How to come to Cambodia
General Information about Cambodia : Flight tickets, visas, money, health, safety, language, ...
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History
Know the Chronology of Modern Cambodian History and the History of Angkor
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The Angkor Site on essentials
Know Priority temples, Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom, Bayon, Baphuon, Elephant and Leper King Terraces, ...
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What to do beyond temples
Where to go out, bars, restaurants, disco,
What to do beyond temples, visit the National Museum, see temples from the air in a balloon for the sunset, visit the wonderful Tonle Sap Lake and its floating village, ...
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Choose a Hotel
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How to arrange your visit
Consult the whole list of temples from Angkor and from Roluos classified according to location and style
How to come to Siem Reap and how to visit temples
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Khmer art style
know different trends and styles of the Angkor Art, religion, sculpture and architecture for each temple
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Weather for Siem Reap
Know details of temperatures and precipitation averages for Siem Reap
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January 31st - February 2nd : Angkor Night Festival
Three magical nights of traditional and contemporary dancing performances, in front of the mythical and mystical Angkor Wat Temple
November 23rd-28th : Angkor Photography Festival
A Festival which wants to promote emerging Asian photographers
December 7th : Angkor Half Marathon
2008's Angkor Wat International Half Marathon is a run of 21 km in the Angkor Archaeological Park, along Temples, and especially along Angkor Wat
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Festivities in Siem Reap
Angkor
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January 1st : International New Year's Day
It is a public holyday without celebration. Cambodians celebrate the Khmer New Year in April
January 7th : Victory over Genocide Day
This day celebrates the end of the Khmer Rouge regime, when Vietnam invaded Cambodia in January 1979. It is a controversial celebration because it also marks the start of 10 years of foreign occupancy
February 21st : Meak Bochea Day
During the fool moon, processions take place to commemorate Buddha's last sermon
March 8th : International Women's Day
UNESCO and the Ministry of Women's Affairs organize celebrations like parades with float in many towns, in order to make people aware of women's rights
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Holidays, festivities
festivals in Cambodia
in 2008
April 13th-15th : Khmer New Year - Chaul Chnam Thmey
The New Year Festival is a three day celebration to mark the end of harvesting season, a relax period before the rainy season. This festival marks the turn of the lunar year according to the Khmer calendar
During three days, people make offering to God and play traditional games in temples. Cambodians also decorate their homes and they often go on the streets armed with small bags of water to pour it on people they meet
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May 1st : International labour day
May 13th-15th : King Norodom Sihamoni's Birthday
Some exhibitions, like live shows and a firework, are organized in front of the Royal Palace, close to the riverbanks of the Mekong in Phnom Penh
May 19th : Buddha Day - Visak Bochea
For the fool moon, processions to temples take place to commemorate the Buddha's Birthday
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May 23rd : Royal Ploughing Festival
The Royal Ploughing Festival announces the start of the rainy season and the planting season.
A Royal Ploughing ceremony held near the Royal Palace and the National Museum in Phnom Penh, is a traditional and predictive ceremony. According to the choices of crops eaten by cows, Cambodians believe they can predict some natural events such as floods, droughts, epidemics, ...
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June 18th : Queen Norodom Monineath Sihanouk's Birthday
For the Queen Mother Holiday, only the Royal Family celebrates this day going to temples and making offerings
September 24th : Constitution Day
It commemorates the 1993 Constitution
September 28th-30th : Ancestor Worship - Pchom Ben
During 15 days, people go to the pagoda to pray and to make offerings (food, money, new saffron robes, ...) to monks. If they do not make it, Cambodians believe the souls of dead relatives will return to haunt them
October 29th-31st : Coronation Day and King Norodom Sihanouk's Birthday
Some exhibitions, live shows and a firework, are organized close to the riverbanks in front of the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh
November 9th : Independence Day
It celebrates Cambodian Independence from France in 1953. A parade takes place in front of the Independence Monument in Phnom Penh
December 10th : International Human Rights Day
Festival of traditional dance to mark Cambodian commitment for tough controls of arms in the world
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November 11th-13th : Water Festival - Bon Om Touk
Over three days starting with the fool moon, people go to the banks of Tonle Sap lake or the Mekong to see brightly coloured boats and some boat races. The best place to be is Phnom Penh where a firework is organized, or in Siem Reap in front of Angkor Wat
The Water Festival is a very ancient festivity because some carvings in the Bayon Temple depict boat competitions on water. The festival honours a Khmer naval victory achieved under King Jayavarman VII, and marks the changing of the flow of Tonle Sap lake. It is seen as thanksgiving to the Mekong river for providing some fertile land and abundant fish
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Angkor Temple Guide Home Page
Temples d'Angkor