Angkor Wat
The great 12th-century temple of the Khmer Empire, with five lotus-bud towers, a wide moat and long galleries of carved reliefs. Many visitors arrive before dawn to watch it appear against the sky.
Siem Reap
A starting point for the Angkor temples, among them the UNESCO World Heritage site of Angkor Wat, with night markets too.
Attractive locations
Angkor Thom
Walled royal city of the Khmer kings, entered through monumental gates lined with stone figures. Inside are the Bayon, royal terraces and ruins spread among forest.
Bayon
Temple at the centre of Angkor Thom, known for its many towers carved with huge smiling faces, and for long reliefs of battles and daily life.
Ta Prohm
Temple left partly to the jungle, where giant tree roots wrap around stone walls and doorways. Its mix of ruin and forest is one of the most photographed scenes at Angkor.
Phnom Bakheng
Hilltop temple a short climb above the plain, popular at the end of the day for views across the forest to Angkor Wat. Crowds can be large around sunset.
Banteay Srei
A small temple of pink sandstone north of the main Angkor sites, famous for its deeply carved decoration of gods and floral patterns. Its fine detail sets it apart from the larger temples.
Tonle Sap Lake
The largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia, with floating villages where houses and schools sit on the water, and flooded forest that can be explored by boat. Trips leave from villages near Siem Reap.
Airports
Siem Reap-Angkor International Airport SAI
It is about 39 km in a straight line from Siem Reap.
Battambang Airport BBM
It is about 75 km in a straight line from Siem Reap.
Scams and safe taxis
Taxi and scam advice for this country is on the Cambodia page
Weather by month
Each month shows its average temperature in °C and its mm of rain per month.
- Jan27.0 °C12 mm
- Feb29.1 °C16 mm
- Mar30.6 °C46 mm
- Apr30.6 °C75 mm
- May29.4 °C140 mm
- Jun28.0 °C168 mm
- Jul27.2 °C197 mm
- Aug27.1 °C195 mm
- Sep27.0 °C231 mm
- Oct26.9 °C138 mm
- Nov26.4 °C37 mm
- Dec26.0 °C7 mm
Driest months: Jan, Feb, Dec. Wettest months: Jul, Aug, Sep.
Costs
Prices here are about 34% of US prices (World Bank, 2025). This compares a country's overall prices, not the cost of a trip.
Festivals and events
sport
Angkor Wat International Half Marathon
Participants run within the temple park of Angkor.
culture
Khmer New Year
At the temples, Angkor Sankranta brings three days of play and blessings with water.
sport
Angkor Wat International Half Marathon
Participants run within the temple park of Angkor.
Who can help
Emergency
Police 117. Ambulance 119. Fire 118.
ngo
Cambodian Red Cross
Helps with: Cambodia's national Red Cross society. Its contact page gives the national headquarters address in Phnom Penh, a phone line and an email address.
Who qualifies: People in Cambodia seeking the society's humanitarian, health or disaster services.
Phone: +855 23 881 511
Email: [email protected]
Address: Lot 16A, Street 652 corner 271, O Bek Kaam, Sangkat Toek Laak 3, Khan Tuol Kork, Phnom Penh
un agency
International Organization for Migration (IOM) Cambodia
Helps with: The UN migration agency. In Cambodia it supports victims of trafficking, trains border officers, protects migrant workers, supports migration health and assists returning migrants in crises.
Who qualifies: Migrants, trafficking survivors and returning migrants in Cambodia. It is not a help service for ordinary tourists.
Phone: +855 2 321 65 32
Email: [email protected]
Address: Sayon Building, 3rd Floor, No. 42, Samdach Pan Street (214), Sangkat Boeung Raing, Khan Daun Penh, Phnom Penh 120204
local government
Police emergency number 117
Helps with: Reaches the police in Cambodia. The number comes from UK government travel advice.
Who qualifies: Anyone in the country, including visitors, can call this number.
Phone: 117
local government
Ambulance emergency number 119
Helps with: Reaches the ambulance service in Cambodia. The number comes from UK government travel advice.
Who qualifies: Anyone in the country, including visitors, can call this number.
Phone: 119
local government
Fire emergency number 118
Helps with: Reaches the fire service in Cambodia. The number comes from UK government travel advice.
Who qualifies: Anyone in the country, including visitors, can call this number.
Phone: 118