When it comes to Songkran or the “water fight festivals” a number of places claim not just its origins, but also to be the best place to party. These of course include Thailand, Laos, Myanmar and even parts of China.
It is though in my very humble opinion that the only place to be for this truly epic festival is Siem Reap. Yep I state that Siem Reap water fights beat every other locale, and I will explain why.
Table of Contents
What the water festival?
The water festival is rooted in the traditional New Year celebrations across Theravada Buddhist countries, most famously Songkran in Thailand, Thingyan in Myanmar, and Pi Mai in Laos, with Cambodia celebrating Chaul Chnam Thmey. Historically it was a religious time where people cleaned Buddha statues, washed away bad luck, visited temples and paid respect to elders by gently pouring water over hands.
Over time this evolved into full blown street water fights, especially in urban areas where tourism and youth culture took over. In Cambodia it has become a mix of tradition and chaos, with family visits and temple offerings during the day and absolute water soaked madness in the streets once the sun is up.
Click to read about Khmer New Year.
Why are Siem Reap water fights the best?
OK, so lets cut the shit, Thailand is overrated, over regulated, over priced and does not attract the best people. This means that often instead of being fun you get drunken knobs that take things too far. Combine this with the fact that Thais are not always the most openly friendly to foreigners and you have a bit of a cluster fuck.
Then there is Myanmar and Laos, these basically go on the other end of the spectrum in that they are probably a bit tame. Cambodia on the other hand get it just right, with Siem Reap being the place that Khmer and barang alike have decided is the place to be.
And you know what it really works, particularly in comparison to Phnom Penh, or smaller cities. Siem Reap is perfectly compact, has countryside on its doorstep and is basically perfect for urban waterside warfare, but without getting run over.
Lastly the fact that it is Khmer New Year and that Cambodians are just so damned friendly, yes more friendly than Thais, means that Siem Reap and Cambodia are the places to be for this festival.
How to do water fights in Siem Reap?
OK, so while there are no fixed rules on how to do water fights in Siem Reap, there are a few things you can do to really make the most of your time and indeed have the most fun. There is the obvious choice here to join our tour of course, but we will guide you on this regardless.
Get a TukTuk!
This is an optional one, but if you have a budget and some chums rent a TukTuk for the night. This will allow you to get out into the countryside and really get down and dirty with the locals.
Get some serious weaponry
OK, so obviously you need to get a water gun, but if you want to take things seriously then spend some money on this. Get good guns and ideally a backpack to store water in. If you can get your crew to all get different guns even better. Again if you have a TukTuk you can also carry kegs of water.
Get water balloons
Something not all that many people do, which is what makes it so fun. Basically stock up on these, get them filled up before you head out and wreck havoc on the world.
Walk through Pub Street in Siem Reap
Driving is fun, but you will not get the complete experience unless you also do a walk. This is where shit gets real and it becomes one of the best festivals on earth. People are happy, there is singing, there is dancing and it is all in the best of spirits. Cambodia is honestly one of the friendliest countries on earth and this is the time that they shine.
Come with the right attitude
Don’t be too aggressive. If you do not know what I mean look up the people arrested in Thailand. Also though if you are gonna go out for Siem Reap water fights then accept that you will get wet and be cool. I shot more than one miserable bastard, usually foreign, who lost their shit, while locals always took it on the chin literally.
To summarise…..
In my mind Siem Reap water fights are THE place to embrace not just this festival, but the inner 10 year old in you. This is the time to behave like a kid with other kids. More importantly though if you can’t do this then just stay onside. There is nothing more embarrassing than an entitled foreigner getting pissed off because they got shot with a water gun while on Pub Street.
I should know because I pissed off as many as I could….
Click to check my Cambodia Tours with YPT.