Cambodia - The Rough Guide to Southeast Asia on a Budget - page 73

CAMBODIA PHNOM PENH AND AROUND
OPENING HOURS AND HOLIDAYS
Opening hours vary, and even posted
“o cial” times tend to be flexible. In
theory, o ce hours are Monday to
Saturday 7.30am to 5.30pm, with a
siesta of at least two hours from around
11.30am. Banking hours are generally
Monday to Friday 8.30am to 3.30pm,
and many banks are also open on
Saturday morning. Post o ces
(7am-5pm, or later), markets, shops
(7am-8pm, or later), travel agents and
many tourist o ces open every day.

make offerings to their ancestors in the 15 days leading
up to it, and celebrations take place in temples on the
day itself.
Bonn Om Tuk (early Nov) The “Water Festival” is celebra-
ted every year when the current of the Tonle Sap, which
swells so much during the rainy season that it actually
pushes water upstream, reverses and flows back into the
Mekong River. The centre of festivities is Phnom Penh's
riverbank, where everyone gathers to watch boat racing,
an illuminated boat parade and fireworks.

2

Phnom Penh and
around
Cambodia's capital, PHNOM PENH ,
sprawls west from the confluence of the
Mekong and Tonle Sap rivers. As you
approach from the airport, the city is a
confusing mess, its main boulevards
choked with motos and other tra c and
lined with generic low-rise, concrete
blocks. Despite initial impressions,
however, the heart of Phnom Penh has a
strong appeal. he French influence is
evident in the colonial shophouses lining
the boulevards, with the occasional
majestic monument or public building
animating the cityscape. he Phnom
Penhois are open and friendly, and the
city itself is small enough to get to know
quickly. Phnom Penh may not have
much in the way of tourist attractions
- the majority of sights can be covered in
a day or two - but many visitors end up
lingering, if only to soak up the unique
indolent atmosphere of the city.

PUBLIC HOLIDAYS
January 1 International New Year's Day
January 7 Victory Day, celebrating the liberation of
Phnom Penh in 1979 from the Khmer Rouge
February (variable) Meak Mochea, celebrating Buddhist
teachings and precepts
March 8 International Women's Day
April 13/14 (variable) Bonn Chaul Chhnam (Khmer
New Year)
April/May (variable) Visaka Bochea, celebrating the
birth, enlightenment and passing into nirvana of the
Buddha
May 1 Labour Day
May (variable) Bonn Chroat Preah Nongkoal, the “Royal
Ploughing Ceremony”
May 13-15 (variable) King Sihamoni's Birthday
June 1 International Children's Day
June 18 Her Majesty the Queen Mother's Birthday
September 24 Constitution Day
Late Sept/early Oct (variable) Bonn P'chum Ben,
“Ancestors' Day”
October 15 King Father's Commemoration Day, celebra-
ting the memory of Norodom Sihanouk.
October 23 Anniversary of the Paris Peace Accords
October 30-November 1 (variable) King Sihanouk's
Birthday
November 9 Independence Day
Early November Bonn Om Tuk, “Water Festival”
December 10 UN Human Rights Day

WHAT TO SEE AND DO
Phnom Penh city centre can be loosely
defined as the area between Monivong
Boulevard and the Tonle Sap River,
stretching as far north as Chroy
Chung Va Bridge, and as far south as
Sihanouk Boulevard. Its tourist hub is
the scenic Sisowath Quay, from where
most of the sights and monuments are
easily accessible.

FESTIVALS
Festivals tend to be fixed by the lunar
calendar, so dates vary from year to year.
Bonn Chaul Chhnam (April 13 or 14) Khmer New Year is
the most significant festival of the year, a time when
families get together, homes are spring-cleaned and
people flock to the temples with elaborate offerings.
Bonn P'chum Ben (late Sept) “Ancestors' Day” is one of
the most important events in the festive calendar. Families

Sisowath Quay and around
he heart of Phnom Penh life is a small,
fairly nondescript square of land at the