The most crowded period in Cambodia is the time from December to February, when the weather is comfortable for outdoor activities. The long holiday periods of Christmas in the west and Lunar New Year in the east also fall in this period. At this time, popular tourist attractions, especially Angkor Wat, will be full of tourists.
Crowds will affect your visiting. You have to wait in line to take photos at Bayon Temple, Ta Prohm, Angkor Wat, and there will always be someone else appearing in your pictures. 'Tips for avoiding crowds in Cambodia' will give you some ideas of how to plan your trip better.
Quick Facts
- There are many tourists at famous sight-seeing sites like Angkor Wat, Bayon Temple, Ta Prohm, Banteay Srei, and on Bakeng Hill for observing the sunset, especially during December, January and February.
- There will be less people from June to September, when it is rainy season, so that you can admire the attractions at your own pace.
- A lot of Chinese groups come during their summer holiday in July and August, National Day in October and Lunar New Year (some time in January or February).
- 10:00-12:00 and 15:00-17:00 are the time periods when most people are at tourist spots for visiting.
- Choose off the beaten track places to visit, like Beng Mealea, Preah Khan, which are also historically interesting.
The most crowded place
No doubt, the most crowded place is Siem Reap, which is the gateway to the magnificent Angkor Wat. All the tourists come to Cambodia to admire this largest legendary monument in the world. No matter whether low or high season, there are always travelers.
The travel agents that organize big group tours, usually have these regular hot spots on their itinerary: Bayon Temple, Ta Prohm and Banteay Srei. So this makes these sites quite busy with both, big groups and independent travelers.
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We have spend that last eight months planning a trip to Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand. Alisa Lia was creative & patient helping us customize our tour to include the sites and adventures we were excited to see. Hard waiting for the trip to start. More
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My experience in Thai
All of this was well organized by the local office. The holiday was wonderful. Our guide, Mr. Longdy( Siem Reap)were exceptional. He shared his extensive knowledge of the many wonderful places we visited, and were flexible to take us to additional places along the way based on discussions. Thank you so much .shared their extensive knowledge of the many wonderful places we visited, and were flexible to take us to additional places along the way based on discussions. More
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Seamless Planning
From the day I submitted an inquiry request, I instantly received a response from Monica asking my preferences for my trip. She has been attentive and responsive to our every needs and we very much appreciate it. Looking forward to our trip in November but many thanks to Monica for making this experience to seamless thus far. More
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Very professional agency for a memorable trip to Asia
A special thanks to Albee who worked with us and helped to tailor the itinerary to our taste, she was amazing and always available for whatever we needed. The trip would not have been the same without her and her team. Thank you! More
Daniela, Jul 2023
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It was our first time in Cambodia and …
It was our first time in Cambodia and we had a wonderful time. The accommodations, food, and sites were really beautiful. We ended our trip with a relaxing massage. Sam was very accommodating to our needs and knowledgeable. Thank you for the laughter and for being so kind. More
Amy Oakes Moon, Jun 2023
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Our guide Borin - never boring!
Our guide Borin, in Cambodia, was knowledgeable, understanding and thoughtful in every aspect of the plan he put together for our trip to Siem Reap and in its execution. He can read the room, and knew exactly how to pace the tour, when to pause, when to break, and how to prepare us for the maximum benefit. He is extremely kind and caring, and it showed at every turn. He also is a dab hand with the camera, and we have a lot of great pictures to show for it. Kudos to my Asia Highlights coordinator - Cathy Chen, for picking Borin. Borin works with a driver (007) who was also very kind and caring. Whenever we returned to the car, he would have cold towel rolls and chilled water to refresh us. So amazingly considerate. It was an unforgettable experience More
David Muliyil, Jun 2023
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Great visit!
Our guide, Anna, was fantastic! She was highly informative and a delight to spend our days with. Would request her again if we were to return! More
Alejandra M Almonte, Jun 2023
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We've had such a great experience…
We've had such a great experience planning our honeymoon with Alisa at Asia Highlights! We gave her our dream itinerary, thinking that it might be impossible to do all the things we wanted, but Alisa made our dreams a reality! She's gone so far above and beyond to answer ALL of our questions and make little adjustments that will make a huge impact on our experience. More
Lauren, Jun 2023
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Alisa knows how to work fast and please a customer.
