Country guide
Cambodia
Angkor's temple dawn, Mekong island hammocks and southern beaches; November to February is the dry, cooler season.
Currency
KHR
Language
Khmer
English
Widely spoken
Payment
Cash preferred
Power
Type A / B / C / F / G
230 V, 50 Hz
Dialing
+855
Destinations
Angkor Wat (Siem Reap)
The largest religious monument ever built, at the heart of a lost capital you can spend three days getting lost in.
✓ best Nov-FebBattambang
Angkorian hill temples, a bat-filled cave and a circus school, all a tuk-tuk ride through rice fields from a sleepy colonial grid.
✓ best Nov-JanKampot
A sleepy colonial river port with one of the world's most sought-after peppers growing behind it and a ghost hill station in the clouds above.
✓ best Dec-MarKep
The best seafood town in Cambodia - blue crab lifted live off the boat and fried with the most sought-after pepper on earth.
✓ best Dec-FebKoh Rong
Cambodia's beach island in two halves - all-night fire shows at one end, four empty kilometres of sand at the other.
✓ best Dec-MarKratie
One of the last places on earth where wild Mekong dolphins still surface, watched from a wooden boat.
✓ best Nov-JanMondulkiri (Sen Monorom)
The one corner of Cambodia where you pack a jumper - highland forest, Bunong hill country and the country's best-known elephant camps.
✓ best Nov-AprPhnom Penh
A riverfront capital that asks something of you: a gold-roofed palace, a brutal recent history and the country's best eating, all within a few blocks.
✓ best Dec-FebThe sweet-spot windows
Good weather, thinner crowds, better prices: the windows worth aiming for.
| Where | When | Why it works | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Angkor & Siem Reap | Nov | Cool, Water Festival, Tonle Sap full, green Angkor | Nov gets crowded at Angkor, go early AM |
| The coast (Sihanoukville, Kep) | Nov-Jan | Calm seas, clear water, dry weather for islands | Dec-Jan prices spike at Koh Rong |
Climate zones, month by month
Cambodia has 8 distinct climate zones. The right month depends on where in the country you're going.
Angkor Wat (Siem Reap) →
✓ Best Nov-Feb · ✗ Avoid Apr-Oct
Conditions Jan Cool & dry · Feb Dry season · Mar Hot & dusty · Apr Extreme heat · May Monsoon starts · Jun-Jul Monsoon · Aug Heavy rain · Sep Monsoon peak · Oct Rains easing · Nov Cool & green · Dec Cool & dry
Watch for Mar-Apr extreme heat risk · Sep monsoon flooding risk
Cards tinted by verified verdict · big number = typical daily high, small = low · hover for conditions
Battambang →
✓ Best Nov-Jan · ✗ Avoid Jun-Oct
Watch for Feb-Apr extreme heat risk · Jun-Oct monsoon flooding risk
Cards tinted by calculated verdict · big number = typical daily high, small = low · hover for conditions
Kampot →
✓ Best Dec-Mar · ✗ Avoid Aug
Watch for Aug monsoon flooding risk
Cards tinted by calculated verdict · big number = typical daily high, small = low · hover for conditions
Kep →
✓ Best Dec-Feb · ✗ Avoid Jun-Oct
Watch for Jun-Oct monsoon flooding risk · Jul-Oct typhoons risk
Cards tinted by calculated verdict · big number = typical daily high, small = low · hover for conditions
Koh Rong →
✓ Best Dec-Mar · ✗ Avoid Jul-Oct
Watch for Jul-Oct typhoons risk · Jul-Oct monsoon flooding risk
Cards tinted by calculated verdict · big number = typical daily high, small = low · hover for conditions
Kratie →
✓ Best Nov-Jan · ✗ Avoid Mar, Jun-Oct
Watch for Mar-Apr extreme heat risk · Jun-Oct monsoon flooding risk
Cards tinted by calculated verdict · big number = typical daily high, small = low · hover for conditions
Mondulkiri (Sen Monorom) →
✓ Best Nov-Apr · ✗ Avoid Jul-Oct
Watch for Jul-Oct monsoon flooding risk
Cards tinted by calculated verdict · big number = typical daily high, small = low · hover for conditions
Phnom Penh →
✓ Best Dec-Feb · ✗ Avoid Sep-Oct
Watch for Apr-May extreme heat risk · Sep-Oct monsoon flooding risk
Cards tinted by calculated verdict · big number = typical daily high, small = low · hover for conditions