Cambodia has long been a popular destination for gap year travellers but its relatively untouched landscape and abundance of wildlife are increasingly attracting other types of tourists who are keen to learn more about the country's history and traditions. Cambodia is also not a nation to shirk a celebration of culture and throughout the year its population enjoys a wide variety of festivals and cultural events. Perhaps the most revered of all of these is the annual Water Festival where families celebrate Tonle Sap – the largest freshwater lake in South East Asia which most of Cambodia is heavily reliant upon.
Not only are its banks the home of many of the country's residence but the lake is also an ecological hotspot that in 1997 was listed as a UNESCO biosphere. Its importance to the Cambodian population is incomparable, supporting over three million people and providing more than 75 per cent of the country's fresh water fish. It is also where 60 per cent of Cambodians' protein intake originates from. Each year, Cambodians of all ages flock to the great lake and come together to celebrate its life-giving waters.
The three-day Water Festival is one of the biggest public events in the country and is held each year in October or November to coincide with the full moon. Up to a million people, including foreign visitors from other nations, head to the banks of the Tonle Sap for the event – the highlight of which is the annual boat races. Usually, members of each village in the region take part in these competitions and enter into the water with colourful vessels to battle it out for first prize. The spectacular boats are designed to represent the village competing - with elaborately painted patterns on the sides. Some are painted with imagery from historic times and wars such as large eyes. Up to 40 rowers are in a boat at any one time making it a unique community event which can be enjoyed by large numbers of people. Throughout the festival, boats are paired up to battle it out on the water until the final day when all the vessels race against each other. The boat races began as a way to please the river god and ensure that supplies of fish and water continued to flow into Cambodia - while they also mark the start of the fishing season.
And it is not just the banks of the lake where activities and a carnival atmosphere can be found. The sheer number of people who head to the nearby city of Phnom Penh - the capital of Cambodia - means that schools in the region are closed and most workers skip heading into the office. The city is a significant tourist attraction in its own right but becomes even more packed with foreign visitors when the Water Festival is being held, where travellers often join in the fun by hitching a ride down one of the city's winding river tributaries. During the evenings, locals head to the streets to party with fireworks displays, dancing and stalls offering local cuisine and other goods.

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