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Your Sustainable Cambodia DMC

Khiri Travel Cambodia is a Cambodia DMC offering unforgettable travel experiences throughout Cambodia that are designed to showcase the culture, landscape, architecture, and people that this unique destination has to offer. Cambodia is an amazing country for visitors, with spectacular Angkorian temples, charming colonial towns, lush jungles, buzzing cities and tropical island beaches. As pioneers in the industry, Khiri Travel presents Cambodia in an entirely unique way, whether it be exploring temples, an exclusive cultural encounter, or an off-the-beaten-track countryside adventure.

Our experienced local teams, who are based in our two office locations – one in the capital city, Phnom Penh and another in the tourist town of Siem Reap – offer expert local knowledge and timely and professional services. Since we first opened back in 2000, we have had a strong commitment to providing the highest possible quality travel experiences, with our unique products, highly knowledgeable tour guides, hand-picked accommodation recommendations and high-standard transport options. Sustainable tourism is at the heart of everything we do at Khiri Travel Cambodia and we are proud to be a partner of Travelife, a rigorous responsible tourism certification scheme for tour operators and hotels.

John Black

General Manager

john@khiri.com

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What Khiri Has Done In
Cambodia

Khiri Travel Cambodia is dedicated to making a positive impact on the communities in which it operates, and this includes the major tourist hubs of Siem Reap and Phnom Penh, as well as in rural areas that often receives a smaller share of the benefits of tourism. We focus on supporting locally owned enterprises, NGOs, and individuals who are making a contribution to their communities and the environment, and we are proud to provide secure jobs for the local people.

Cambodia Office

No. 540,Building A ,Lot A1-02a ,Street Koh Pich,Sangkat Tonle Bassac,Khan Chamkar Mon, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
+ 855 (0)23 215 970
+ 855 (0) 23 215 972 (Office Hours)
sales.cambodia@khiri.com
#031, Krous Village Svaydongkom Commune Siem Reap, Cambodia
+855 6396 3535
+855 95 62 8885 (Emergencies)
sales.cambodia@khiri.com

“My guide, Mr. Meas Vin, was excellent. He was very helpful with some medical issue with my wife and very knowledgable on the Khmer history and Cambodia. We highly recommend this guide.”

– Johan

When to Go and What to Do
in Cambodia

JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
NOV
DEC

January

Victory Day (Liberation Day)

On January 7th, people in Cambodia celebrates and commemorates the fall of the Khmer Rouge and honor the many victims of the regime’s rule and civil war.

Exhibitions and cultural shows recall the dark history of that period. In Phnom Penh, there is a gathering with a remembrance parade and service at Independence Monument to remember the moment when the Khmer Rouge Party fell.

In the 70s, the Khmer Rouge took power and began the Cambodian Genocide: over a span of five years, about 2 million people died. On January 7th, 1979, the Vietnamese armies entered Cambodia and eventually took back the power from Khmer Rouge.

February

Meak Bochea Festival (Magha Puja Day)

The Meak Bochea Festival is one of the most important events in Cambodia. This Buddhist festival is celebrated across the region and takes place on the full moon to commemorate the time in history when the Lord Buddha gave his speech to 1,250 enlightened monks who had spontaneously gathered at Rajagaha Valuwan Vihara without invitation, organization, or prior meeting.

This marks the beginning of all the religious festivals in Cambodia. In the early morning, people give their offerings to the monks. In the evening, they visit the temple to meditate, pray, and listen to preachings. Later, everyone takes part in the candle ceremony, where people walk around the temple three times, representing Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha with flowers, incense sticks, and candles in their hands.

A full-moon day is something special in Buddhism, a day for making merit. On this day, Buddhists repent of their mistakes and sins.

March

River Festival
The River Festival is one of the newer festivals in Cambodia; it first began in 2015. The festival is held in March, and takes place in Steung Treng province, located northeast of Cambodia. The government created the festival, to draw more attention toward this smaller province up in the northeast. The festival is largely about sports and the young generation. Athletes compete in various sports events such as traditional boxing, wrestling, and boat racing. Visitors can join in and have fun with the locals engaging in traditional activities.
International Women's Day
This day is significant in Cambodia, as this event aims to honor women's efforts and raise awareness concerning gender issues. There are often parades with floats in major cities around the world.

