Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
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 September/early October (variable)
Bonn Pchum Ben,
“Ancestors' Day”
October 15
King Father's Commemoration Day, celebrating the
memory of Norodom Sihanouk
October 23
Anniversary of the Paris Peace Accords
October 29-November 1 (variable)
King's Coronation Day
November 9
Independence Day
Early November
Bonn Om Toeuk, “Water Festival”
December 10
UN Human Rights Day
from just a morning to a few days. The Wild KK
Project in Koh Kong (see p.265) offers multi-day
adventures into the Areng Valley (deep in the
Cardamoms),
including
hiking,
cycling
and
kayaking.
Cycling
tours are another popular option, ideally
suited to Cambodia's predominantly flat terrain and
extensive network of relatively tra
c-free rural
backroads. Tours are run by Camouflage, Terre
Cambodge and Hidden Cambodia in Siem Reap
(see p.145), Grasshopper Adventures in Phnom
Penh (see p.78) and Siem Reap (see p.14), Soksabike
in Battambang (see p.118) and the Wild KK Project
in the south (see p.265). There are also many cycling
possibilities around the Mekong Trail (see p.218),
with tours run by Xplore Asia in Stung Treng (see
p.226), who can also arrange trekking, cycling and
fishing trips. The country's rough backcountry dirt
tracks are also a magnet for
off-road motorbike
enthusiasts; Hidden Cambodia (see p.145) in Siem
Reap organizes a range of group dirt-biking tours.
Quad-biking
excursions can also be arranged in
Siem Reap through Quad Adventures Cambodia
(see p.145) and in Kampot through Quad Cambodia
Kampot (see p.270).
Cambodia's majestic lakes and rivers are another
major draw.
Kayaking
trips are run by Sorya
Kayaking Adventures in Kratie (see p.221), Green
Orange Kayak in Battambang (see p.118), Indo
Chine EX in Siem Reap and Xplore Asia (see p.226)
in Stung Treng. There are also plenty of
boat trips
on the Mekong available at Kompong Cham, Kratie
and Stung Treng; around the various floating
villages on the Tonle Sap at Siem Reap, Kompong
Chhnang and Pursat; and around Ream National
Park, Koh S'dach and the islands near Kep in the
south. There are also plenty of
watersports
and
snorkelling/island-hopping trips available from
Sihanoukville, plus
diving
at Sihanoukville and Koh
S'dach (see p.252).
Elephant rides
remain popular in Banlung, Sen
Monorom and around the temples of Angkor, while
Outdoor activities
Cambodia's vast potential for
outdoor and
adventure activities
is slowly being tapped, with
myriad tour operators offering an ever-expanding
spread of one-day trips and more extended tours.
The main appeal of most outdoor activities is the
chance to get off the beaten track and out into the
countryside for a glimpse of the time-forgotten
lifestyles of rural Cambodia, with numerous
trekking opportunities, along with trips by bike,
kayak and boat.
Trekking
, ranging from one-day to week-long
hikes, is the major draw in the upland forests of
eastern Cambodia. Banlung is the main trekking
centre, while there are also a growing range of
hiking opportunities at Sen Monorom, including
the chance to walk through the forest with
elephants at the innovative Elephant Valley Project
(see p.238). Hiking trips around Siem Reap can be
arranged through Hidden Cambodia and Terre
Cambodge (see p.145). In the south, you can hike
into the southern Cardamoms from the commu-
nity-based ecotourism project Chi Phat (see p.267)
- they arrange trekking and cycling trips that last
SEY
Walk around any Cambodian town towards dusk and you'll see groups of young men stood in
circles in parks, on pavements, or any other available space playing the uniquely Cambodian
game of
sey
. The aim of the game is simple, with a kind of large, heavily weighted shuttlecock
being kicked from player to player around the circle, the goal being to keep the shuttlecock in
the air for as long as possible. It's a kind of collaborative keepy-uppy rather than a competitive
sport, although players typically attempt to outdo one another in the flamboyance of their
footwork. Simple side-footed kicks keep the shuttlecock moving; cheeky backheels gain extra
marks for artistic merit; and for maximum kudos players attempt spectacular behind-the-back
overhead kicks, before the shuttlecock falls to the ground, and the game begins again.
