Water Festival Celebrations in Battambang

Water Festival - Siem Reap 2009

Our trip to Battambang on the weekend co-incided with the Water Festival, supposedly the most extravagant festival in the Cambodian calendar, though the Battambang version being nothing on what I’d experienced in Siem Reap last year.

Over three days starting with the last full moon day in October or the beginning of November up to a million people from all walks of life from all over the country flock to the banks of Tonle Sap and Mekong Rivers in Phnom Penh to watch hundreds of brightly colored boats with over 50 paddlers battle it out for top honors. The boat racing dates back to ancient times marking the strengths of the powerful Khmer marine forces during the Khmer empire. In the evening brightly decorated floats cruise along the river.  

What we saw however was a disappointing effort, further marred by the pure filth – a carpet of plastic, polystyrene and other refuse.

Heading to the Pagoda

The following day however we came across a number of pilgrims flocking to the pagodas and noisy celebrations in gaudy marquees as we passed through villages.  The Water Festival marks the changing of the flow of the Tonle Sap (South East Asia’s largest lake) and is also seen as thanksgiving to the Mekong River for providing the country with fertile land and abundant fish.

A cross between a truck + a plough

Serenity at its best

It is at this time when the river flow reverts to its normal down stream direction. The remarkable phenomenon that is the Tonle Sap sees the river  flowing upstream during the rainy season and then change direction as the rains cease and the swollen Tonle Sap Lake empties back into the Mekong River leaving behind vast quantities of fish. This could however be affected in the very short term with the sell-out of the Laos Government to Chinese electricity companies who are damning the Mekong.  Ultimately this will seriously impact agriculture and the livelihood of not only the Cambodians, but the Vietnamese).  


The Water Festival takes place from 20 - 23 November in Siem Reap and Phnom Penh. 

Water Festival - Siem Reap 2009

Water Festival - Siem Reap 2009