April

Khmer New Year (Choul Chnam Thmey)

Khmer new year or Choul Chnam Thmey is one of the most essential and largest holiday events in Cambodia’s calendar year. The festival falls on either the 13th or 14th and continues for three days. This is to celebrate the end of the harvest season, where farmers can take some time off with their families after hard work on their farm before welcoming the rainy season.

During this time, most Cambodians return to their home province to unite with their family and perform many purification traditional ceremonies such as lighting candles and incense at family shrines, visiting temples, giving offerings and receiving a blessing from elders. Cambodia also hosts the traditional New Year games of water hurled at each other more ritually than neighboring countries.
Therefore, keep in mind that most small and local businesses such as cafes, convenience stores, restaurants, and bars will most likely be closed. You might find it somewhat challenging to find food and transport in smaller cities. If your plan includes traveling to a smaller town, this might not be the best time to travel to Cambodia; however, you can join a local family for this celebration. This is one of the festivals that you don’t want to miss.

Otherwise, The best places to experience the Khmer New Year are the big cities. In Siem Reap, you’d be well-advised to join the celebration of the Angkor Sangranta Festivals: people celebrate in the countryside around Angkor Wat with music, dance, traditional games, and street food.

May

Royal Ploughing Day

Royal Ploughing Day is a holiday to mark the beginning of the rice-growing season and is considered an ancient royal rite.

The King typically leads the ceremony held just outside the Royal Palace. The King or a selected representative till a plot of land with a plow pulled by two oxen. After three rounds, the animals are given a choice of food, most of which represent the crops of Cambodia, such as rice, corn, green beans, sesame seeds, freshly-cut grass, water, and rice whisky. What the oxen decide to eat determines the predicted success of the harvest for that coming year. For example, if the bulls drink wine, it forecasts an increase in crime while drinking water suggests flooding, and grass predicts widespread animal diseases.

For the best experience in this ceremony, you should go to Phnom Penh, where the Royal Palace is located. In addition, there will be agricultural exhibitions and a huge crowd wearing traditional Khmer clothing.

June

Birthday of the Former Queen

On the 18th of June, Cambodian celebrates the birthday of the Queen Mother, Norodom Monineath Sihanouk, wife of the former king who abdicated in 2004. It is observed as a public holiday in order to commemorate the birthday of the former Queen. The Queen Mother married the late King Norodom Sihanouk privately in 1952, and the official ceremony was held in 1955. They had two sons: the current King of Cambodia, King Norodom Sihamoni, who acceded to the throne in 2004, and Prince Norodom Narindrapong, who died of a heart attack in Paris in 2003.

During this event, people in the country, from top officials to ordinary folks, send her their best wishes by hanging up the well-wishes slogans along the street, shops, government office, and home. In the morning, the celebration is celebrated with Buddhist tradition by offering food and other necessities to prayers and monks. At the same time, there will also be family-friendly activities, and exhibitions held all across the country.
In the evening, there will be traditional and modern art performances and a fireworks display at the Royal Palace in the capital city, Phnom Penh, to congratulate and send her wishes.

July

Rainy Season

July is one of the wettest months of the year for Cambodia, as it falls in the middle of the rainy season. Rainfall usually comes in the form of intense and heavy showers, particularly in coastal and rural areas. Therefore, there aren’t many major festivals and events happening in July.

However, this is the perfect month for those seeking to avoid crowds as well as receive excellent accommodation deals, and bargains discount offers from hotels.

In the meantime, there are still several exciting places you can visit during this rainy season. Thunderstorms lead to some spectacular views, particularly at the Angkor Wat, the UNESCO World Heritage site. There are likely to be fewer tourists, allowing you to enjoy and learn about the rich history of this astonishing scenery of colonial architecture without the crowds.

On the other hand, high rainfall makes it the perfect time to visit flooded forests and take a boat trip across Tonle Sap Lake. During this time, the lake swells to more than five times its size, making it one of the most picturesque sceneries in this season.

August

Khmer Empire Full and Half Marathon

The Khmer Empire Full & Half Marathon is usually held in August, organized by Cambodia Event Organizer. The event takes place in one of the most famous heritage sites in the world, Angkor Wat, Siem Reap, in Northwest Cambodia. The Khmer Empire, known as Ancient Cambodia, was the most powerful empire in Southeast Asia, with The Angkor Wat as the central area of settlement of the Kingdom of Khmer.

