Tens of thousands of people from all over the country are expected to converge on the coastal town of Kep over the next three days for the second Sea Festival.

First held at the end of 2011 in Sihanoukville to mark Cambodia’s membership of the Most Beautiful Bays in the World Club, the next edition was indefinitely postponed following the passing away of the country’s most revered King Father Norodom Sihanouk.

Kep’s breathtaking natural beauty and its famed beach line make the town of fewer than 50,000 inhabitants a perfect venue to celebrate Cambodia’s traditional respect for sea life and its rich coastal culture.

While Kep’s Crab Market is a major tourist attraction, the visitors get a chance to taste some of the local delicacies during the festival at a specially created Seafood Court. Lilting music, multinational cuisine and sea-bound adventure are all part of the festivities, which start today and end on Sunday with a spectacular fireworks display.

“What is different in Kep from Sihanoukville is that we are introducing an Aero Show that includes power gliding, speed boating and parachutes, apart from open-water swimming,” National Olympic Committee of Cambodia secretary general Vath Chamroeun told the Post.

Jointly organised by the ministries of tourism and culture with the active co-operation of the NOCC and several other government agencies, the festival is sponsored by Angkor Beer.

The biggest crowds are expected for the traditional Kun Khmer kickboxing, beach wrestling and volleyball, and sea adventure sports never before seen in Cambodia will perhaps keep the visitors on edge.