Khmer New Year, the Cambodia largest celebration, is around the corner. In case you are not aware of the specific date, it is on April 14th, 15th, and 16th. People start planning their trip already of where they should spend time either with friends or family during this coming new year. If you are not sure where to go and what to do, you can consider below recommendations. These recommendations are done base on my experiences from previous years:
1. Angkor Wat, Siem Reap
Every year there is big event of concert and celebration at Siem Reap province, which attracts thousands of national and international tourists. There is no exception in 2015, the government co-sponsor with a number of private companies organize the yearly event called "Angkor Sangkranta". There will be pop-stars coming from many different production companies perform for those three days and play various traditional games. If you like big crowd, concert, and enjoy dancing with new friends, Siem Reap is the best destination for you in this new year. But make sure you reserve the hotel beforehand, otherwise, you will end up sleeping at nowhere. Bare in mind that the cost of accommodation will increase to double or triple to normal price. The earlier you book, the better price you will get.
2. Sihanouk Ville Province
If you don't want Siem Reap, you can also head to Sihanouk Ville, where you can enjoy beach and fresh seafood. There is no any special concert there, but a lot of people also go there for relaxing. Base on last year statistics from Ministry of Tourism, the number of visors to Sihanouk Ville increase up to 80%, and this year we predict the same number will happen, if not less. If you want a more private place, you can go to the islands by boards. There are a log of servicing boars to reach your favorite islands. For accommodations, the same to Siem Reap, if you don't want to spend much, book your hotel in advance to secure you sleeping place. 3. Kep Province
Kep is smaller and less popular than Sihanouk Ville due to the quality of beach and fewer place to visit at that province. But this is the best place for you to avoid big crowd during the new year and still be able to enjoy fresh air and seafood. There is one famous island "Rabbit island" located not far from the mainland, where you can reach there by board in 20 minutes if it is not windy. To me, I prefer Kep for its peaceful beach and short distance to travel from Phnom Penh.
Of course, there are many other resorts to visit around town. But one thing to be sure is during Khmer New Year, there is almost nothing special in Phnom Penh. The city in a sudden becomes quiet, main restaurants close down as people prefer to spend their holiday out of town or at their own hometowns.
.jpg)
.jpg)