Angkor at dawn, a riverside capital, Kampot pepper farms and islands with very little development.
Angkor is reason enough to come. The temples spread across hundreds of square kilometres of forest around Siem Reap, and three or four days lets you see the great monuments at quiet hours and reach remote sites such as Beng Mealea.
Beyond the temples, Cambodia rewards a slower pace. Phnom Penh has a royal palace, a riverfront and a moving, difficult recent history. The south coast has pepper farms at Kampot, the crab market at Kep and quiet island resorts in the Koh Rong archipelago.
The honest caveat is the Thai border. FCDO currently advises against travel near it, and land crossings are closed, so we fly in via Singapore or Vietnam. Cambodia pairs naturally with Vietnam, and most people spend eight to 10 nights.
The experiences we plan most often, with the months they are at their best.
Angkor Wat at sunrise is worth doing once, but the crowd at the lotus ponds is large. The trick is timing: see the main temple in the late morning when groups leave for breakfast, and the Bayon, with its carved stone faces, in the soft light of late afternoon. A good private guide and a flexible driver make that timing possible.
Ta Prohm has been left partly to the jungle, with silk-cotton roots gripping its walls. Banteay Srei, north of the main group, is small and carved in rose-pink sandstone in very fine detail. Further out, Beng Mealea is a collapsed temple you clamber through on wooden walkways. Visit early in the day, when it is cooler and emptier.
The Tonle Sap lake swells in the wet season, when the Mekong backs up into it. Villages such as Kampong Phluk stand on tall stilts, and in the wet months you glide between them by boat through flooded forest. Go with a guide who works with the community rather than the busy floating village near Siem Reap.
Phnom Penh sits where the Mekong meets the Tonle Sap river. Visit the Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda, then the National Museum’s Angkorian sculpture. Tuol Sleng prison and the Choeung Ek killing fields tell the story of the Khmer Rouge; they are harrowing, and best seen with a thoughtful guide. End the day with a sunset boat on the river.
Off the south coast, the Koh Rong islands have white sand, clear water and very little development. A handful of island resorts, some on their own private islands, make this a good place to finish. Snorkel the reefs, kayak through mangroves and watch bioluminescent plankton at night. The best sea conditions are from November to April.
Kampot is a sleepy river town with French shophouses and pepper farms in the hills behind it. Kampot pepper has protected status, and a farm visit shows how the vines are grown and the berries picked. Nearby Kep has a seafront crab market where crab is cooked with fresh green pepper. Take a sunset boat on the Kampot river.
Stay three or four nights in Siem Reap, in a quiet resort outside town or a boutique hotel near the river. In Phnom Penh, a restored colonial hotel or a riverside boutique suits a short stay. Finish on the coast in Kep or on an island in the Koh Rong archipelago.
We match each trip in Cambodia to hotels, lodges and villas chosen for the way you travel. Tell us what matters and a specialist will suggest two or three that fit.
Ask for hotel suggestionsSample routes to start from. Every one can be changed.
Old Hanoi's street food, a night on a small boat among the limestone islands of Lan Ha Bay, four nights in the lantern-lit trading port of Hoi An, and three dawns at the temples of Angkor, each with a private guide.
The dry season from November to April is the classic time to visit. The early months are cooler and clearer; by March and April the heat is intense and the temples are best seen early and late.
The wet season from about June to October brings afternoon storms, but the temples are green and quiet, and the Tonle Sap swells into a vast inland sea. It is the best time to see the floating villages, if you are happy to plan around the rain.
An eight-night journey from the temples to the capital and a quiet island. Best from November to March. 8 nights.
Fly in via Singapore. Temples with a private guide, from Angkor Wat and the Bayon to Banteay Srei.
A morning boat through the stilt village of Kampong Phluk, then Beng Mealea in the afternoon.
A short flight to the capital for the Royal Palace, the National Museum and a guided visit to Tuol Sleng.
Drive to the coast and cross by boat to an island resort. Snorkelling, kayaking, then fly home via Singapore.
Practical notes checked against their sources. For entry and safety, the FCDO advice for Cambodia (opens in a new tab) is always the authority.
There are no direct flights from the UK. Fly to Singapore, about 13 hours from Heathrow, then just over two hours to Siem Reap or Phnom Penh. There are also short flights from Ho Chi Minh City.
UK passport holders need a visa; apply for the e-visa before travel, and complete the free e-Arrival card. Read the FCDO entry requirements (opens in a new tab) and the border advice.
Read the FCDO entry requirements for Cambodia (opens in a new tab)
See TravelHealthPro (opens in a new tab) well before travel. The temples are hot and exposed, so start early, wear a hat and carry water. Use mosquito repellent.
The riel and US dollar are both used, and change often comes in riel. Carry clean dollar notes, and check your change: FCDO warns of fakes.
Prepaid SIM cards are cheap and widely available, and wifi is common in hotels and cafes. Coverage is patchy on the islands.
Tipping is not traditional, but we suggest tipping your guide and driver at the end, in dollars or riel. Small tips for hotel staff are welcome.
Three full days is ideal. That gives you Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom and Ta Prohm on the first day, Banteay Srei and the outer temples on the second, and Beng Mealea or the Tonle Sap on the third. Two days is the minimum. The heat means half-days are more comfortable than full ones.
Not at present. FCDO advises against all but essential travel within 20 kilometres of the land border following clashes, and the land crossings are closed. Fly instead: Siem Reap and Phnom Penh have good connections through Singapore and Ho Chi Minh City, which also makes Cambodia easy to pair with Vietnam.
Yes, especially for children old enough to enjoy scrambling over ruins. Ta Prohm and Beng Mealea feel like adventure films, and boat trips on the Tonle Sap are fun. Keep temple visits short and early, with afternoons by the pool. The Khmer Rouge sites in Phnom Penh are not suitable for younger children.
Start in Hanoi and travel south through Vietnam, then fly from Ho Chi Minh City to Siem Reap for Angkor. Finish in Phnom Penh or on the Cambodian islands. Three weeks lets you do both well. With less time, pair Angkor with Hoi An and the south of Vietnam.
Tell us a little and a specialist will reply with ideas, dates that work and a price. Best months: November to February.
A long, narrow country of limestone bays, lantern-lit old towns and street food that changes every few hundred kilometres.
Temple cities, cool northern hills and two coasts with opposite monsoons, so there is nearly always a good beach somewhere.
An easy first stop in Asia: hawker food, garden architecture and four cultures on one small, very green island.
