Khmer New Year, the biggest festival in Cambodia, is happening at this time. Everyone is excited, and one can hear discussion of what one should do during the festival everywhere. Don’t know what to do and cannot decide? There are some tips for you.
Go a shopping (food) spree: If you are one of those people who like shopping, this is a perfect chance for you. Each store has their New Year promotion discount that can be as much as 70 percent. The products can be various from clothes to foods. Indeed, adding to Cambodia’s low-cost lifestyle, this makes everything in Cambodia cheaper than ever!
credit: cambodia-hotels.com
Playing traditional games: Khmer traditional games reflect the history of Cambodian’s society. So, if you want to feel like one of the Cambodians, play Khmer traditional game with them. It is fun and a great way to know Khmer people. Actually, they are very friendly, so don’t worry that they won’t let you play. Wat Phnom and Siem Reap are recommended places you can find these types of games. If you’d like to know how, click on our link here.
Staying in Phnom Penh: If you don’t like crowded places, staying in Phnom Penh is the perfect choice for you. During Khmer New Year, people leave the capital for the holiday abroad or in the provinces, thus leave the Phnom Penh almost deserted. This makes you feel like you are the only one living in the big city, just like what you see in the films. It’s such a beautiful city with less people, indeed.
The Deserted Phnom Penh. Credit: photogrvphy.com
Go on a road trip: If you are one of those busy people, this is a perfect opportunity for you to explore what amazing places Cambodia has to offer. If you want to see the awe-inspiring beauty of the ancient temples while enjoying the Khmer traditions and culture, Angkor Sangkran at Siem Reap suits your taste. If you want to enjoy the beautiful scenarios of the breathtaking sea with the clean beach, Koh Rong located in Shihannouk Ville is the place you have been looking for. If you want to enjoy eco-tourism along with the nature of the green forest sea with waterfall and the wildlife of the jungle, Stung Treng and Mondulkiri have the answers to your prayers. There are a lot of places waiting for you to discover this Khmer New Year!
It’s just like this but expect more vehicles! Credit: Runaway
Frankly, there are more things you can do and explore in Khmer New Year. However, these are my top 4 things you should not miss. So, make the best of this upcoming festival!
Khmer New Year comes the time for Cambodian folks to return to their homeland to reunite with their families and celebrate. If they happen to be born in Phnom Penh, they either go to the homeland of their parents or they stay in the silent capital. Khmer New Year also comes with the crowded celebrations at many meeting points for the rural population. Even under the heating sun, Khmers are very festive. Many traditional games are played by the crowd amongst youngsters and children while the elders watch over the party. These are the commonly played traditional games of Cambodia.
CHHOUNG
Choal Chhoung as illustrated in the drawing. Credit: universalcenter
To play this game, two teams are needed-a team of girls on one side and boys on the other. A krama is tied into knots until it becomes like a large cloth ball with loose edges to grip and throw it. There are two distinct types of chhoung. The first is chhoung rorm chreang (singing and dancing chhoung), when the boy’s team throw the chhoung into the girl’s team. If the girls cannot catch it, they must pick it up off the ground and throw it back. The boy who gets the chhoung next can try to hit the girl he likes with it. If he gets her, she must sing and dance for him. If not, it is the girl’s team’s turn to try and hit a boy to make him sing and dance. The most popular song goes: “I can catch this chhoung and break it into four parts. Oh my darling, please get this chhoung”. For the other variety, chhoung loh kangom, the rules are the same, except if a boy is hit, he must go to the girl’s side, and vice versa.
ANGKUNH
Girls and Boys team in Bos Angkunh. Credit: Kampong Chhnang Department of Information
Angkunh is the large, dark brown nut of a vine. To play this game, two groups of players get together a boy’s team and a girl’s team. The teams take the Angkunh, which are now called kuoy for the purpose of the game, and place three to five on the ground. These are called the “planting kuoy”. Each team then takes more of the nuts and throws these “hitting kuoy” at the planting kuoy, trying to hit them.The team that hits the least planting kuoys loses, and the other team then gets to hit them on the knee with kuoys. There are two ways of doing this. Bai trachheak (cold rice) means the winner puts one kuoy on the opponent’s knee and hits with another one. Bai gadao means they put two kuoys together as before but harder so it makes a cracking sound. If no sound is created, the person being hit is allowed to do the same back to the person who has failed to produce the sound.
TEANH PROART
Despite the physical advantages, the two sides are based on male and female. Credit: Kampong Chhnang Department of Information
Proart is a leather rope or line. Teanh means to pull. Much the same as tug’o’war. Girls and boys form two teams. A boy and a girl are chosen to stand at each end of the rope. A referee shouts “yak-or” and the players reply “ho-verr” three times to ensure everyone is ready, then the referee rings a bell as each player pulls until he sees which one has been pulled over the line drawn in the dirt by the opponent. That player is the loser.
LAIK KANSENG
Laik Konseng at BonPhum, an annual hosted event to celebrate Khmer New Year in accordance to the tradition. Credit: as tagged.
This is played throughout Cambodia. About 10 people sit in a circle. They are not allowed to turn around or look behind them. One person takes a krama tied the same way as the chhoung and runs around the circle behind the players. He or she drops the krama behind one of the circle. If that person does not then hit the player next to them in the direction the runners is going in, or the person who should have been hit will pick up the krama and hit the unfortunate person whom it was dropped behind with it instead. They then become the runner until they can trick someone else, and so on.
CHAB KON KHLENG or KHLENG CHAB KON MOAN
People singing the Chab Kon Khleng song. Credit: Kampong Chhnang Department of Information
The original guideline to play this game is quite long, so I will just simplify.
