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Cambodia
Siem Reap in May
🌧️ Rainy seasonHot, humid and often rainy.
🎒 Pack: light, breathable clothes & sunscreen · compact umbrella or rain jacket · quick-dry fabrics
Why May scores 7.4What goes into the score
How it works- Weather comfort6.0
- !Hot (35°C highs / 25°C lows)
- !Very humid/sticky (dew point 23.9°C)
- !Wet: ~150 mm rain, ~4 heavy-rain days
- Air quality8.5
- ✓Good (within WHO guideline) (PM2.5 ~14 µg/m³)
- Seasonal hazards10.0
- ·No notable seasonal hazards
- Safety baseline7.0
- ·Increased caution
| May | Dec | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 7.4 Good | 9.0 Excellent |
| Season | 🌧️ Rainy season | ☀️ Dry season |
| High / low | 35° / 25° | 31° / 21° |
| Rain | 150 mm | 7 mm |
| Humidity | dew pt 24° | dew pt 19° |
| PM2.5 | 14 µg/m³ | 9 µg/m³ |
Typical-month data: NASA POWER (MERRA-2 reanalysis) 2015–2024 (modelled, not a forecast). Temperatures: Siem Reap weather-station normals. Rainfall: Siem Reap weather-station normals (national met service).
Holidays & crowdsMay 2027
Long weekendThere's at least one long weekend. Domestic travel picks up and popular spots get busier over those days.
- HM King Norodom Sihamoni's Birthday 14–16 May · 3 days off in a row
- Royal Ploughing Ceremony 22–24 May · 3 days off in a row
Other public holidays: International Labor Day (1 May) · Visaka Bochea Day (20 May)
National holidays only; regional holidays and school breaks aren't included. Source: holidays (open-source public-holiday calendar).
Explore Siem ReapEvents, sights, food & souvenirs
Check event dates locallyCambodian town that serves as the base for visiting the temples of Angkor, the vast former capital of the Khmer Empire.
No major events on our calendar for May.
Coming up later
Pchum BenDate variesLunar calendar — usually September or October
A 15-day festival when Cambodians make offerings to the spirits of ancestors.
Why go: The last days are public holidays; many people travel home.
Where: Pagodas
Equinox sunrise at Angkor WatDate variesAround the spring and autumn equinoxes, about 20–21 March and 22–23 September
The sun rises directly over the central tower when seen from the western entrance.
Why go: Very crowded; arrive well before dawn.
Where: Angkor Wat
Khmer New YearDate variesUsually 13 or 14 to 16 April
Three days of New Year celebrations with temple visits, games and water throwing.
Why go: Temples are busy with Cambodian visitors.
Where: Nationwide and around the Angkor temples
Angkor Wat
A 12th-century temple, the largest religious monument in the world.
💡 Sunrise is popular; an Angkor pass is needed for all the main temples.
Angkor Thom and the Bayon
A walled royal city whose central Bayon temple is covered with giant stone faces.
Ta Prohm
A temple left partly overgrown, with tree roots growing over the walls.
Banteay Srei
A small 10th-century temple in pink sandstone with very fine carvings.
Tonlé Sap floating villages
Stilt and floating villages on Southeast Asia's largest lake.
💡 Water levels are highest after the rainy season.
Phare, The Cambodian Circus
A circus by graduates of a social-enterprise arts school.
💡 Cover shoulders and knees at temples; March to May is very hot.
Fish amok
Fish in a coconut curry, steamed in banana leaf.
💡 Khmer restaurants
Lok lak
Stir-fried beef served with a lime and pepper dipping sauce.
💡 Khmer restaurants
Num banh chok
Fresh rice noodles with a fish-based green curry, eaten for breakfast.
💡 Morning stalls
Kuy teav
Pork noodle soup, a common breakfast.
💡 Morning stalls and markets
Kampot pepper
Pepper from Kampot province, with protected geographical status.
💡 Shops and markets
Krama
The checked cotton scarf used across Cambodia.
💡 Markets
Cambodian silk
Hand-woven silk scarves and fabrics.
💡 Shops and workshops
Palm sugar
Sugar from sugar palm trees.
💡 Markets
Airport transfer Kiwitaxi
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