Phnom Penh's riverside

Spend even one night in Phnom Penh and you’ll probably find yourself by the river. Which is not, incidentally, the mighty Mekong but the less internationally-famous Tonle Sap.

Check your city map — unless you are at one of the more expensive hotels close to Koh Pich or out on a cruise, the Mekong is slightly out of reach. But the Tonle Sap is a worthy alternative and extremely important to the Cambodian countryside’s annual cycle. The river links the lake of the same name at one end to its bigger cousin at the other. It flows into the Mekong between November and May (the dry season) and then reverses its flow from June to October, coinciding with the rains. The change of the flow is celebrated with boat races and plenty of partying at the water festival Bon Oum Teuk.