Therefore, this event attracts marathon, professional, and amateur runners from around the world to run around the spectacular ancient monument of Angkor Wat. In 2019, there are more than 3,500 runners from 49 countries, and they are expecting the number to grow larger in the next event. For those who love to run but may not be able to finish a full or half-marathon, there are various distances you can choose from, including the 3 Km, 10.5 Km, 21.1 Km (half), and a full marathon of 42.1 Km. Apart from Angkor Wat, there are nearly 40 ancient temples along the route for you to observe and experience the ancient atmosphere from this truly historical site.

Join this exceptional marathon event and experience the beautiful route through the area of ancient Khmer Civilization!

September

Pchum Ben Ancestor’s Day – Festival Of The Dead

“Pchum Ben” means “to gather together a ball of food,” and this day, also known as the “Hungry Ghosts Festival” and “Festival Of The Dead,” is the day when the Cambodian people pay respect to all their seven generations of ancestors. This is another extremely important day in Cambodia’s calendar. This 15-day holiday event is to pay respect and honor the dead. It’s believed that the gates of the underworld are opened during this festival, and all the ghosts are let out, some of them being ancestors to the people. During the event, Cambodians will dress in white and offer monks food at the pagodas, believing that the merits earned will reduce the sins of the ancestors.

During this holiday, many Cambodians spend most of their time at the pagodas making offerings and praying for their ancestors. Many who live in Phnom Penh often head to the provinces, and devotees descend on Cambodia’s temple with an offering.

Unlike Khmer New Year, things keep operating; shops like convenience stores, restaurants, cafes, and bars are open. If you are in Cambodia during this time, head to a temple for an exciting look at a unique tradition.

October

Birthday of the King’s Father

This month, Cambodians celebrated a two-day holiday that marks the birthday of the current King’s Father Norodom Sihanouk. After he passed away in 2004, the event continues to commemorate King Sihanouk for his efforts and contribution to making the country what it is today.

During this event, you will see many businesses and households put up his picture to mark the day. The best place to be to witness fantastic firework shows, boat races, traditional dance performances, and other activities is in Tonle Sap River and the Royal Palace. The celebration often occurs close to the Water Festival, so this is one of the most incredible times to visit and enjoy Cambodia.

November

Bon Om Touk (Water Festival)

Some people say that this is an essential holiday, the likes of Khmer New Year. “Bon Om Touk”, or the Water Festival, happens over three days and draws attention from millions of Cambodians and visitors to the banks of Phnom Penh Mekong and Tonle Sap rivers to celebrate and watch a game of boat racing. This festival celebrates the reversing of the current in the Tonle Sap River and marks the end of the rainy season and the beginning of the finishing season. It is also a way for Cambodians to thank the rivers for providing them with water for fertile farming land and fishing.

Colorful boats race on the river is held in Phnom Penh, with teams coming from all around the country. Each day, the capital’s riverside fills with crowds of people gathering to watch the boat races. The city fills up with droves of visitors from the provinces, which carry on into the evening. There is a fascinating carnival atmosphere during the event, with concerts all over the city, and colorful banners; the Royal Palace is lit with festive lights, fireworks, Ferris wheels, and much more.

For people looking for a quieter place, but still want to celebrate, the countryside of Cambodia celebrates the festival without the overwhelming crowds. People gather to celebrate by offering special food and fruit to the moon and other elders.
Be prepared for the overload of crowds. Don’t expect to be able to get in – or out – of the capital with ease in the days before or after the festival. However, there will be plenty of street food and drinks!

December

Sea Festival

The Sea Festival is one of the exciting new events held annually just before the New Year on the 30th of December on any of the four Cambodian coastlines. These contain Koh Kong, Sihanoukville, Kampot, and Kep. The Sea Festival is a joint venture of the Ministry of Tourism, the National Olympic Committee of Cambodia, and the Ministry of Fine Arts & Culture. Each sports event has a high standard and professional operations. If you are in this area, you will find celebrations linked to the festival, and you don’t want to miss them.

For the best experiences, Sihanoukville is the most famous, with more than 50,000 people gathering from all over the country and worldwide to enjoy sports competitions and entertainment. The first event took place in 2011, consisting of a wide range of sports events for locals and tourists to compete in, including motorboat racing, swimming, Cambodia martial arts, a half marathon, and beach volleyball. The festival begins early in the morning and continues until the same time the next day. You will have plenty of time to observe each competition and participate in a few as well if you so choose!