The best time to visit Cambodia
Located in Southeast Asia, Cambodia is warm to hot with average temperature of about 27°C and you can travel here all year around. Thanks to relatively uniform altitude and latitude, the whole country has the same weather characteristics with two distinct seasons: Dry (October to late April) and Wet (May to late September). The temperatures vary within each season and reach the highest from March to June in excess of 35°C at times and the lowest between October and December at around 24°C - 26°C.
Dry season (October – April)
Running from late October to early April, Dry season brings hot wind blowing all over the country due to north-east monsoon. Whilst first part from November to January is quite cool, the country is dried out fast with heat and dust by April making Angkor sunshine or sunset tours with lunchtime by the hotel pool preferable to most tourists. This is certainly peak travel season thanks to hot weather. Roads to remote areas are also in best condition which helps to shorten transfer time. You can expect plenty of brilliant sunshine on beaches of Kep, Sihanoukville and Ko Kong with clear calm waters.
In October, Cambodia steps into the end of Wet season with less rainfall, especially at the end of the month. The weather is quite pleasant with the temperatures ranging from 24°C - 31°C and 7 hours of sunshine per day with bright mornings. The rain comes every afternoon and last for a couple of hours. The conditions are acceptable for touring when the flora and fauna are in full bloom around the country and villages are surrounded by emerald green rice paddies.
Dry weather has replaced rainfall caused by southwest monsoon by November. You can expect almost no or very little and short rain if any for the next six months. The average temperatures vary from 22°C - 30°C with plenty of sunshine all day creating favorable conditions for those who wish to spend full time at Angkor Temples. The beaches of Sihanoukville with calmer seas and plenty of sunshine promise an enjoyable stay.
December shares quite same excellent weather conditions with November throughout the country. Northwest monsoon has brought dry and sunny weather with blue skies, very little or no rain and cool weather ranging from 21°C - 30°C. This month is listed among the best months to visit Cambodia with lots of tourists. The beaches of Koh Kong, Kep and Kampot on the south coast are amongst the best choice with plenty of sunshine and clear blue skies.
January and February are very lovely with good weather conditions throughout Cambodia. You can expect plenty of sunshine, blue skies, little or no rain with average temperatures ranging from 20°C - 30°C in January and 21°C - 32°C in the other month. This is also amongst the best months to visit Cambodia where you can enjoy breath-taking sunrises and sunsets at Angkor Temples. What’s more enjoyable than spending time on the beaches on the south coast including Sihanoukville, Koh Kong, Kep and Kampot.
In March, high north east monsoon has brought this country excellent weather with 10 - 12 hours of sunshine per day and little or no rain. The temperature increases ranging from 24°C - 34°C with high humidity. It’s not recommended to spend the whole day long exploring Angkor Temples without a break around lunch to avoid the sun and heat. South coast beaches remain an excellent option.
The dry north east monsoon enters the last time in April together with high humidity and temperatures ranging from 25°C - 35°C. You can expect some short rain towards the end of the month. Again, exploring Angkor Temples all day long, especially in the middle of the day is unadvisable due to the heat. Coming here during mid-April, you will have chance to enjoy the atmosphere of Khmer New Year, however, please try to arrange early in advance since bookings can be difficult. It remains great to spend some days on the beaches.
Wet season (May - October)
Entering Cambodia from May to October, the wet season brings almost 75% of this country’s annual rainfall. You can expect clear and sunny mornings and showers often occur in mid or late afternoon with average temperatures ranging from 25°C to 35°C. It remains hot with some short showers during first part of the wet season and the showers are more often and heavy in the later part, especially in coastal and rural areas. It’s hard to travel in remote corners of the country due to bad road conditions. However, Angkor Temples are at their most beautiful and photogenic where the ponds and pools are full to reflect light beautifully. The rainy weather also sweeps away dust and brings back lush greenery to the countryside.
During the first month of wet south west monsoon, Cambodia receives increasing rainfall, thunderstorms and humidity. You can expect up to 12 hours of sunshine per day with bright mornings and some downpours from the middle of May, average temperatures ranging from 25°C to 35°C. Some people find it pleasant to visit Cambodia this month thanks to thinner crowds at Angkor Temples and the beaches on the south coast remain reasonable with very short or little rain if any.
In June and July, temperatures remain high ranging from 24°C to 33°C with frequent rain turning everything green. High humidity with 10 – 12 hours of sunshine per day makes it hotter than it really is. However, these are still good months to visit Cambodia because thunderstorms give some spectacular views for photographing and you can avoid crowds at Angkor Temples. It’s not recommended to spend time at remote areas or on beaches due to bad road conditions and heavy rainfall.
Cambodia receives high rainfall in August and September which helps to calm down the heat ranging from 25°C to 32°C. You can expect several hours of rain rather than all-day showers and fewer tourist groups at Angkor Temples where it is cooler thanks to large amount of trees and forested area. It’s an unforgettable experience to explore flooded forests and fishing villages of Tonle Sap with water levels at their peak. Traveling to remote areas and coastal areas are not recommended.
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