Impressive Bon Om Touk ~ Cambodian Water Festival 2018

Yeah‼️ SiennyLovesDrawing 👩🏻 is gonna sharing 👩🏻‍💻📝 here about her impressive 🤩 & unforgettable experience gained from the annual Cambodian 🇰🇭 Water 💦💧 Festival 🎉🎊, Phnom Penh, Cambodia 🇰🇭

So, it was all started with a short queue to get her 👩🏻 cheap ⬇️ flight ticket ✈️ during the AirAsia BIG Xchange & BIG Fest event ❤️ in Sept (as shown in the short clip 📹🎥below). It was with only a limited choice of destinations📍📍available

She 👩🏻 has chosen ✅ for Phnom Penh 🇰🇭 under Lane B with a very 1️⃣st intention to meet & visit 1️⃣ of her girlfriend 🙋🏻‍♀️ who is working there as an expatriate currently. However, sadly 😟 that her friend 🙋🏻‍♀️ wasn’t around ❌ Phnom Penh 🇰🇭 during her travel dates 🗓 Sigh…From a friend visit👭, then she had it as 1️⃣ of her annual solo travelsss 🎒🧢🕶👟

💗 ~ Everything Happens For A Reason ~ 💗

Also initially she 👩🏻 did plan to let go this solo trip because of a clash to a tourism event ~ MITA Sarawak, Malaysia 🇲🇾 that she 👩🏻 has always supporting 💪🏻✌🏻the tourism authority 😊 in Malaysia 🇲🇾️

Guess what❓⁉️

Her trip is gonna be during the annual Cambodian 🇰🇭 Water 💦💧 Festival 🎉🎊 named Bon Om Touk in local Khmer language 🇰🇭 from 21 Nov to 23 Nov 2018 😃😁 It also known as The Pirogue 🚣🏻‍♂️🚣🏻‍♀️ Racing Festival 🎉🎊 or Water 💦💧 & Moon 🌑 Festival 🎉🎊 & Boat Racing 🚣🏻‍♀️🚣🏻‍♂️

It was really a coincident‼️ Once she 👩🏻 has decided ✅ to stay with this solo travel 🎒🕶🧢👟 due to the complicated & difficult flight change 😟✈️ Also this gonna be her 1️⃣st visit to Phnom Penh, Cambodia 🇰🇭

This biggest celebration marks a 12th century naval victory with boat 🚣🏻‍♀️🚣🏻‍♂️ racing along the Sisowath Quay 💦💧 with the boat 🚣🏻‍♀️🚣🏻‍♂️ racing on the Tonle Sap River, in particular the area stretching from street 104 to street 178 of Phnom Penh city centre 🇰🇭

Many hostels 🏡🏘, hotels 🏢, restaurants 🍽🍴 & bars 🥂🍻🍸around this area ~ Very convenience for all visitors 👫👭👬

In the morning 🔅🔆 & before the race 🚣🏻‍♂️🚣🏻‍♀️ starts during this 3️⃣-day festival 🎉🎀, the riverside & streets were much more peaceful 😌

Once the race starts around 🔟am, the huge crowd 👭👬👫 at the riverside will be observed 😃👏🏻🙌🏻

However, in 2015 this celebration 🎉🎊 was cancelled ❌ due to the low ⬇️ water level 💦💧

Hurray‼️ She 👩🏻 always wanna appreciating & experiencing a country’s tradition culture during her travels ✈️🎒🕶🧢👟 This is just so a lovely 💓 coincidence 😉

So, what’s this water 💦💧 festival 🎊🎉 all about❓⁉️

It’s a 3️⃣ days non-religious celebration 🎉🎊 & symbolised as an ancient appreciation 🙏🏻 for centuries to the river 💦💧for providing a source of livelihood to the farmers 👨🏻‍🌾👩🏻‍🌾 & fishermen 🐟🎣

Hmm…It’s a kind of local Khmers 🇰🇭👫👭👬 thanksgiving 🙏 celebration 🎉🎊

The Cambodian boat crews 🇰🇭🚣🏻‍♀️🚣🏻‍♂️ were face forward. Many of the boat crews 🚣🏻‍♀️🚣🏻‍♂️ were complemented with a colorfully-costumed lady 💁🏻‍♀️at the prow dancing to the beat of the drums 🥁🥁

