by National road No.4, with 225km
it takes about 3 hours by taxi or air con-bus, cost around US$5.
BY
WATER WAY
Cambodia can be reached by waterway from neighboring countries and
the world. The international seaport Sihanoukville and the Mekong
river port Phnom Penh, these are two main gateways to Cambodia. Cruise
ship is possible on the Mekong river from Vietnam to Phnom Penh capital
city, and connect by local fast boats to upper Mekong closed to Lao
P.D.R. or link it with Tonle Sap river and Lake to Siem Reap Angkor,
the world wonder. By this route, visitors can enjoy the Mekong's view
and discovery the new area of Cambodia with combine together nature,
culture and life stiles of the people.
Sihanoukville
the international seaport gateway has experience for years received
cruise ships from the world, such as Japanese cruise ship named "Peace
Boat" which hundred of viditors.