They come at you with a devilish grin and you know that despite your pleas, you’re going to make it. After they catch you, they smile and laugh. Some of the most devious will lie in ambush positions, like spiders, waiting for their next victim. They’ll use anything that moves water, from small hand-held squirt guns to monster-sized Buck Rodgers-inspired ray guns that can shoot water long distances in thick streams, water balloons made from plastic bags, buckets, cups, ladles, hands, feet, anything to dunk your neighbor in is fair game. To add a little twist to it, since it’s also a very hot season, you get hit with baby powder, and you can imagine what kind of bad hair day he can create, with signs of his handy ghost work as smeared apparitions from the city of the beach at Sihanoukville to the south, to the Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh in the center of the country, the Angkor Wat temples in Siem Reap and every little village and town in the countryside.

Every year Cambodians have a big party to celebrate the Khmer New Year, this party can last for weeks. As in Thailand, the change of seasons towards the monsoon means the start of some pretty heavy rains, which are necessary for rice crops. But it also means getting really wet, so one of the ways they bring in the New Year is by spraying everyone, and almost everything, with water. The monsoon season lasts from mid-April to October, but the heaviest rains are typically seen at the beginning and end of the season.

Coming to Cambodia during the bright season is a good idea if you are a budget traveler as the crowds are gone and the vendors are open to bargain for handicrafts and tourist souvenirs. You can also find great deals for cheap hotels and discounted activities.

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