Bon Om Touk in Siem Reap: Boat Races, Illuminated Nights, and Angkor
November. Full moon. Boat races, illuminated river processions, fireworks, and free Angkor mornings. Cambodia's biggest festival โ and Siem Reap handles it better than anywhere.
Bon Om Touk โ the Water Festival โ is Cambodia's largest annual celebration and the most spectacular time to be in Siem Reap. If you can get accommodation booked in time, this three-day national holiday is worth organizing your calendar around.
When Is Bon Om Touk?
Bon Om Touk falls on the full moon of the Khmer lunar month of Kadeuk โ which translates to November in the Western calendar. It's a 3-day public holiday.
2025 dates: November 5โ7 2026 dates: October 25โ27
The dates shift each year with the lunar calendar. Check the official Cambodian holiday calendar for your specific travel year.
What Is Bon Om Touk?
The festival celebrates a natural phenomenon unique to Cambodia: the reversal of the Tonle Sap River. Most of the year, the Tonle Sap flows south into the Mekong near Phnom Penh. In OctoberโNovember, when Mekong flood waters recede, the flow reverses โ the Tonle Sap fills and drains northward, expanding the Tonle Sap Lake to several times its dry-season size.
Cambodians have celebrated this reversal for centuries with boat racing, offerings to the river, and illuminated boat processions at night.
Phnom Penh vs. Siem Reap for Bon Om Touk
The biggest boat races happen in Phnom Penh โ hundreds of boats racing in front of the Royal Palace, millions of spectators crowding the riverside, hotels booked out entirely and priced at 3โ4ร normal.
Siem Reap is the better choice for most groups:
- Boat races on the Siem Reap River โ smaller, more accessible, actually visible from the banks without fighting through massive crowds
- Angkor Wat access: 5 AM sunrise visit (free with national ID), then festival events in the afternoon and evening
- Private villa accommodation: your group has a pool, a kitchen, a KTV room โ you're not queuing for a hotel breakfast or competing for table space
The Phnom Penh festival is spectacular but logistically difficult for a group. In Siem Reap, the festival is real and the access is human-scale.
What to Expect in Siem Reap
Afternoon boat races: The races on the Siem Reap River run approximately 2โ6 PM on all three festival days. Teams in narrow traditional longboats race in pairs. Spectators line both banks. Find a good spot by 1:30 PM โ the banks fill up quickly.
Illuminated boat procession: Evening of day 2 (the full moon night) โ decorated boats drift down the river with lanterns, candles, and LED lights. One of the more beautiful sights in Cambodia. Position yourself along the riverside walk between Old Market and the main bridge.
Fireworks: Usually at 8โ9 PM on the main festival night. The riverbank gives the best view; so does a rooftop with a line of sight to the river.
Street food carnival: The stretch from Old Market to the river becomes a dense food stall zone during the festival. Lok lak, grilled corn, sugar cane juice, rice cakes, noodle soups โ everything available for $1โ3/dish. Bring cash in small notes.
Angkor mornings: The festival runs in afternoons and evenings. Early mornings are uncrowded and cooler. Sunrise at Angkor Wat (5 AM), done by 9 AM โ free with national ID โ then return to the villa before the afternoon race schedule.
3-Night Itinerary
Day 1 (arrival):
- Arrive and check in
- Evening: Old Market dinner, scout the river area
- Night: illuminated boat procession if it falls on this evening
Day 2:
- 5 AM: Angkor Wat sunrise (free entry with national ID)
- 8โ10 AM: Angkor Thom / Bayon
- Lunch at villa, pool
- 2โ6 PM: Watch boat races from riverbank
- Evening: street food by river, fireworks if scheduled
Day 3:
- Morning: Kampong Phluk floating village boat trip ($15โ20/person, Tonle Sap lake communities โ the lake is at maximum size during festival season)
- Lunch: Old Market
- 2โ6 PM: Final race day
- Evening: BBQ at villa, KTV
Day 4:
- Morning departure for Phnom Penh (bus or share taxi)
Cost for a Group of 10
| Item | Per Person |
|---|---|
| Bus (return) | $25โ30 |
| Villa (3 nights, $300/night รท 10) | $90 |
| Food (3 days, eating well) | $40 |
| Angkor Wat (free for Cambodians) | $0 |
| Floating village | $20 |
| TukTuk (pre-arranged 3-day rate) | $15 |
| Total | ~$190โ195/person |
Practical notes:
- Book by September for November festival dates. October bookings are possible but options narrow fast.
- TukTuk pricing increases 2โ3ร during the festival. Pre-arrange a driver for the full 3 days at the start โ most drivers negotiate a fixed 3-day rate ($60โ80 total for the group).
- Traffic gets genuinely congested around race time (2โ6 PM). Walk or cycle if you're within 1 km of the river.
- Weather: November is excellent โ dry season beginning, 25โ28ยฐC, pleasant evenings.
โ Read: Best Time to Visit Angkor Wat
Stay at the Villa for Bon Om Touk
8 bedrooms, private pool, 10 minutes from the river. Book by September for November dates โ the festival fills Siem Reap fast.
View the Villa
