New Year's Eve in Siem Reap: Where to Watch the Countdown

"It's an entirely different tradition from Khmer New Year, but SiemReap throws itself into it anyway."

Whose new year is it, exactly?

Cambodia's new year falls in April, and it's the holiday that actually empties the country's cities as everyone heads home. December 31st is a different thing entirely: an international and expat tradition that Siem Reap, as Cambodia's most visited town, has leaned into fully. Expect string lights, hotel tree-lighting ceremonies, and a Pub Street that fills up like nowhere else in the country.

Where the night happens

Pub Street is the center of gravity — bars like Red Piano, Paper Tiger, and Temple Club run DJs and countdowns until sunrise, and by 11pm the street itself becomes the party. If you'd rather watch than join, the larger hotels around town run their own countdown dinners with fireworks at midnight, a calmer alternative to the street crowd.

The morning after is its own tradition

A genuinely large number of visitors follow the midnight countdown with sunrise at Angkor Wat on January 1st — arriving before dawn to watch the first light of the new year hit the temple. It's become as much a part of Siem Reap's New Year's as the parties the night before, and it's worth planning your transport the evening ahead, since gate lines start early.

Where to stay

Rooms close to Pub Street go first as December fills up — if you want to walk home after midnight, book early. A quieter stay a short tuk-tuk ride out gives you a calmer night and usually a better rate. Follow KhmerRooms and save your Siem Reap picks now, ahead of the season rush.