Festival Lotus: during the Summit, Siem Reap plays the Franco-Khmer card
From 7 to 25 November, Lotus Silk Farm turns its Siem Reap farm into a festival ground. Cambodian and French artisans, musicians and chefs gather there on the sidelines of the Francophonie Summit. Daytime entry is free.
In November, the French-speaking world will be looking at Phnom Penh. Heads of state and delegations meet there for the Francophonie Summit, which Cambodia hosts this year. A little over 300 kilometres to the north, Siem Reap is preparing its own programme.
Lotus Silk Farm, a social enterprise founded in 2004, is opening its doors for nineteen days. Artisans at work, Khmer and French music, chefs from both countries. The theme fits in one phrase: “Franco-Khmer Excellence”.
The aim is clear. Give Summit visitors a reason to travel on to Siem Reap, and show them something beyond the temples. The idea matches the province’s “Beyond Angkor” vision, which seeks longer stays and a wider spread of tourism income.
A day at the farm, free entry
From 8 AM to 6 PM, entry is free. Siem Reap’s master artisans set up their stalls and work in front of visitors. They sell their pieces directly. The organiser takes no commission, which is still rare at events of this kind.
Music has a big place. Khmer and French bands share the stage. The highlight should be a Breton fest-noz blended with romvong, the circle dance of Cambodian celebrations. Both traditions have one thing in common: people dance together, in a group, until late.
On the food side, guest chefs offer Khmer and French tastings. Crêpes with palm sugar and Kampot pepper are on the menu. Children get free craft workshops. The farm’s usual activities carry on alongside, with guided tours, the lake outing and workshops.
Sacred Lotus Evening: thirty places a night
From 4 PM, the mood shifts. The Sacred Lotus Evening is by reservation only, with thirty guests at most. It opens with a sunset boat ride through the lotus fields. Buddhist monks then give their blessing.
A discovery of the farm’s crafts follows, then dinner. The evening ends around 8 PM. Delegations and groups can book a private evening.
Lotus silk, one of the rarest fibres
What makes the place unusual is its raw material. Lotus silk is drawn by hand from the stems of the sacred flower. Artisans pull out the microfibres, roll them into yarn, then weave them on traditional looms. A single scarf takes about 10,000 stems.
Lotus Silk Farm describes itself as the world’s only commercial producer of lotus silk. Lotus weaving is also practised elsewhere in Asia, notably around Inle Lake in Myanmar, but the fibre remains one of the rarest in the textile world.
Nothing goes to waste here. Leftover stems become recycled paper and a plant-based leather. Flowers, seeds and roots go into a tea and a cosmetics line. The farm’s fully vegetarian restaurant uses them too.
The enterprise employs more than 200 artisans, most of them women from rural communities. Every management role is held by a woman. The farm welcomes about 4,000 visitors a month.
It received the UNESCO Award of Excellence for Handicrafts in 2012. It supplies lotus fabric to a leading international luxury house and works with nine upscale hotels in Siem Reap. Last July, a showroom, Maison Lotus, opened in the town centre.
Awen Delaval, a Breton in Siem Reap for 23 years
Behind the project is Awen Delaval. A French engineer from Brittany, he has lived in Siem Reap for 23 years. He founded the enterprise in 2004 and helped revive lotus fibre weaving in Cambodia. From 2006 to 2017, he chaired the Artisans Association of Cambodia. He also co-wrote the book “Lotus Flower, Soul of Silk”.
Choosing the flower as the festival’s emblem was no accident. “The lotus is born in the mud and opens to the light,” he says. “This festival celebrates the most beautiful things France and Cambodia create together: the gesture, the time and the passing on of knowledge.”
The full programme, with the names of invited artisans, musicians and chefs, will be released in October.
Practical information
Dates: Saturday 7 to Wednesday 25 November 2026
Venue: Lotus Silk Farm, Siem Reap
Daytime: 8 AM to 6 PM, free entry
Sacred Lotus Evening: 4 PM to 8 PM, by reservation only, 30 guests maximum per evening
Getting there: free shuttle from Maison Lotus, #36 Pithnou Street, Siem Reap town centre
Reservations: WhatsApp +855 92 52 9001 · contact@lotussilkfarm.com · lotussilkfarm.com
Social media: @lotussilkfarm
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