Visiting Cambodia in August: Weather, Crowds, Prices & What to Expect
✅ Last verified on-the-ground: 2026-07-18
August is Cambodia’s wettest, quietest, and cheapest month. For the right traveller, it is also one of the most rewarding. Handle afternoon downpours and slippery temple steps and you will find Angkor nearly empty, hostels at floor price, and tuk-tuk drivers free to negotiate. Planning the wider region? Our Southeast Asia backpacking hub covers the full route.
Cambodia’s Department of Meteorology August rainfall normals underpin the weather ranges here. Hostel, flight, and tuk-tuk prices were checked against published booking listings on 2026-07-18.
Quick Answers
| What | Answer | Price (INR) |
|---|---|---|
| Is August a good time to visit Cambodia? | Yes, if you want low crowds and low prices. No, if you hate rain. | , |
| How much rain does Cambodia get in August? | 150 to 330 mm across the country, mostly in afternoon bursts | , |
| Average Phnom Penh temperature in August | 24°C to 32°C, humidity 75 to 85% | , |
| Cheapest month for Cambodia hostels? | August and September tie. Dorm beds drop to the floor of the annual range. | ₹400 (~$4.15) to 800 |
| Cheapest flight window from India | Mid-July to early September, monsoon dip | ₹14,000 (~$145.11) to 22,000 round trip |
Month-by-Month Breakdown
Here is how the full year shakes out so you can see August in context. (For the full month-by-month Cambodia guide, see our best-time-to-visit-Cambodia hub.)
| Month | Weather | Crowds | Cost Level | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| November | Cool, dry, 25 to 30°C | Peak | High | The perfect month, also the most expensive |
| December | Cool and dry, 22 to 30°C | Peak | High | Best weather, book hostels early |
| January | Dry and warm, 22 to 31°C | Peak | High | High-season peaks, pack light layers for nights |
| February | Dry and hot, 24 to 33°C | High | Medium-high | Still excellent, slight price softening late-month |
| March | Hot and humid, 25 to 35°C | Medium | Medium | Khmer NewYear spike mid-month |
| April | Hottest month, 26 to 36°C | Medium | Medium | Songkran equivalent, brutal heat |
| May | Wet season starts, 25 to 33°C | Low | Low-medium | Daily showers begin, prices drop |
| June | Wet, 25 to 32°C | Low | Low | Rains most afternoons, hostels cheap |
| July | Wet, 24 to 31°C | Low | Low | Siem Reap temple complex at its quietest |
| August | Peak monsoon, 24 to 32°C | Lowest | Lowest | Cheapest beds, wettest skies |
| September | Wet, 24 to 31°C | Low | Low | Rain eases late-month, prices still floor |
| October | Rain tapering, 24 to 31°C | Medium | Medium | Country greens up, crowds return late-month |
August in Cambodia. Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Cheapest dorm beds of the year. Phnom Penh and Siem Reap both hit the floor of their ranges.
- Angkor Wat and the surrounding temples see a fraction of the high-season foot traffic. Sunrise at Angkor Wat without the usual crowd of sunrise-seekers in your photo is something people fly to Cambodia specifically to find.
- The country is at its greenest. Rice paddies around Battambang and the countryside outside Siem Reap turn electric green, and the light for photography is softer than the dry-season glare.
- Domestic buses and tuk-tuks are easy to book last-minute. No reservation stress.
- Indian restaurants stay open year-round and prices don’t move with the season. Your dal-chawal fix is unaffected.
Cons:
- It will rain. Almost every afternoon, sometimes for 20 minutes, sometimes for three hours. Mornings are usually clear.
- Some rural roads, especially around Mondulkiri and Ratanakiri in the northeast, get muddy and occasionally impassable for standard tuk-tuks.
- The Phnom Penh–Siem Reap river boat service is currently suspended; overland bus is the only option.
- Heat index is real. 32°C with 80% humidity feels heavier than 36°C in April’s dry heat.
- Mosquitoes are noticeably worse. Dengue is a genuine concern; pack DEET 30%+ or picaridin.
Here is what the actual price movement looks like. Hostel dorm beds in Phnom Penh drop to ₹400-₹800 (~$4.15-$8.29) per night, and Siem Reap sits at ₹400-₹1,000 (~$4.15-$10.36) per night. Sihanoukville dorms go for ₹500-₹900 (~$5.18-$9.33) per night. A private room that costs ₹2,410 (~25 USD) in December runs ₹1,157-₹1,735 (~12-18 USD) in August. Flights from India into Phnom Penh drop to ₹14,000-₹22,000 (~$145.11-$228.02) round trip on budget carriers (AirAsia, VietJet, Thai AirAsia via Bangkok), versus ₹25,000-₹35,000 (~$259.12-$362.76) in November to February. Tuk-tuk days around the Angkor temple complex drop from ₹1,735-₹1,928 (~18-20 USD) high-season to ₹1,157-₹1,446 (~12-15 USD) in August because drivers have fewer bookings and will negotiate.
Subodh’s Pro Tip: August is the month to do Angkor slowly. High-season travellers sprint the small circuit in one day because tour vans are expensive and crowds are thick. In August, take three days, do the grand circuit one morning, the small circuit the next, and Banteay Srei on day three. The temples don’t go anywhere and you’ll remember them.
