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This vast festival is probably the most extravagant festival in the calendar. Over three days starting with the last full moon day in October or the beginning of November up to a million people from all walks of life from all over the country flock to the banks of Tonle Sap and Mekong Rivers in Phnom Penh to watch hundreds of brightly coloured boats with over 50 paddlers battle it out. The boat racing dates back to ancient times marking the strengths of the powerful Khmer marine forces during the Khmer empire. In the evening brightly decorated floats cruise along the river prior to and complementing the fireworks displays. there is often a parallel festival at Angkor Wat and although it is smaller in scale it is just as impressive due to the backdrop of Angkor Wat. The festival marks the changing of the flow of the Tonle Sap and is also seen as thanksgiving to the Mekong River for providing the country with fertile land and abundant fish. It is at this time when the river flow reverts to its normal down stream direction. The remarkable phenomenon that is the Tonle Sap sees the river flowing upstream during the rainy season and then change direction as the rains cease and the swollen Tonle Sap Lake empties back into the Mekong River leaving behind vast quantities of fish.
A modern museum with exhibits covering the history of the Khmer Empire, and the art, architecture, clothing, and culture of Khmer civilization, with a special focus on the Angkor complex. It is worth spending a couple of hours in the air-conditioned galleries as a break from visiting temples. Lots of pre-Angkorian and Angkorian statues, plus informative videos. Some say the 1,000 Buddhas room is as impressive as it sounds. The gift shop has some lovely souvenirs and fascinating books, but they're very overpriced. Visitors are required to check bags, water, and hats at the entrance (for free). Photography prohibited.
A demining organization that uses trained rats to sniff out land mines, a strategy which is much faster and safer than using metal detectors (if the rats step on a mine, they are too light to set it off). The visitor's center has guided tours including examples of land mines and UXO (unexploded ordnance) and a demonstration of how the rats find mines. The tour takes about 45 minutes and is a fascinating way to learn about the problem of land mines in Cambodia and support demining work. The guide's English may be hard to understand, but the demonstrations are so interesting, the tour is well worth doing anyway.
Beautifully kept gardens and mini zoo and playground with Rukha Cafe & Restaurant and a kids' library. A great place to visit just after visiting Apopo.
The lotus silk farm offers guided tours every hour, providing visitors with a comprehensive understanding of the lotus silk production process. For those seeking a more hands-on experience, the farm also offers handicraft workshops where participants can learn Cambodian traditional handicraft techniques. The farm features a shop with variety of lotus silk products, cosmetics and jewels, and a tea lounge where guests can savor traditional lotus tea.
An 85-m-high Ferris wheel with 48 four-person baskets able to accommodate up to 192 people. The trip takes 18 minutes. It is the third highest Ferris wheel in Asia.
A large colony of day time flying fruit bats (they can see unlike most smaller species of bat), can be found hanging around in some of the tall trees in the parkland adjacent to the Royal Residence, an amazing sight you don't expect to see in the center of town.