This game will require one person with the strongest physical ability to plays the role as a hen to protect its chicks (played by the fellow people) from the one who plays as hawk, whose role is to prey on the chic. The other players, who play as the chicks, must queue and hang to the one before them on the waist. During the starting phase, the group must sing as follow:
Hawk: Doun doun ouy som kon muk
Hen: Ov puk min oy
Hawk: Som kon krouy
Hen: Kom bak kom bek yok jos
As of the stage, the hawk begins chasing for the chick at the end of the queue. While at this, the hen must try to protect the chicks. The chicken must try to hold on to the queue, if caught or separated, they are out of play.
PONG ROT KON KROMOM
Pong Rot Kon Kromom normally takes up to more than 10 people to start the game. Both guys and girls have to hold each other’s hands to form a circle of people. Then 2 people would have to voluntarily walk around the circle while deciding which couple they want to break away. Once decided, they must tap on the holding hands of the couple. Upon realization, the two couples then run in opposite direction to compete for the blank space left by the old couple. It is to remember that the couple must not be separated or they will lose automatically. The couple that did not get the blank space loses and will have the walk around deciding which couples they want to break away. The process is repetitive until upon exhaustion.
With 4.7 million international tourists, Cambodia is one of the popular choices to be on holiday. BUT, don’t travel to Cambodia if you…
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Hate the beautiful history and culture: Over nearly 2 millennia, Cambodia is one of the oldest countries in Southeast Asia. With Cambodia’s unique culture, it had been influencing its neighboring countries. From Toul Sleng Genocide Museum to the Angkor, Cambodia has hidden many extraordinary histories, be they dark and prosperous. From people to cuisine, one will undergo a unique culturing experience as an international tourist. Couldn’t ask for more!
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Dislike delicious foods: Food is one of Cambodia’s best things to offer. The cheapest and simplest ones are street foods. Fried rice, noodle soup, fried meatballs, and varieties of Cambodia’s dessert can be found almost every corner of the streets. The signature dishes are offered in many restaurants such as Kraya Angkor with less than 5$. If one is interested in exotic foods, be not worry as they are sold along Cambodian busy streets. With a smile, street food vendors will happily sell their taboo foods, such as fried insects (crickets, tarantulas, grasshoppers…) or baluts, to you. Where can you find such delicious foods besides Cambodia??
Credit: Pinterest
Don’t enjoy feeling rich: Cambodia’s lifestyle is cheap, like very cheap. With 1$ in your pocket, you can have a nice breakfast along the street. If you want something a little fancier, 2.5$ is ample to get you into a restaurant. Some middle-classed restaurant can cost you less than 5$ for dinner. If one enjoys night life, sky bars experiences can be as low as 3$. How about the place to sleep? Well, it can be as cheap as 5$. Isn’t it too good to be true?
Credit: arnoldohurtado.wordpress.com
Don’t like being a superstar: If you are a foreigner and meet small Cambodian children, they will gather around you as if you were a superstar. Giving them something (foods, money, items) makes them smile their hearts out. Do I mention about the interview section? You will be asked lots of questions, and you have to answer almost everything in your life to satisfy their curiosities. When you leave, they, with their laughter, would spontaneously wave their hands as a sign of goodbye.
Credit: bankerinthesun.com
Cannot deal with amazing people: With the stern looks on their faces, Khmer locals will charm you with their smiles as soon as you speak to them. Randomly speak English to elder Cambodians, and they will try to speak with their broken English or sometimes with a mere Hello. If you are passionate enough, they will try to teach you some simple phrases to help you with your stay in Cambodia. If you are lost, don’t hesitate to ask them for direction because they always try their best to help you. Sometimes, they can go as much as giving you money or a shelter when you lost your wallet. So, don’t miss the opportunity to interact with them.
If you want to get the unique traveling experience with unforgettable memory, Cambodia is the right place to go!
Street food is not an uncommon type of food everyone would enjoy. Whether rich or poor, from San Diego to Seoul, Paris to Casablanca, Nairobi to New Delhi, or on the street of Phnom Penh, street food can be found in every corner in every city. In other word, street food could also produce very differed feelings to the consumers from those of a proper meal. If you’re a fan of street food, then you must be related to all these feelings you had while eating street food:
The famous Cambodian fried insects that can be found along the street everywhere. Credit: gettyimages
Feeling local.
Eating street food give you a sense of suiting yourself among the other crowd of locals. Either you’re a foreigner, or a resident, street food would definitely give your taste buds a taste of the local.
Feeling belonged.
While you’re at the place, whether a proper place or on the walking side of the street, you can surely indulge yourself with the rest who are consuming the same thing as you. One would totally ignore the joy of being blended in, but one will treasure it if they became the minority.
Feeling rich.
Street foods are very affordable. Well, unless you’re having it at a brand name street-food-serving restaurant, then street food would worth every dime of yours. From a simple 1000-riel grill egg to a 5000-riel plateful of meatballs; you will realize that you don’t have to be rich to have delicious food.
As locals, you will probably ignore the root of the street food. But looking through a glance that you are very new to Cambodia, you will appreciate every food on your table as they reflect the culture, traditions, and history of Cambodia. Foods like fried crickets reflects back to the dark time of the Cambodian people when they only receive a spoonful of porridge and need to sneakily eat insects to fulfill their needs.
Feeling uniquely delicious.
The ingredients in the food will guarantee you to make your experience one of a kind. With special ingredients—like fillets of catfish, fish sauce, coconut milk, Pahok (fermented fish paste), lime leaf, and so on—Khmer Noodle is one of the special street-food-yet-signature-dishes that brings out the best of the each ingredients making the unique taste that only Cambodia can offer. Still, there are a lot of street-food-yet-signature-dishes waiting for you to discover.
Strolling along the way, you’ll find these grilled street food heaven!
There are many more to discover about the unique Cambodian street food. Follow us at When in Cambodia !
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