Every November, when the full moon rises over the twelfth month of the Khmer calendar, Cambodia erupts into one of its biggest celebrations — Bon Om Touk, the Water Festival. The festival marks the reversal of the Tonle Sap River, a natural phenomenon that has shaped Cambodian life for centuries, and its roots stretch back to the Angkor era when King Jayavarman VII reportedly used these celebrations to train his naval forces.
In Siem Reap the festivities run for days. Boat races on the river, colorful floats decorated with Cambodian flags and lotus flowers, hanging lanterns swaying from the trees, and crowds that transform the city into one big street party. Families stroll along the riverside promenade past elephant statues and Khmer pavilions while teams paddle their canoes through the muddy waters.
This is just one slice of a much bigger celebration. The Water Festival goes on for weeks with events all over the country, and there will be plenty more posts from different days and different angles. For now, here is a taste of the atmosphere — from afternoon sun on the water to the glow of lanterns after dark.
Colorful racing canoes and decorated floats on the riverElephant statues line the riverside walkway with yellow lanterns aboveHanging lanterns frame the lotus boat and a yellow canoe on the riverA boy rides the tiger statue as boats gather on the riverA Cambodian flag flies from a decorated float boat with plantsEvening strollers along the riverside promenadeCanoe teams paddling on the Siem Reap RiverLotus decorations and Khmer lanterns along the wooden pierA Vishnu statue and elephant sculpture illuminated by lanterns at nightA green canoe crew rows past during the festivalThe Siem Reap provincial flag waves over the festival river sceneFamilies pose with the elephant sculpture in the riverside parkPanoramic view from the wooden dock as canoes dot the riverKhmer pavilion and hanging lanterns frame the boat-filled riverThe tiger statue and lit dock glow under the night skyBlue flag and decorated boats docked along the riversideA turquoise canoe team paddles past beached boats on the riverbankLotus planter and Khmer pavilion with hanging lanterns on the riverfrontColorful canoes line up for racing as a boy watches from shoreRiver view toward the bridge with canoes and a blue flagThe night crowd gathers around elephant statues and glowing lanternsTiger sculpture by the wooden dock on the Siem Reap RiverWooden railing view of boats scattered across the waterPaddlers in a green canoe race past the decorated boatsThe tiger statue with canoes heading out on the water
