A major talking-point and consideration when planning your trip, here’s our guide to when the sun shines and when the rain falls- in sheets.
Cambodia clocks up almost 3,000 hours of sunshine a year on average, sunny well over half of its total daylight hours, which peak in March.
The country has broadly two seasons, which can be subdivided to make three:
Dry season
Extending from November until May, with average temperatures ranging from 20°C to 35°C.
In March, April and May the mercury can hit 40°C, with locals and visitors alike playing hide and seek with the sun. During the period, heat and humidity is ranked as very high to extreme.
Cool season
The proceeding months, from December to mid-February are pleasantly cool , with UV index and rainfall readings at annual lows (10 and 7mm versus October’s 257mm and February-October’s 11+), making this an excellent time to make the journey out to the Kingdom. This period is considered high season, especially due to seasonal holidays so if you want your Christmas and New Year (reasonably) hot, book in advance.
Wet season
From June to October, the renowned monsoon prevails from the southwest, bringing with it stronger breezes and higher humidity. For lovers of rural and agricultural scenes, the rains spell bounty and harvest time in the fields and paddies, which are a vivid emerald green with awe-inspiring cloud formations overhead. Plus, huge accommodation discounts and cloud cover make this a great time to strike out.
Outside forested and mountainous areas (like Mondulkiri and Ratanakiri), rainfall is usually limited to the afternoons and is sporadic.
The coast and islands can be busy as expats and Western visitors escape for summer holidays and the hum of the larger cities.
October and November are good months for exploration as rains taper off before the dusty dry season is set in motion.
Getting that shot: what our photographers said about the elements in Cambodia.