However, from her observation, majority of the boats now don’t really practising this tradition though. Hmm…From her 2️⃣ days visits to the festival, she only noticed for 2️⃣ boats with a colorfully-costumed lady 💁🏻‍♀️ at the front of the boat 🚣🏻‍♀️🚣🏻‍♂️

For the 1️⃣st 2️⃣ days, races 🚣🏻‍♀️🚣🏻‍♂️ are run with 2️⃣ boats 🛶🛶 each, with the big race 🚣🏻‍♂️🚣🏻‍♂️ happening on the last day, when all the boats 🛶🛶 take to the river 💦💧 to compete 😃

There were carnival, rides, traditional music 🎼🎶🎵 performances, dances 💃🏻🕺🏼👯‍♀️👯‍♂️🕴🏻etc. in the evening 🏙🌃🌌

There were many stall vendors, definitely food 🍛🍲🥘🍽🍴& drink 🥤🍻🍷🥂🍸🍹overflow on the streets, Khmer pop bands 🎼🎹🎧🎶🎵entertaining the crowds 👭👬👫 etc.

Personally, she 👩🏻 was impressed how the local vendors actually earn their living 💰by selling drinks 🥤& snacks 🥡🍰🥧🥪 to the huge crowds 👭👬👫 at the riverside during the boat racing 🚣🏻‍♀️🚣🏻‍♂️

There were approximately 300 boats 🛶🛶 with 19k pax of boat rowers 🚣🏻‍♀️🚣🏻‍♂️ Wow!!

Hmm…🤔 How about the huge crowd 👭👫👬attended for this 3️⃣-day festival celebration 🎉🎊 in Phnom Penh❓⁉️

It was about 4.5million people 👭👬👫 including expatriates, foreign visitors, local Khmers from all provinces etc. as shared at the closing ceremony 😁

Ohh yeah‼️ This year, 2018 i.e. The 3rd great successfull year with Cambodia 🇰🇭 has handbuilt the world 🌍🗺 ‘s longest rowing boat 🚣🏻‍♀️ at 87.3m long & 1.99m wide with cost of $60k. It was completed successfully 👍🏻👏🏻🙌🏻 in Sept by more than 14k local Khmers 🇰🇭👭👬👫 in 192 days 😲😃

Guess what❓⁉️

Another Guinness World 🌍🗺 Record 🏆 won (It’s the 5️⃣th one) by Cambodia 🇰🇭 as this long dragon boat 🚣🏻‍♂️ is capable of carrying 179 boat rowers 🚣🏻‍♂️🚣🏻‍♀️ on it‼️ Wow‼️😲 This great 👍🏻 news was anounced on 12 Nov at Prey Veng province of Phnom Penh 🇰🇭

From her own experience, a few points 📌📌 to note if you’re interested to be at Phnom Penh or Siem Reap for this great 👍🏻 annual celebration 🎊🎉

Ohh ya…A pair of comfy shoes 👟 is essentials ✅ because it was vehicles free 🆓 i.e. No public transport ❌🚌🚕🚗 🚐 being available to the festival 🎉🎊 ground📍, more details via 🌐 https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50551697/city-hall-issues-vehicle-ban-for-water-festival/

In this connection, the only option would be just getting around by your own foot 👣

Yeah‼️ SiennyLovesDrawing 👩🏻 got her sun ☀️🌞 protection from the 🆕 Petal Velvet Sunaway SPF50 ordered & purchased 👩🏻‍💻🛒 from Althea Korea 🇰🇷 You must remember to put up your sunscreen to avoid sunburn

Next, do bring an umbrella 🌂☂ (You may loan it from your hotel, it can be a weapon if needed)/ wear a cap 🧢

Do dress up in a light modest clothing 👚 to enjoy the boat 🚣🏻‍♀️🚣🏻‍♂️ race cheerings with the local Khmers 🇰🇭👭👬👫 at the riverside under the hot sunny 😎☀️ day

