Cambodia Holiday Guide: Places to Visit, Angkor and When to Go

Cambodia is home to Angkor, one of the wonders of the world: hundreds of temples hidden in the forest around Siem Reap. Beyond them are the riverside capital Phnom Penh, floating villages on the great Tonle Sap lake, the pepper farms and quiet coast of Kampot and Kep, and tropical islands in the Gulf of Thailand. Cambodians are warm and welcoming, and the food is a delicious discovery. This guide covers where to go, how to combine Cambodia with Vietnam, the seasons and what to know before you travel.

Places to visit in Cambodia

Most trips start or end at Siem Reap for the temples of Angkor and visit Phnom Penh. With more time, head south to the coast and islands, or east to the Mekong. Cambodia combines easily with Vietnam, by air or by boat along the Mekong; compare our trips in Vietnam tours compared.

Siem Reap and Angkor

• 3 to 4 nights
• Temples, sunrise, culture

Angkor Wat, built in the 12th century, is the largest religious monument in the world, and it’s just one of hundreds of temples in the area. See the faces of the Bayon, the tree roots wrapping Ta Prohm and the pink carvings of Banteay Srei.

Siem Reap itself is a relaxed town with markets, cafés and evening shows, including the Phare circus.

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The Tonle Sap lake

• Half day to 1 day
• Floating and stilt villages

South-east Asia’s largest freshwater lake swells to several times its size in the rainy season, when the Tonle Sap river actually reverses its flow.

Visit the stilt village of Kampong Phluk or the flooded forest by boat, an easy trip from Siem Reap.

Phnom Penh

• 2 to 3 nights
• Palace, markets, history

The capital sits where the Mekong and Tonle Sap rivers meet. See the Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda, browse the Central and Russian markets and watch the sunset from a river cruise.

The Tuol Sleng museum and the Choeung Ek memorial tell the painful story of the Khmer Rouge years; they’re moving and important visits.

Battambang

• 1 to 2 nights
• Colonial town, countryside, arts

Cambodia’s second city has French colonial buildings, a lively arts scene and some of the prettiest countryside in the country.

Cycle out to villages and hilltop temples, and ride the “bamboo train”.

Kampot and Kep

• 2 to 3 nights
• Pepper farms, river, crab market

On the south coast, Kampot is a sleepy riverside town known for its pepper, grown on farms you can visit. Above it, Bokor mountain has misty views and abandoned colonial buildings.

Seaside Kep is famous for its crab market, where blue crabs are cooked with fresh Kampot pepper.

Koh Rong and the islands

• 3 to 4 nights
• Beaches, snorkelling, quiet

Cambodia’s islands in the Gulf of Thailand are much less developed than Thailand’s. Koh Rong and Koh Rong Samloem have long white beaches, clear water and glowing plankton at night.

They’re best from November to April; many places close or quieten in the rainy season.

The Mekong and the north-east

• 2 to 3 nights
• River life, rare dolphins

North of Phnom Penh, the Mekong flows past quiet villages and islands. At Kratie, boats take you to see the rare Irrawaddy dolphins that live in the river.

River cruises also link Phnom Penh with the Mekong Delta in Vietnam.

The forest temples

• Day trips or 1 night
• Remote ruins, few visitors

Beyond the main Angkor park, jungle-covered temples such as Beng Mealea, Koh Ker and the clifftop Preah Vihear see only a few visitors.

Sambor Prei Kuk, older than Angkor, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site between Siem Reap and Phnom Penh.

A day at Angkor

Sunrise: arrive at Angkor Wat before dawn and watch the towers appear against the sky, reflected in the pond. Explore the galleries and their long carved reliefs before the heat.

Late morning: enter Angkor Thom through its great gate to see the Bayon’s more than 200 stone faces, then the Terrace of the Elephants.

Afternoon: walk among the giant trees of Ta Prohm, then watch the sunset from a quiet temple. Temple passes are sold for one, three or seven days; three days is ideal.

Things to do in Cambodia

• Eat Khmer food: try fish amok (a fragrant steamed curry), beef lok lak, Kampot pepper crab and noodle soups for breakfast. A cookery class in Siem Reap is a great way to learn.
• Explore by bike or tuk-tuk: cycling between the temples and through the countryside is one of the best ways to see Cambodia.
• See the arts: watch classical Apsara dance, or the circus performers of Phare, trained by a school in Battambang.
• Learn the history: the Khmer Rouge sites in Phnom Penh are a sobering but important part of understanding the country today.
• Festivals: Khmer New Year falls in mid-April, and the Water Festival brings boat races to Phnom Penh in October or November.

When to go

Cambodia is hot all year. The cool, dry season from November to February is the best time to visit, with sunny days and green landscapes after the rain. March to May is the hot season, when temperatures can pass 35°C. The rainy season runs from about May to October, usually with heavy afternoon storms. It’s quieter and lusher, and the moats of Angkor fill with water, but the coast is much wetter and the islands are best avoided.

Classic routes

Most trips to Cambodia also include Vietnam; see our Vietnam holiday guide to plan that part.

Ways to see Cambodia with us

Best of Cambodia: Angkor, Kampot and Koh Rong14 days · small group

Cambodia highlights: Phnom Penh and Angkor8 days · small group

Cambodia real food adventure8 days · food-focused

Cambodia hike, bike and kayak8 days · active

Cambodian traveller: Saigon to Bangkok via Angkor9 days · overland

Vietnam tours comparedGuide · add Vietnam

Practical tips

• Entry: British visitors need a visa. Apply for an e-visa at least four days before you travel, or get one on arrival. If you fly in, you must also complete a free e-Arrival Card within seven days before arrival. Your passport must be valid for six months. Check the FCDO Cambodia advice before you travel.
• Flights: there are no direct flights from the UK. Connect in Bangkok, Singapore or the Gulf to Siem Reap or Phnom Penh, or arrive overland from Vietnam or Thailand.
• Money: US dollars are used alongside the Cambodian riel, and small change is often given in riel. Bring clean, undamaged dollar notes.
• Temples: cover your shoulders and knees at Angkor and at pagodas; some areas of Angkor Wat refuse entry otherwise.
• Health: drink bottled water, use insect repellent against dengue, and ask a travel nurse about vaccines and malaria in remote areas.
• Landmines: in remote countryside, stay on marked paths and go with a guide. The main sights are completely safe.

Frequently asked questions

Keep planning

• Cambodia holidays
• Escorted tours of Cambodia
• Vietnam tours compared
• Thailand holiday guide
• Bangkok to Saigon via Angkor
• Mekong river cruises
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