Best Season to Visit Cambodia

Depending on who you ask, Cambodia has either two or four seasons-while some travel experts divide the weather into dry, rainy, cool, and hot seasons, others consider Cambodia’s seasons as dry and rainy, with periods that are either cooler or hotter.

Dry Season: November to April are considered the dry season, with minimal rain but humidity still in the 70-80 percent range. Both the hot and the cool season fall within the dry season.

The cool season, between November and early March, is a great time to travel, as you’ll enjoy both lower temperatures and dry, sunny days. December and January see temperatures in the mid-20s, making them the most popular (and crowded) months to visit.

Cambodia’s hot season lasts from March to May-with April being the hottest month of the year, when temperatures can easily reach 40 degrees Celsius, and the air is muggy with humidity.

This is a month for lounging near the pool, heading to the beach, or escaping the sun by visiting the pine forests in Kirirom (about an hour from Phnom Penh), where the shade at least brings some relief.

The Khmer New Year falls in early to mid-April, which results in the entire country shutting down completely and cities becoming ghost towns as the locals leave to visit their families-this means smaller crowds everywhere, but also difficulty booking tours and finding places to shop and eat.

It’s still sweltering hot in May, though the rains are slowly making their way into Cambodia-this is a great month to visit the mountains and your last chance to trek through the jungle before it becomes too muddy and difficult to explore.

Rainy Season: The rainy season starts in June and lasts until October, although the rain is not equally distributed throughout the season. While afternoon downpours usually offer a welcome break from the heat, they also increase the humidity in the air, which usually stays over 85 percent during these months.

Temperatures in the rainy season stay around 26-28 degrees Celsius. From May to July, rain comes in the form of short afternoon downpours, with August, September, and October getting the most rain.

Trips to the countryside become harder and harder as monsoon season progresses, since the many dirt roads become muddy and impassable. One great plus of the rainy season is that this is also low season, which means prices are lower and crowds mostly stay away.