Things to Do in Cambodia

Cambodia holds the largest religious monument on earth and one of the twentieth century’s darkest histories, often within the same trip. It is also warm, inexpensive and genuinely friendly, with a coastline most visitors never reach.

Our placements are based in Phnom Penh, the riverside capital, from which Angkor, the coast and the Mekong are all reachable.

The best things to do in Cambodia

1. Angkor Wat and the temples

The 12th-century temple city near Siem Reap is vast — plan two or three days, not one. Angkor Wat itself at sunrise, the serene stone faces of the Bayon at Angkor Thom, and Ta Prohm where strangler figs have grown through the ruins. A three-day pass and a tuk-tuk driver is the standard way to do it.

2. Phnom Penh

The Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda on the riverfront, the National Museum’s Khmer sculpture, and the Central Market’s art deco dome. The riverside promenade where the Mekong and Tonlé Sap meet is where the city walks in the evening.

3. Tuol Sleng and Choeung Ek

Essential and extremely difficult. The former school used as S-21 prison, and the killing fields outside the city, document the Khmer Rouge genocide. The audio guide at Choeung Ek is one of the most affecting museum experiences anywhere. Go early in your placement — it explains much of modern Cambodia.

4. Kampot and Kep

Riverside colonial towns in the south. Kampot is famous for its pepper, sunset river cruises and the abandoned hill station at Bokor; Kep is a faded seaside resort known for crab cooked with that same pepper. Four hours from Phnom Penh and the favourite weekend escape.

5. Koh Rong and the islands

White sand, clear water and bioluminescent plankton after dark. Koh Rong has the developed beaches and the party end; Koh Rong Samloem next door is quieter, with Lazy Beach and Saracen Bay. Ferries run from Sihanoukville.

6. Battambang and the countryside

Cambodia’s second city has French colonial streets, the bamboo train and Phnom Sampeau’s bat cave, where millions of bats stream out at dusk. A window on rural Cambodia between Phnom Penh and Siem Reap.

When to visit Cambodia

November to February is cool and dry — the most comfortable time to walk the temples. March to May is intensely hot, often above 35°C. The wet season (June to October) brings afternoon downpours, green landscapes, fewer visitors and the flooded forest around the Tonlé Sap at its most dramatic.

Getting around

Buses connect Phnom Penh with Siem Reap, Kampot and the coast for a few dollars, and night buses save a day. Domestic flights to Siem Reap are quick if time is short. Within cities, ride-hailing apps for tuk-tuks (PassApp, Grab) are cheap and remove the haggling.

Seeing Cambodia as a volunteer

Phnom Penh placements leave weekends free for the coast, with Angkor best kept for a longer break. Our Cambodia placements are based in Phnom Penh, include accommodation, meals, airport pickup and 24/7 in-country support, and leave evenings and weekends free — which is exactly when most of this list gets ticked off. See volunteer programs in Cambodia for live prices and dates, or read our complete guide to volunteering in Cambodia for costs, visas and safety.

Cambodia travel FAQs

Photo: Pierre André Leclercq / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)