Cambodia Weather & Climates
Cambodia can be visited at any time of year. The ideal months are December and January, when humidity levels are relatively low, there is little rainfall and a cooling breeze whips across the land, but this is also peak season when the majority of visitors descend on the country.
From early February temperatures keep rising until the killer month, April, when the mercury often exceeds 40°C. Sometime in May or June, the southwestern monsoon brings rain and high humidity, cooking up a sweat for all but the hardiest of visitors. The 
wet season, which lasts until October, isn’t
such a bad time to visit, as the rain tends to come in short, sharp downpours. Angkor is surrounded by lush foliage and the moats are full of water at this time of year. If you are planning to visit isolated areas, however, the wet season makes for tough travel.
Some visitors like to coordinate their trip with one of the annual festivals, such as Bon Om Tuk or Khmer New Year.
WEATHER & COST
In Cambodia it is hot almost all year round. Unlike other South-east Asian countries, Cambodia's tropical climate can be separated in 3 distinct seasons:
- Cool Season: November – February 25-30°C (80-85°F), not very wet
- Dry Season: March – May, high temperatures, very sunny days
- Wet Season: June – November with high temperatures and very violent but short rainfalls at the end of the day. This can lead to floods and can cause dysfunctions (roads, traffic…)
Cotton clothes are recommended, preferably clothing
that covers the shoulders, arms and chest and long pants both for observance of local customs (in some places it is not allowed to enter if the clothing is not decent) and also for protection from the sun and insects. Also put in your suitcase walking or hiking shoes because to visit some of Angkor temples, to reach the top of the temple, you will have to climb, also: hat, sunglasses, sunscreen and medications. Bring something more, if you can, such as notebooks, pencils, pens to give to school teachers in the villages that will be distributed to children.
WET SEASON IN CAMBODIA
Cambodia's wet season comes courtesy of the southwest monsoon, which blows from May to October, bringing with it some three-quarters of Cambodia's annual rainfall. Not surprisingly, wet season is characterised by rain, and during the peak of wet season from July to September it can rain every day. Rainy days however tend to have a few hours of heavy rain rather than being all-day downpours, though the latter do sometimes occur -- you will get wet travelling in a Cambodian wet season.
Aside from getting drenched, the main disadvantage of travelling in wet season in Cambodia relates to flooding and degraded road conditions. The bulk of roads in Cambodia are dirt and in wet season they turn to heavily rutted and pot-holed mud pits. Travelling in rural areas, particularly the north and northeast of the country, can be slowed considerably. You will still be able to go just about anywhere, it will just take longer.
A secondary problem are bridges being out, but this is becoming less of an issue as the quality of bridgework is improving. Cambodia's arterial routes -- namely Phnom Penh to Siem Reap, Phnom Penh to Battambang and Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville -- are all-weather, sealed affairs and far less of a problem than the unsealed roads.
DRY SEASON IN CAMBODIA
Cambodia's dry season runs from October to April, when the dusty northeast monsoon arrives. Blowing like a hair-dryer set to high, the northeast monsoon dries out the country fast. While November and January are quite cool (high C20s) by April, the weather is scorching and oh-so-dry it will take your breath away. Characterised by heat and dust, this season coincides with Cambodia's peak tourist season -- travellers arrive in their droves between November and January to take advantage of the lack of rain and relative cool. By March, travelling can be uncomfortable and hot, while April can be excruciating.
As the country dries out, badly rutted roads get graded and trip times improve dramatically, though they get incredibly dusty. Cambodia's beach strips at Kep, Sihanoukville and Ko Kong bask in brilliant sunshine with clear calm waters -- if you're a beach bum, dry season is the season for you.
19-September-2018