Alisa is very helpful and works very fast. I am a very difficult client because Inknow what I want in therm of hotels and comfort. She had a lot of patience with me, and moved a lot the plan of the trip, always following my requests. It was a pleasure organizing my trip with her. I recommend her a lot! Thanks Alisa. Malala from Argentina. More
maria laura artola, Jun 2023
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Trip-of-a-lifetime
In addition, I want to specifically mention the guides provided in certain locations. Rum, in Siem Reap, made the most memorable experience possible. His positivity was contagious - even when it felt like 1000 degrees and we were tired. He brought it all to life, and created a couple days of Ankor Wat, etc. that we will never forget! He heard my daughter's request for specific Cambodian food, and changed our itinerary to go to a village and eat at a locally known shop. He brought the dessert she asked about to us in the car! Overall, he and his driver "Lucky" were a reason to go to Siem Reap. In addition, the other guides (minus one which was switched out immediately) were stupendous. Mon in Bangkok was friendly and provided a great day there; Eak in Chiang Mai gave us a world-class food-tour and day touring the city and its surrounding temples with lots of laughs; Tommy in Hanoi kept us from getting killed in the traffic and gave a stupendous food and architecture/history tour - so very friendly and funny; the fishing village tour in Hoi An, as well as the side-car tour in Saigon, were both unforgettable! Thank you Sharon, and Asia Highlights. Would definitely use again for future trips! More
Teri Simpson, Apr 2023
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Cambodia and Vietnam adventure!
Our guide in Cambodia, Meas Darapolaith (Pol), was absolutely amazing. He was knowledgeable, friendly and so helpful. His English was excellent and he shared important insights about history and the magnificent sites we visited. We highly recommend him! More
Jennifer Roth Krieger, Apr 2023
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My daughter and I wanted to discover SE…
My daughter and I wanted to discover SE Asia. Being the first in that region, we wanted to use a tour service company. We ended up using Asia Highlights. From the beginning we were impressed with their services. We left home with of mind because all the pre-travel arrangements were taking care and communicate to us efficiently. All our questions were answered promptly. Once in the countries, we were welcome by our excellent tour guides. Everything was taking care for us. We did not have one issue. They selected the right tours guides for us, they were highly knowledgeable and so much attentive to our needs. We had Dhat in Vietnam and Borin in Siem Reap, Cambodia. I highly recommend Asia Highlights. I came back home so much rested, and with plenty of wonderful pictures and memories. I will definitely use Asia Highlights again for my next trip to Asia. More
Isabelle Dessaux, Apr 2023
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Fabulous tour and guide in Cambodia
We have been touring Cambodia, guided by Borin ( and driver 007) for the last 2 days. What a fabulous experience! Borin has been a wonderful guide, the best so far in Southeast Asia, explaining the history and culture of Cambodia through his tours of the temples in and around Angkor, as well as the Landmine museum. He has answered all our questions, made sure we were comfortable, and that we have had great food. 007 made sure we always had enough water and cool towels for our face/neck.We highly recommend Borin as a tour guide for Cambodia!! More
Monica, Mar 2023
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Best Travel Service for Asia Travel
Alisa Liu was in charge of making the arrangements and she helped us from the start to make all of the arrangements and also helped us when we had questions and requested some adjustments. Her service is of the highest professional level. We are 100% confident that our trip will be perfect. We’re also 100% confident that, if anything comes up during our trip, that Alisa will be there to guide us through and take care of us. We won’t even consider using another agency for travel around Asia and we would like to have Alisa work for us again. More
Leo Pospichal, Mar 2023
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Tour of Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Thailand
