Best Things to Experience in Cambodia

Cambodia is lined with a wide array of stunning views, people and amazing experiences that will give you an unforgettable time during your trip of the Kingdom of Wonder.

Sunrise in Angkor Wat

The largest religious monument in the world, the magnificent Angkor Wat is an extravaganza to be witnessed, no matter what the time of day it may be. However, witnessing the sun emerging from behind the iconic temple is a splendid experience in itself. Though, do not expect to have the temple all by yourself, as this tends to be a peak time, when thousands of people huddle to the temple to seize this magical moment in their camera.

A Cruise Ride on the Mekong

If you are one of those who wish to explore rural Cambodia without stressing about packing every other day, then a cruise ride on the Mekong is an ideal experience for you. Just sit back on the deck of a luxury boat and relax in style. Begin your voyage in Siem Reap and cherish sailing across the river soaking in the major highlights as well as some fabulous unfrequented track fishing villages.

Traverse the Cardamom Mountains

Staying with nature in the center of the tropical jungle is a unique as well as amazing experience to cherish. As the largest remaining rainforest in Southeast Asia, the Cardamom Mountains are home to endangered and rare flora and fauna which makes every visit here a truly special one.

Try Some Heavenly Seafood in Kep

Situated on the south coast of the country, Kep is a famous escape for people which is slowly becoming prominent as an amazing place for all the foodies out there. This quaint colonial town has some of Southeast Asia’s best crab dishes, eaten in adorable tiny restaurants over the water. Coupling this stunning seaside produce with some of the most amazing pepper in the world from the neighboring town of Kampot makes for a splendid culinary experience. At just a five minutes’ walk from the restaurants is the luxury Knai Bang Chatt, where staying for at least two nights is worth it. An ideal place to relax by the sea, explore the local pepper plantations and enjoy your fill of seafood.

Witness Phnom Penh From Above

There is something truly magical about watching a city glittering below. Thanks to Rosewood Phnom Penh, the gorgeous city of Phnom Penh can be viewed from sky high. Sitting on the 37th floor of the 39-storey Vattanac Capital Tower, the five-star hotel Sora skybar offers unmatched panoramic views across the beautiful capital as well as beyond. Guests can watch the sunset as well as Phnom Penh lighting up just before their eyes. Truly marvelous!

Experience Staying on a Private Island

The gorgeous private island of Song Saa offers its visitors with one of the most amazing luxury experiences in Asia. Whether you choose to stay in private jungle villas or in one of the beautiful overwater bungalows, staying experience at Song Saa is going to be something that will stay with you for the entire lifetime. This extraordinary retreat takes five star service to just another level with an attentive staff and handwritten suggestions for meals. Make sure to witness sunrise at Song Saa as it is going to be one of the most splendid things you can ever imagine.

A Search of Endangered Dolphins

The unbelievably rare Irrawaddy dolphins are quite shy and one do not get SeaWorld backflips, however, witnessing these adorable animals on a rare protected section of the Mekong River is an exceptional experience. Usually found in pods of about six dolphins, these evasive creatures are quite difficult to photograph, but that only adds to their glamour. Just put down your camera and enjoy the time on the river.

Learn About The Dark History of Cambodia

If you are someone who enjoys history and culture, Cambodia tour is going to be incomplete without spending some quality time admiring their history under the Khmer Rouge. Visiting the Killing Fields and S21 is definitely not a light-hearted day of sightseeing, but it opens your eyes to the agony the country went through and puts everything you witness in Cambodia into perspective. You’ll have all the appreciation for the smiling faces you get to see throughout Cambodia.

The Best Time to Visit Cambodia

In Cambodia, the dry season starts in October and continues till April, while the wet season runs from May to September, with heavy rainfall usually between August and September. The average temperature ranges from 24°C in the colder months of October, November and December to the hottest time of the year at 35°C from March until June. 

Overview of Cambodia’s Weather 

Blessed with one of Asia’s easiest weather systems, Cambodia has two discrete weather seasons. Though one can plan Cambodia trip all year round. Because of the uniform latitude and altitude throughout the country, Cambodia, in general, is subject to the same weather patterns.

There are two discrete seasons - wet from May to late September and dry from October to late April. There are temperature variations within each season. The final few dry months lead up to the wet season, i.e. March and April and the early months of the wet season, i.e. May and June being the hottest months of the year with temperatures rising up to 35°C. While the humidity is at its peak during March and April, the coolest months of the year happen to be between October and December. Though this is cool for Cambodia but is far from chilly with average temperatures around 24°C-26°C.

The Dry Season of Cambodia

The dry season of Cambodia lasts from October till April or early May, when the dry north-east monsoon arise, marked by hot wind blowing across the entire Cambodia. While the months from November to January are cool, the weather by April is blazing. This makes people prefer early morning and late afternoon Angkor Temple tours, with a few hours relax by the hotel pool at lunchtime. Unsurprisingly, this is the season when the tourist numbers in Cambodia peak, thanks to the hot weather. In remote parts such as the northeast regions of Ratanakiri and Mondulkiri, the conditions of roads are at their best and because of this, the journey times are shorter. During this season, Sihanoukville and Kep on the south coast are famous as they rejoice in the bright sunshine and sea conditions happen to be quite favourable.

The Wet Season of Cambodia

The wet season of Cambodia comes of the southwest monsoon and lasts from May till October, carrying with it about 75% of the country’s annual rainfall. Across Cambodia, daytime temperatures average between 25°C and 27°C throughout much of the rainy season.

