Cambodia (Sihanoukville)

Cambodia (Sihanoukville) – What you should know

Sihanoukville has one of the most pronounced monsoon rhythms visible in any climate table. September brings around 546 mm of rain across twenty days, July 476 mm across twenty-one — and then January and February deliver 37 and 38 mm respectively, across three days. The same place sits at both extremes.

Temperature barely enters into it: it moves between 30°C and 32°C all year, never below 24°C at night. What changes is the sun — 8.6 hours a day in February against 4.3 in September — and the humidity. The Gulf of Thailand holds steady between 28°C and 31°C, making it one of the warmest bodies of water anywhere.

The travel season is correspondingly clear-cut: November to March. Coming during the monsoon means not constant rain but heavy downpours and muggy intervals — though for the islands of Koh Rong and Koh Rong Sanloem it is a genuine problem, as boat services are cancelled in rough weather. April and May are the hottest months at 32°C, but still largely dry.