Global Crystal Bowl Symposium: Dates, Tickets & Venue (Siem Reap)

Nine days of quartz and resonance

This is the fourth edition. The Global Crystal Bowl Symposium returns to Siem Reap for nine days, from October 29 to November 6, 2026. It is an international meeting of sound healing practitioners and students.

Crystal singing bowls are made of fused quartz. A player either strikes one or circles its rim with a mallet, and the bowl gives off a sustained tone that you feel in your chest as much as hear. Sound bath sessions are usually experienced lying down with your eyes closed, while several bowls tuned to different notes overlap.

What this guide does not cover:

• The lineup of facilitators
• Session times
• Pass prices

Those details come from the organiser, and nothing here guesses at them.

TUI BLUE Angkor Grace and getting there

The whole symposium takes place at the TUI BLUE Angkor Grace Wellness Resort. A wellness resort as the venue means attendees can sleep, eat and attend sessions on one site, and many choose to.

Most international attendees fly into Siem Reap–Angkor International Airport (SAI). It opened in 2023 well outside town, and the transfer is roughly an hour by road. In town, people get around by tuk-tuk (remorque) or through the PassApp and Grab ride-hailing apps.

Many nationalities can get a Cambodian e-visa through the government’s official portal, and visa on arrival is also widely used.

Siem Reap in late October

The calendar falls at the tail of the rainy season. Afternoon downpours are still common in late October, and the air dries and cools into November. The moats and reservoirs around the temples are usually full at this time of year, and the rice fields outside town are green.

The Angkor Archaeological Park is the obvious side trip, because Angkor Wat sits only a few kilometres north of town. A nine-day programme leaves room for some extra visits:

• Ta Prohm, where tree roots grow over the galleries
• Bayon, at the centre of Angkor Thom, with its carved stone faces
• Banteay Srei, about an hour out, cut from pink sandstone

Angkor passes are sold at the official Angkor Enterprise ticket centre and on its website. In the evenings, attendees tend to drift to Psar Chaa (the Old Market), Pub Street and the riverside paths along the Siem Reap River.

Temple manners and small notes

Siem Reap runs on two currencies. US dollars are the working currency for most transactions, and you get small change back in Cambodian riel. Tuk-tuk drivers and market stalls rarely have change for large dollar bills, so small notes make every ride and purchase easier. Tipping isn’t required, but a little extra for drivers and spa staff is common and appreciated.

Temple dress is enforced at Angkor’s ticket checks and at the upper levels of Angkor Wat. Shoulders and knees must be covered. Light linen trousers and a scarf cover both and still suit humid weather.

A few more customs worth knowing:

• Greeting: the traditional greeting is the sampeah, palms pressed together at the chest. Returning one to resort staff or a monk is a courteous gesture.
• Monks: women don’t touch monks or hand objects to them directly.
• Pagodas: shoes come off before you step into any shrine room.
• Tuk-tuk fares: fares on PassApp and Grab are fixed in the app, so there is no haggling. Street tuk-tuks usually agree a price before setting off.

Attendees from colder climates often book a temple morning on a day with no sessions. Sunrise at Angkor Wat means leaving town before dawn, and that sits poorly with an evening sound bath the night before.