The early months of the wet season, i.e. from May to July remain quite hot with irregular rainfall generally in the form of short downpours. The rain becomes more constant in the latter months, i.e. late July to September and at times, tends to be heavy, particularly in rural and coastal regions.

Particularly, Angkor Wat is spectacular in the wet season, with moats overflowing with water and a critical drop in tourist numbers.

Best Places to Stay During Cambodia Tour

Blending contemporary undertones with old-world charm, Cambodia is a beautiful country that is rich in both history as well as culture. It is a symbol of resilience and raw beauty. Ancient ruins, gulf coast beaches and mountain ranges are a few reasons to explore this amazing kingdom. The stunning Temples of Angkor are one of the most important archaeological sites. The notable architecture of capital city of Phnom Penh is worth a visit. The Royal Palace is home to the splendid Silver Pagoda. The National Museum of Cambodia features an amazing collection of art.

The country offers its tourists with a wide range of accommodation, including a wide range of hotels, guest houses and apartments. 

The accommodations in Cambodia is one of the most inexpensive in the entire Southeast Asia. One can easily get dorm beds for around $3, while the price for double beds range from anything between $10-15.  

The places in the major cities of Phnom Penh and Siemp Reap are quite good, offering one a wide range of good options. On reaching the coast, one can get high end hotels as well as very basic places.

Rice is the staple grain, as in other Southeast Asian countries. The cuisine of Cambodia contains tropical fruits, soups and noodles. Key ingredients are kaffir lime, lemongrass, garlic, fish sauce, soy sauce, curry, tamarind, ginger, oyster sauce, coconut milk and black pepper. French influence on Cambodian cuisine includes the Cambodian red curry with toasted baguette bread. The toasted baguette pieces are dipped in the curry and eaten. Cambodian red curry is also eaten with rice and rice vermicelli noodles. Probably the most popular dine out dish, kuy teav, is a pork broth rice noodle soup with fried garlic, scallions, green onions that may also contain various toppings such as beef balls, shrimp, pork liver or lettuce. Kampot pepper is reputed to be the best in the world and accompanies crab at the Kep crab shacks and squid in the restaurants on the Ou Trojak Jet river.[195] The cuisine is relatively unknown to the world compared to that of its neighbors Thailand and Vietnam.

To enter Cambodia, you’ll need a Visa. You can do that before you go or sort it out when you arrive, which costs $30US per person for a tourist Visa and takes around 5-10 minutes to get sorted. If you do plan to get your Visa on arrival, make sure you have a spare passport photo with you, they’ll need it to issue your Visa. Some countries in ASEAN do not need a visa.

This is a very real danger, so pay close attention! Do not get around town with all your valuables in your backpack, hanging off ya shoulder like ya back in high-school. Any valuables you cannot afford to lose, like a passport, need to be kept in the safe at your hotel. When you go out, put your backpack on and do up any straps you can around your middle. Make sure your zips are secure. In crowded places, put your backpack to the front of your body. There are a lot of instances where, even in the back of a Tuk Tuk, a local thug runs up and rips your bag off you, jumps on the back of a scooter and is off before you can react.

As compared to other parts of Southeast Asia, general health is more of a concern in Cambodia due to lack of international standard  medical facilities, poor sanitation and a widespread presence of tropical diseases. Once you reach into rural areas, you are very much on your own, though most provincial capitals these days do possess a reasonable clinic.   

Cambodia these days is pretty safe for travelers. However, in major festivals such as Chaul Chnam Khmer or Pchum Ben, there is a noticeable increase in the number of robberies, especially in Phnom Penh. So, it is important to be more watchful at these times. Safeguard your smartphone and other valuable items carefully and don’t take them out with you unnecessarily.

Given the number of guns in the country, there is less armed theft than one can expect in Cambodia. However, hold-ups and drive-by theft are still a potential danger in Sihanoukville and Phnom Penh. There is no need to be scared, just be cautious. Riding or walking alone late at night should be avoided, especially in rural areas.

There are a number of factors that contribute to the culture of Cambodia including Theravada Buddhism, French Colonialism, Hinduism, Angkorian culture as well as modern globalization. Before your Cambodia trip, learning a little about the local culture of the country will not only help you to avoid unintentionally caused offence, but will also get you in the good books of your hosts.

1. A unique aspect of Cambodian clothing, krama scarf is worn by rural Cambodians. It is a way of traditional Cambodian greeting or to show respect to others.

2. In Cambodian culture, Monks are highly valued and respected. It is crucial that you treat them with the same amount of respect. Women, especially need to be careful around Monks. Make sure to neither touch them or sit too close to them. Moreover, one must always take permission prior to taking a photo of a Monk.

3. Cambodians pay high attention to keeping their house clean and it is common to remove shoes prior to entering someone’s home. Pointing your feet towards other people is considered rude.  

4. Respect local dress codes while in Cambodia, especially at religious sites. Although some monks will be too polite to enforce anything, covering the upper legs and upper arms is appropriate. Before entering a temple, always remove your shoes, any hat or head covering. Nude sunbathing is deemed completely inappropriate.

Leisure.com works as a proven online platform where travel enthusiasts can get their trips planned by reaching out to Leisure travel agents. We offer a wide array of thoroughly planned Cambodia adventures. Our well-established team makes all the arrangements so that you can freely enjoy your dream vacation! The entire trips can be tailored as per specific class and requirements, or can be completely customized around particular destinations or special interests. To begin your amazing journey for Customized Cambodia tours, let us know your interests by filling out a Trip Request Form.  We would then match your requirements with some of the specialist travel agents who will work with you so as to provide you with the best vacation of your lifetime.