Cambodia Luxury Experience
Sunrise at Angkor Wat, the stone faces of the Bayon and the jungle-wrapped Ta Prohm, then Phnom Penh's Royal Palace and riverside, crab and pepper on the south coast, and Koh Rong's quiet beaches.
- Best time to go
- November to March is dry and cooler. April and May are very hot; June to October is the green season, with afternoon rain, fewer visitors and the Tonle Sap lake at its fullest.
- Flying from India
- One stop via Bangkok, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur or Ho Chi Minh City, usually 7 to 10 hours in total to Siem Reap or Phnom Penh.
- Visa for Indian passports
- Tourist e-visa online (30 days) or visa on arrival at the airports, plus the free online arrival card.
- Currency
- Cambodian riel (KHR), but US dollars are used for most payments. Bring clean, untorn notes; change often comes back in riel.
Cambodia at a glance
Siem Reap is the base for Angkor, the largest religious complex in the world, built by the Khmer kings between the 9th and 15th centuries. Three days is ideal: Angkor Wat at sunrise, the walled city of Angkor Thom with the smiling faces of the Bayon, the tree-strangled Ta Prohm, and the pink sandstone carvings of Banteay Srei further out. Late afternoons are for the stilt villages on the Tonle Sap lake or an apsara dance performance.
Phnom Penh, the capital, has the gilded Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda, the National Museum and a lively riverfront, as well as sobering memorials to the Khmer Rouge years. South of the capital, the old seaside town of Kep is famous for crab cooked with green Kampot pepper, and boats run out to the white beaches of Koh Rong.
Must-see
- Angkor Wat at sunrise
- The Bayon and Ta Prohm
- Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda, Phnom Penh
- Tonle Sap stilt villages
- Kep crab market
Food to try
- Fish amok steamed in banana leaf
- Beef lok lak
- Kampot pepper crab
- Num banh chok, Khmer rice noodles
- Nom krok coconut cakes
Where to shop
- Artisans Angkor workshops, Siem Reap
- Siem Reap Old Market and night markets
- Russian Market, Phnom Penh
- Kampot pepper farms
- Silk weavers on Silk Island, near Phnom Penh
Where to Stay
Areas and styles of stay we book most often. We shortlist specific hotels once we know your dates and budget.
Siem Reap
Garden resorts and boutique hotels
Resorts in leafy grounds between the town and the Angkor gates, about ten minutes from the ticket office, and small hotels near the Old Market and river for restaurants within walking distance.
Phnom Penh riverside
Colonial and riverside hotels
Hotels near Sisowath Quay and the Royal Palace, where the Tonle Sap and Mekong rivers meet. Evening walks along the promenade and rooftop bars over the water.
Koh Rong islands
Island beach resorts
Small resorts on the quiet beaches of Koh Rong and Koh Rong Samloem, reached by fast boat from Sihanoukville, for two or three nights of swimming and doing very little.
Signature Experiences
Moments we build Cambodia journeys around
Angkor Wat's carved galleries
With a good guide, the temple's outer galleries tell stories in stone: the Churning of the Ocean of Milk, armies on the march and celestial apsaras. Allow a full morning.
Banteay Srei's pink sandstone
Forty minutes north of the main temples, this small 10th-century temple has the finest carving at Angkor, cut into rose-coloured sandstone and guarded by kneeling monkey figures. Combine it with a village lunch.
Stilt villages on the Tonle Sap
A boat through Kompong Phluk or Kampong Khleang, villages raised on stilts above Southeast Asia's largest freshwater lake, best in the green season when the water is high.
Crab and pepper in Kep
Lunch at Kep's crab market, where crabs come straight from the boats and are stir-fried with green Kampot pepper, after a morning at a pepper farm.
Khmer cooking class
A morning cooking fish amok, green mango salad and lok lak with a local chef, after choosing the ingredients at the market.
Cardamom Mountains rainforest
Two nights in a tented camp deep in the Cardamom Mountains, with ranger-led walks, river kayaking and the chance of gibbons and hornbills.
Planning Your Journey
Timing, routing and what our specialists tell every Cambodia traveller
When to visit
November to March
The dry, cooler season and the busiest time at Angkor. Book Christmas and New Year early.
April and May
Hot, often 35°C or more. Khmer New Year falls in mid-April.
June to October
Rain usually comes in afternoon bursts, the countryside is green and the temples are quieter.
Getting there and around
Arrival
Fly into Siem Reap via Bangkok, Singapore or Kuala Lumpur, and out of Phnom Penh to avoid backtracking.
Getting around
Siem Reap to Phnom Penh is a 45-minute flight or about five hours by road. Kep is three hours by road from Phnom Penh.
Insider notes
Buy a three-day Angkor pass
It costs only a little more than two single days and gives you time for early starts and long lunch breaks out of the heat.
Sunrise and then the quiet temples
After sunrise at Angkor Wat, go straight to the Bayon or Ta Prohm while the crowds are at breakfast.
Dress for the temples
Shoulders and knees must be covered at Angkor and the Royal Palace, or you will be turned away.
The new airport is further out
Siem Reap's airport is about an hour from town, so we schedule transfers with care on departure day.
Cambodia: Common Questions
Three full days is ideal: the main temples, Banteay Srei and the outlying temples, and time to revisit favourites at the quietest hours.
Plan your Cambodia journey
Speak to a specialist.
Share a few details and one of our Cambodia specialists will get in touch, usually within a working day.
Journeys from here
Itineraries that include Cambodia
Ready to plan Cambodia?
Tell us your dates and who is travelling. We reply with a costed, day-by-day plan you can change as much as you like.