Khmer New Year

When: three days from 13 or 14 April to 16 April, at the end of the dry-season harvest (14 to 16 April in 2026 and 2027).

Where: across Cambodia; the biggest public celebrations are around Angkor Wat in Siem Reap, with quieter, more traditional festivities in villages and at Wat Phnom in Phnom Penh.

Don’t miss: sand stupas at the pagodas, the bathing of Buddha images and elders on the last day, and traditional games such as chol chhoung.

Choul Chnam Thmey, “entering the new year”, marks the sun’s move into Aries and the end of the rice harvest, the one time of year when farmers have both free time and money. Its origin story tells of a god who lost a riddle contest to a clever boy and forfeited his head, which is so dangerous it must be carried in procession each year by one of his seven daughters; the daughter on duty is the new year angel welcomed into homes on the first day.

Each day has its own ritual. On the first, Moha Sangkran, families clean and decorate their homes and set out offerings to welcome the angel. The second, Virak Vanabat, is for gifts to parents and elders and alms for the poor. On the third, Virak Loeng Sak, people bathe Buddha images with scented water and wash the hands and feet of their elders in return for blessings. Throughout the festival, pagoda courtyards fill with small sand stupas decorated with flags and flowers, built to earn merit.

The fun is in the games and the water. Young people play chol chhoung, throwing a knotted scarf between two lines of boys and girls, as well as tug of war and other village games, and water, scented powder and talcum fly at anyone passing, foreigners included. It is gentler than Thailand’s Songkran, but expect to get wet.

The festival runs for three days from 13 or 14 April to 16 April, depending on the astrological calculation of the new year, and both 2026 and 2027 fall on 14 to 16 April. Many Cambodians take the whole week off. April is the hottest month of the year, with afternoon temperatures in the high 30s, so the liveliest moments are early morning and late afternoon.

Siem Reap is served by Siem Reap-Angkor International Airport and Phnom Penh by Techo International Airport. Khmer New Year is the busiest domestic travel period of the year: Phnom Penh empties as people head home to the provinces, while Angkor and the coast fill with Cambodian holidaymakers. Buses and minivans sell out several days ahead, so book transport early and arrive before 13 April. In Siem Reap, tuk-tuks run as normal, but expect road closures and heavy traffic around the temples and the town centre during the festival events.

• Keep your phone and passport in a waterproof pouch; water and talcum powder can come from any direction, including passing pickup trucks.
• Take it with a smile. Throwing water is a blessing, but don’t soak monks, elderly people or anyone dressed for the pagoda.
• Visit Angkor Wat very early or late in the day, when the temples are cooler and slightly less crowded with domestic visitors.
• Expect family-run restaurants, shops and market stalls to close for several days, especially in Phnom Penh; hotel restaurants and tourist areas stay open.
• Dress modestly at pagodas even in the heat, and ask before photographing families during the blessing rituals.
• Drink plenty of water and plan sightseeing around the midday heat, which is at its fiercest in April.