The tour guides and drivers were another high point. All were very good, friendly, knowledgeable and spoke English well. There were two that I want to call out for their excellence. Chan Sovannarith in Siem Reap was our guide in Cambodia. He really made the experience special. His knowledge, willingness to answer all my questions, helpfulness and general attitude made him fun to be around. In order to praise the second exceptional guide I have to explain about an unfortunate occurrence that I had. I'm normally a very active senior, but after leaving Cambodia for Laos I was suddenly struck by the most intense back pain I've ever experienced, couldn't even roll over in bed (turned out to be sciatica). The guide, Mr. Sonophet, really went the extra mile. He went with my traveling companion and bought a back brace and medications for me. When that didn't help much he took me to a clinic where I was seen by a doctor, given a shot and pain meds. He hand-made a walking stick for me that I'm still using! He made it possible for me to somewhat participate in the activities, i.e. a bed on the boat down the river. When it was time to move on to Bangkok he got me a wheelchair at the airport. I can't thank him enough for these kindnesses! This problem lasted for the remainder of the trip, through Bangkok and Phuket and these guides were also very helpful getting wheelchairs, etc. It was a terrible disappointment to have this wonderful trip disrupted, but it would have been SO much worse without the great help that I received from the guides and my poor travel companion! More
Deb M, Mar 2023
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In good hands with Sam
Sam Ol took very good care of us - lots of information, listened to and answered all our questions, was passionate about the places we visited and about his people and country. He was kind, had a great sense of humor, and made sure we felt safe and comfortable at all times. He helped us to fall in love with Cambodia in 3 short days. More
Carol Jones, Feb 2023
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Best tour guide in Cambodia
When we first arrived at the airport in Siem Riep it was so nice to be greeted by Mr Sam Ol. We instantly fell at home when we saw his friendly smile. We were impressed by his great English and knowledge of the temples. On the tour to the temples Sam took care of us every step of the way. He took awesome pictures of us. It felt like we were on a tour given by our brother who is also a professional photographer. Also, we appreciate his humor as well as the fact he had an answer for every question we had. I give Sam 5 stars, best tour guide ever :) More
Len S, Feb 2023
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Mr. Sam
Mr. Sam our guide in Cambodia, he and the driver out standing service they went above and beyond touring, my wife so amazed beautiful country, we're planning back here near the futures. Thank Mr. Sam,We'll feedback the whole trip next week when we be home in US More
Pho Lover, Feb 2023
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Vietnam/Cambodia/Thailand
We are still in the middle of our trip, but we are just finishing up our time in Cambodia and our guide, Borin, has been AMAZING!!! He has truly made our time here unforgettable and I plan on referring all of my friends and family to come visit this beautiful country! Thank you, Borin, for everything you did to make our trip so fantastic! More
Danielle Blount, Feb 2023
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Excellent service and Wonderful Guides
All of our guides have been terrific. Mr. Sam in Siem Reip was especially wonderful. Both he and our driver were polite, safe knowledgable and informative. Sam made our trip memorable and enioyable. We will definitely recommend Sam and Asia Highlights to our friends. More
Kaaren, Feb 2023
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The most crowded period
The dry season is the most crowed period, from November to February. Especially around Christmas and New Year, most of the decent hotels in Siem Reap are fully booked. And during Lunar New Year, some time in January or February, the number of Chinese travelers is increasing.
The second peak season is September and October; it is rainy season but with acceptable temperatures. During the long Chinese summer holiday in July and August, there will be a small peak season for Chinese people visiting. But there are relatively fewer tourists in the hot and wet season from April to June.
How to avoid crowds?
To have a pleasant time at tourist attractions, we would like to give you some suggestions that come from our inspection trips and experienced guides. It only takes little effort to visit the right sites at the right time.
Adjust visiting time and route for popular places
Angkor Wat
There will not be any peace until sunset. The ideal time is between 06:30-09:00 in the morning. The sun has just risen but temperatures are still not high. At this time, the big groups go back to their hotels for a late breakfast after seeing the sunrise.
Late afternoon at around 16:00 is another option, when people rush to Phnom Bakheng for a good location to witness the sunset. There will be more space at the busy temples - Bayon and Ta Prohm. You can do two visits on the same day, as the ticket allows multiple entries.
