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Angkor Wat, Siem Reap, Cambodia

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Cambodia weather, climate and geography

Weather & climate

Best time to visit: 

Being located in the tropical zone north of the equator, Cambodia has a monsoon climate. Monsoon season runs May - November, meaning that the most pleasant season for visitors is generally the dry season, stretching from November/December - April. Immediately after the monsoon, the blanketing green of the countryside can be stunningly beautiful.

In the north, winters are generally colder, while throughout most of the country temperatures remain fairly constant. The average year-round temperature in Cambodia is 27.7C (the highest monthly average being 35C, the lowest monthly average being 21C). There is often seasonal flooding in Phnom Penh and the rest of Cambodia in late July and early August, and, because the majority of roads are dirt, travel may be disrupted at these times. At the peak of the wet season it can rain as often as two in every three days.

Required clothing: 

Lightweight clothing is worn all year. Rainwear is essential during the monsoon season.

Geography

Bordered to the west by Thailand, to the north by Laos and to the east by Vietnam, Cambodia is a roughly circular country with a southern coastline giving onto the Gulf of Thailand. The landscape comprises tropical rainforest and fertile cultivated land, with lush highlands rising in both the northeast and southeast. Rivers are a central feature of its make-up, with Phnom Penh situated at the confluence of the Bassac, the Tonle Sap and the mighty Mekong. A large inland lake, also called Tonle Sap, sits close to the Angkor Temple Complex in the north. There are numerous beaches and offshore islands along the southwest coast.

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