Cambodia is warm all year, though there are several distinct seasons. The driest time is between November and May. November to February is the coolest part of the year, when most visitors go. It’s mild enough to explore the temples in comfort but warm enough to sunbathe by the coast. Through the hot season (March-May), humidity and temperatures rise slightly, with Phnom Penh and Battambang seeing peak daytime temperatures of 33–35°C. This is an excellent time to visit the coast, although Angkor is usually bakingly hot. Visiting Cambodia during the rainy season (roughly June–Oct) can present certain practical challenges, but it is also a fascinating time to see the country as it transforms into a waterlogged expanse of tropical green.

Phonm Penh, the “Pearl of Asia”, remains one of the region’s most charming cities. It has enough urban edge to excite, but still retains a pleasant small-town feel, with tree-lined streets, old colonial buildings, temples and market squares. The beautiful riverside enhances the city centre, with the Royal Palace and National Museum nearby.

However, it remains true that most people come to Cambodia to visit the world-famous temples of Angkor. These magnificent monuments dot the countryside, emerging from the misty forests like magical ruins just begging to be explored. Most visitors’ lists are topped by the unforgettable Angkor Wat; the surreal Bayon, plastered with hundreds of superhuman faces; and the jungle temple of Ta Prohm, clamped in the grip of giant kapok trees. It’s also well worth escaping the crowds to visit other Angkorian monuments, including beautiful Banteay Srei, covered in an extravagant flourish of carvings; the jungle-smothered ruins of Beng Mealea; the sprawling city-temple complex of Koh Ker; and, last but not least, the magnificent Preah Vihear, dramatically situated atop a mountain above the Thai border. Siem Reap is Cambodia’s main tourist town and is the gateway to the temples. It’s a charming town, well worth a visit in its own right. From there, looping around the great Tonle Sap lake – an attraction in itself, home to dozens of remarkable floating villages – will bring you to Battambang, one of the country’s most engaging cities.

Cambodia’s east retains something of a frontier atmosphere, with the majestic Mekong River bounding one side of the region and the remote highlands of Rattanakiri and Mondulkiri to the west.

A world away from pretty much everywhere else in the country, Cambodia’s rapidly developing coast offers an increasingly upbeat and hedonistic taste of tropical beach life. The biggest and busiest town here is Sihanoukville, looking increasingly like a miniature slice of Thailand, with plenty of beaches and bars. Offshore lies a string of more tranquil islands, while just outside Sihanoukville are the idyllic bays, beaches and mangrove forests of the lush Ream National Park. Quieter coastal destinations include Kampot, with its mixed French and Chinese influences, and the beguiling resort of Kep, with a minuscule beach and atmosphere of faded gentility. The heavily touristed coast contrasts remarkably with the remote and difficult-to-reach Cardamom Mountains, with their unspoilt upland scenery and pockets of remarkable biodiversity.

Title Image Credit: James Antrobus (Image Cropped)