MONDULKIRI/KEP: Cambodia celebrated one of its largest national holidays over the weekend with thousands of people returning to their home provinces or travelling with family to celebrate Pchum Ben.

According to the Director of the Mondulkiri Department of Tourism, Seang Soeun, over 7,000 out-of-towners stayed in the picturesque mountain province from October 13-15. The numbers are down 22% from the same time last year, when nearly 10,000 people visited. The number of foreign tourists saw a slight increase to 311 from last year’s 222.

The tourism department blamed heavy rain for the decrease, which made it difficult for many to travel.

Meanwhile, the coastal province of Kep welcomed over 60,000 visitors, almost a thousand of which were foreign. The Kep Department of Tourism has been hard at work to attract tourists with improvements to local beaches, resorts, and a national park.

This year's Sea Festival will also be held in Kep from December 1-3, with many activities including races, Khmer boxing, food festivals, exhibitions, concerts and more.