In this post I will cover everything you need to know to plan your trip to Cambodia, starting with the best time of year to visit the country.
Tip on when to visit Cambodia
Cambodia is influenced by the monsoon, which creates two very different seasons: the rainy season and the dry season. The dry season can be further divided into two sub-seasons: the hot season and the cool season. Here’s a quick breakdown:
Wet/Rainy season: from June to October, with temperatures ranging between 25-35°C
Dry season (cool): from November to February, with temperatures ranging between 17-27°C
Dry season (hot): from March to May, with temperatures ranging between 29-38°C
(Information available on the official Cambodia Tourism website here.)
You’ve probably guessed that the best time to visit Cambodia is between November and February, when temperatures are cooler and perfect for exploring the temples in the morning. This is also considered the high season, with a greater influx of tourists.
We travelled in July, and while the rain didn’t bother us at all during our time in Siem Reap — it only drizzled one late afternoon — it did spoil our days on the island of Koh Rong. You can read more about our stay on Koh Rong here.
If you are planning to visit Cambodia in April, bear in mind that Khmer New Year is usually celebrated on the 13th or 14th of April, with festivities lasting three or four days. While it’s a unique cultural experience to visit the country during this time, it’s important to note that many markets, restaurants, and even guides and drivers may be unavailable during this period. Check out all the events in Cambodia here.
Now, back to preparing for your trip…
After deciding on Cambodia as our holiday destination, the next step was to check the entry requirements, such as visa needs, passport validity, vaccination certificates, etc.
To find this information, I usually check the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the destination country (for Cambodia, see here), as well as the website of the Foreign Affairs or equivalent department of our own nationality. In my case, I refer to the “Portal das Comunidades Portuguesas”, which has useful information for travellers with a Portuguese passport by country of destination. For Cambodia, you can find the relevant link here.
Another good way to find information about entry requirements is to check the websites of the airports in your destination country. In the case of Cambodia, you can find information here.
For more details about entry visa in Cambodia, also refer to post Arrival in Siem Reap.
The Portuguese communities portal also provides useful information about health precautions, but for this topic, I also consult the TravelHealthPro website (a tip from my friend Rute 😉), which offers much more detailed information about health precautions, including risks associated with dengue, malaria, etc., as well as recommended vaccinations for each destination. This site is aimed at UK travellers, so not everything may be applicable to everyone. Information about Cambodia can be found here.
Tip for children on drinking water
One of the common recommendations in many Southeast Asian countries is to drink only bottled water, and to have drinks with ice only if we are sure that the ice has been made with treated water. The same care should be taken when brushing our teeth, and we shouldn’t use tap water. For those traveling with children, I always find it a good idea to remind them of these precautions a few days before the trip, because they can retain something on their minds (I hope). So, I keep reminding Maria Rita not to open her mouth while taking a bath and to brush her teeth only with bottled/treated water, which is usually provided by the hotels.
It’s also very important to always buy a good health insurance before travelling. Insurance can be purchased per travel destination, or even on an annual basis for a specific list of countries.
When it comes to flights, I usually use SkyScanner to see what flight(s) there are to a particular place, and then I buy directly on the website of the airline I’ve chosen, taking into account the most convenient price and timetable.
For my trips, I also typically purchase a mobile data package, which always comes in handy for communication with the hotel or guides in the event of flight delays, for example. If my Singapore network (Singtel) doesn’t have a data roaming pack available for a particular country, I use Airalo, which allows you to buy mobile data packages through an eSIM (digital SIM). Just download the app, create an account, select the desired country and data plan, make the payment, and then install the eSIM. See more details in here. Check what devices support eSIM here.
Read all the posts about our stay in Cambodia here.
*This post contains affiliated links, and if you make a reservation/purchase through them I may earn a small commission at no extra cost you.
