- Cambodia's temperatures range from 10° to 38°C (50° to 100 °F) and experiences tropical monsoons. Southwest monsoons blow inland bringing moisture-laden winds from the Gulf of Thailand and Indian Ocean from May to October. The northeast monsoon ushers in the dry season, which lasts from November to March. The country experiences the heaviest precipitation from September to October with the driest period occurring from January to February.

- It has two distinct seasons. The rainy season, which runs from May to October, can see temperatures raise up to 40°C around April and is generally accompanied with high humidity. The dry season lasts from November to April when temperatures can drop to 22 °C. The best months to visit Cambodia are November to January when temperatures and humidity are lower.

- November to February in Cambodia means clear blue skies by day and cool evenings with a nip in the air.  Perfect weather for exploring the temples.  Expect chilly nights however in December so be prepared to bring a jacket/sweater.

In detail:

- With cooling monsoon winds, runs from June to October and is also very pleasant.  The rain usually comes in brief afternoon squalls.  When the sun comes back out, the world smells and looks freshly born. A glorious time!

- The Hot Season runs from March to May.  Some dry and dusty visitors get short-tempered when temperatures are running over 35 degrees.  Overland journeys experience choking dust even within the confines of air conditioned vehicles. The Khmer New Year starts in this period around April 15 and to celebrate the beginning of the rains everyone in sight is doused with water by excited celebrations.  Good for people but bad for passports and documents so make sure they are secured in waterproof pouches.

- The start of March saw the rise in temperatures. Nights are still reasonable and with a simple fan, very comfortable.  Make sure you have screens on your windows or a net over your bed at night however as the mosquitoes can at times be quite annoying (and dangerous as Dengue Fever can be a problem.)

- In May. although the month started with some intense rains around the country, for the most part it is extremely hot and dry with temperatures on many days soaring to over 40 degrees.  All rivers are at their lowest in years with barge traffic along the Mekong having come to a halt and passenger boats between Phnom Penh and Siem Reap having great difficulty making the run, often going aground on shoals.

- In June and July, although the weather in the north around Siem Reap remains quite pleasant with short rain showers in the late afternoon or early afternoon (with an occasional day when it rains all day), further south in Phnom Penh the rains can become much harder and longer with street flooding very common.  In the end of July and through most of August in Sihanoukville, the rains have been constant almost day and night with frequent flooding and road destruction.

The 'Tourist Season': Due to harsh weather conditions in their native countries (Korea, Japan, Germany, England, etc.), large numbers of visitors to Siem Reap for the beauty of the temples and to escape the weather from their homes.  Due to this, for some periods, there is a demand for space...all space including looking around the temples. Peak tourist season is generally from November to February.  Outside these times, Angkor is relatively peaceful, although July and August also sees some lesser action. April, May, June and September are the quietest.