Generally, big groups start their tours from the front (west) gate, while it is wise for you to go from the back (east) gate. You can take photos of the long path in front of the South Gate of Angkor Thom after most of tourists have gone inside the ruins.
Bayon Temple
Go and see Bayon Temple at the first light after sunrise before 08:30, when the masses occupy the smiling faces temple. Instead of going back to the hotel for breakfast, you can bring a breakfast box along or have simple local food like noodles at restaurants near Angkor Wat.
Ta Prohm Temple
During noon time, at around 11:30-13:00, most people are ready for lunch or for cooling down in an air-conditioned room. It is the perfect time to take photos of Ta Prohm. Although it is hot with the strong sunlight, luckily there are shady places as well.
Find a different place to admire the sunset
Sunset at Pre Rup instead of Bakheng Hill:
Bakheng Hill, at the back of Angkor Wat, is the most popular place to witness a sunset. Since the space on top of the hill is limited, you have to get there 2-3 hours early to find a good spot.
Pre Rup Temple is more quiet, and it is located on high ground to provide a good condition for observing the sunset. You cannot see Angkor Wat from there, but Pre Rup Temple itself is very beautiful, coverd by a reddish hue at sunset. It is still recommended to arrive 1 hour before sunset.
Pick some minor attractions
Beng Mealea is 40 km east from the main temples of Angkor and 77 km from Siem Reap. Some visitors skip this site due to the relatively long distance and their short stay. It has recently been discovered and is largely unrestored, with stones lying on the ground.
Preah Khan was built by King Jayavarman VII, to honor his father who died in the war of the year 1191. This temple is more significant than Ta Prohm; it has a large-scale construction and valuable building elements of gold, silver, gems, and pearls. In the past it could accommodate thousands of people.
Baphuon Temple is near Bayon Temple, but has less tourists, as it re-opened recently and is not on the regular visiting list of big groups. There is a long road approaching the temple. You can get a panorama photo from the grass at the side or climb to the top to overlook the beautiful scenery.
East Mebon is not so well-known to people. You can visit at any time you want. There is a central tower with square platform at the top. It is a perfect spot to take photos of the wonderful landscape and images of sculptures with a wide-angle lens.
Banteay Samre is a peaceful minor temple, which is on the main road to Banteay Srei. It has been well restored with the same materials as Banteay Srei. Plan to get there in the afternoon and enjoy a quiet moment with your companions.
Ta Nei Temple is an undeveloped jungle temple in a covert location, reached by a muddy path. There are no big groups visiting or vendors selling souvenirs. Some of the carvings on the walls are well-preserved.
Ta Keo Temple is located on a high level of stairs. You need to climb up to reach the temple and will get a full view of the forest as well. Its architectural structure is pyramid-like and unfinished, since it was hit by lightning while under construction.
Phnom Penh Royal Palace: Most of the big groups would be there in the morning and finish visiting before lunch. It occupies a vast area of 174,870 square meters, and attracts less tourists than Siem Reap. Guides will make a good arrangement according to the situation at that time.
The Asia Highlights Experience
It requires patience and flexibility to avoid crowds at the popular spots during high season. Our professional travel consultant will consider all factors and design a suitable itinerary for you.
We also have an experienced team of guides. They not only know about the classic trip route but also are aware of visiting the right place at the right time.
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It was a whirlwind across a number of cities, but a very comprehensive experience across the many sides and cultures of China. Most days had sufficient activities, but weren’t overwhelming, which was great.Across cities, we had excellent tour guides, like Kitty (Beijing), Jenny (Xian), William (Guilin/Yangshuo), Kris (Shanghai), and Tony (Yellow Mountains.)
moreFrom the time we landed in Beijing until we left, we were well taken care of. My wife and I had Lily Liu as our guide and she was amazing. From arranging visits to all the different sights, to teaching us the history, it was fantastic.
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moreOther highlights are too many to mention but here are a few Ken taking us to the Terracotta Warriors and our food tour in Xian was amazing,
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