Ohh ya…Do remember your refillable water 💦💧 bottle to avoid dehydration ya 😌

She 👩🏻 was with the local Khmers 🇰🇭👫👭👬 on her 1️⃣st visit & then 2️⃣nd visit the next day at the designated area by Tourism Cambodia 🇰🇭 for the foreign tourists 👬👫👭 (Served with free 🆓 flow of drinks🥤🥤available)

The riversides 💦💧 were extremely packed & crowded 👬👫👭 with both the local Khmers 🇰🇭👫👭👬 & foreign tourists to cheering for their favorite ❤️ boats🚣🏻‍♂️🚣🏻‍♀️during the races, so suggest you to bring only the bare necessities & hold on tight to what you have. Also being alert with your surroundings too while in the huge crowd 👭👬👫

Why❓⁉️

Hmm…You never know whether you will be being targetted by any pick-pockets/ bag-snatchers 😈👿 whom may just roaming around the crowded festival 🎉🎊 riversides 💦💧& streets. So, even though this festival 🎉🎊 is a free 🆓 celebration 🎉🎊 , however it can get really expensive if you make a mistake by carrying valuables into the crowds 👭👬👫

Always better be safe then sorry ya ☺️😉

There were several types of rowing 🚣🏻‍♀️🚣🏻‍♂️ styles observed from her visits, i.e. sitting down & manual rowing, standing up & manual rowing, standing up & auto rowing etc. She 👩🏻 is curious 🤔 how the marks will be allocate within each different styles as well as the determining factors of winning 🏆🎖 too❓⁉️

Perhaps logically the shortest time 🕛 of completion from the start till end time of each boat at the finishing line (The 2️⃣ red ❤️ boats 🚣🏻‍♀️🚣🏻‍♂️ as captured in the photo 📸 & vBlog 📹🎥below)

There were live announcement during the boat racing 🚣🏻‍♂️🚣🏻‍♀️, however in local Khmer 🇰🇭 language & ❌ no English translation. It would be good to have a live English announcement in the next year festival onwards ya 😊

The King Norodom Sihamoni 🤴🏻, Prime Minister Hun Sen 👨🏻‍💼& some senior officials 🙋🏻‍♂️💁🏻‍♂️ have all attended the closing ceremony on the last day of this festival 🎉🎊 She 👩🏻 has observed from the TV screen 📺 at the foreign visitors designated booth

Ohh ya…She 👩🏻 has enjoyed the longest & the pretty 😍🤩 fireworks 🎆🎇 so far from the closing ceremony of this water festival 🎉🎊

Really amazing beautiful 😍🤩 & with the boats 🛶🛶 decorated with LED lighting💡💡screens represented by each relevant authorities of organising & managing this water 💦💧 festival 🎊🎉 e.g. Tourism, Justice, Ministry of Art & Handicrafts etc. to name a few noted 😉

SiennyLovesDrawing 👩🏻 has captured a vBlog 📹🎥 for sharing here, do click in to enjoy it ya 🤗

Ohh ya…Some of the eateries 🍽🍴 & shops 🛒🛍may close ⛔️ during this water 💦💧 festival 🎉🎊 (All 3️⃣ days) & resume their operation then 🤗

This festival 🎊🎉 also ended with lots of clean up & tidy up at the riverside by the local Khmers 🇰🇭👬👬👬

SiennyLovesDrawing 👩🏻 was blessed 😇 that she 👩🏻 stay with her decision to continue with this solo travel & really enjoyed this water 💦💧 festival celebration 🎊 🎉 & highly recommended 👍🏻👆🏻to all travellers that would like to appreciating & participating local heritage & cultures celebration. Definitely worth your time to learn the unique local Khmers🇰🇭👬👫👭’ lifestyle better

More details,

🌐 https://www.tourismcambodia.com/tripplanner/events-in-cambodia/water-and-moon-festival.htm?fbclid=IwAR32x21NsTrdH3CScoy8ayDq4oyS0T0bRYkXBh-TAOKoARcCXNc8d7_2P5k

Also welcome 🤗 to check out SiennyLovesDrawing 👩🏻 ’s top contributor 👆🏻 account via 🌐 https://www.tripadvisor.com.my/members/siennylovesdrawing for her recent reviews about the Cambodia 🇰🇭 ’s tourist attractions, food & accommodation stay ya 👩🏻‍💻📝

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