What to Pack Specifically for August
This is not the same kit as November. The dry season lets you get away with a light daypack and cotton shirts. The monsoon does not.
Pack:
- A real rain jacket with a hood, not a fashion one. Ponchos work but tear on motorbike panniers. A 2.5-layer shell is the sweet spot.
- Quick-dry trekking pants and shirts. Cotton stays wet for hours and gets mildew in hostel drying areas.
- Dry bags for electronics. Sea to Summit makes a 10L and 20L that cost ₹800-₹1,500 (~$8.29-$15.55). Anything that zips is fine for hostel dorms.
- DEET 30%+ repellent or 20% picaridin. Dengue is endemic and August is peak mosquito month.
- Sandals with grip (Chaco, Teva, or the local knockoff from any Phnom Penh market). Temple steps get slick.
- A small microfibre towel as a backup. Hostels provide towels but they are not always dry.
- Anti-fungal foot powder. Cheap insurance against two weeks of wet shoes.
- A universal sink plug. August rain means more laundry and many Cambodian sinks don’t have plugs.
Safety Alert: Check your government’s travel advisory before departure. The Indian Ministry of External Affairs publishes current advisories at mea.gov.in, and Cambodia’s own Ministry of Tourism updates road and river conditions during monsoon. Flood advisories along the Tonle Sap and Mekong rivers can affect travel between Phnom Penh and Siem Reap on a weekly basis in August.
August Costs Comparison
What you’re paying across the year’s three pricing tiers.
| Item | Peak Season (Nov. Feb) | Shoulder Season (Mar, Oct) | Low/Monsoon Season (Aug) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flight from India (round trip) | ₹25,000 (~$259.12) to 35,000 | ₹18,000 (~$186.56) to 26,000 | ₹14,000 (~$145.11) to 22,000 |
| Dorm bed Phnom Penh (per night) | ₹800 (~$8.29) to 1,500 | ₹600 (~$6.22) to 1,000 | ₹400 (~$4.15) to 800 |
| Dorm bed Siem Reap (per night) | ₹1,000 (~$10.36) to 1,800 | ₹700 (~$7.26) to 1,200 | ₹400 (~$4.15) to 1,000 |
| Angkor 3-day pass | ₹5,977 (~62 USD) | ₹5,977 (~62 USD) | ₹5,977 (~62 USD) |
| Private room Siem Reap (per night) | ₹2,400 (~$24.88) to 3,800 | ₹1,400 (~$14.51) to 2,400 | ₹1,100 (~$11.40) to 1,700 |
Note: The Angkor pass is fixed year-round at ₹5,977 (~62 USD) for 3 days. There’s no monsoon discount on entry, but everything around it (food, transport, guides) softens.
How Much Does Cambodia Cost in August?
A realistic daily budget for an Indian backpacker in Cambodia during August. Verified 2026-07-18 at 1 USD = ₹96.3294.
| Item | Daily Cost (USD) | Daily Cost (INR) |
|---|---|---|
| Dorm bed | 5 to 12 | 480 to 1,150 |
| Street food (3 meals) | 5 to 8 | 480 to 770 |
| One sit-down meal | 4 to 7 | 385 to 675 |
| Drinking water (2L) | 0.50 | 50 |
| Local transit (tuk-tuk, pass app) | 3 to 6 | 290 to 580 |
| Beer (local, 500ml) | 0.75 to 1.50 | 70 to 145 |
| Temple day pass (Angkor) | 0 (3-day = 20/day) | 0 (1,990/day) |
Total: ₹1,735-₹3,374 (~18-35 USD) per day, or roughly ₹1,730-₹3,370 (~$17.93-$34.93). That’s a 30 to 40% saving on the same trip in December.
What to Eat in Cambodia in August
The food scene doesn’t change with the weather. What changes is your patience for sitting in a hot, humid street stall for 40 minutes. August is the month to lean into air-conditioned restaurants for sit-down meals.
For Cambodian food, Smokin’ Pot in Phnom Penh does the classic fish amok and a Khmer cooking class if you want to learn it. Cambodia Kitchen in Siem Reap is the right call after a day at Angkor, with lok lak and stir-fried morning glory in a setting that has fans. HoubHoub Cambodian Restaurant (BKK1) in BKK1 neighbourhood is where locals go for the real-deal Cambodian taste. For a proper night out, Phare, The Cambodian Circus in Siem Reap is the best evening activity in Cambodia in any month, and the air-conditioned big top is a relief when it has been raining since 3pm.
For Indian food and strict-veg, the Indian restaurant scene in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap is well-established. In Phnom Penh, the basic-but-reliable Indian Restaurant hits the dal-chawal and paneer notes you want after two weeks of rice and fish. The Poipet border crossing restaurants are an unsung saviour for vegetarians coming overland from Thailand: Galaxy Indian Restaurant and Saffron Indian Restaurant Poipet are both rated 5.0 and serve proper Indian thalis at border-town prices.
Where to Stay in August
You will find your cheapest dorm beds of the year, especially in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap. Book direct through the hostels, since August inventory rarely sells out.
Getting There from India
There are no direct flights to Phnom Penh or Siem Reap from India. Every route goes through a Southeast Asian hub.
| Route | Carrier | Approx Round Trip (INR) |
|---|---|---|
| Delhi → Bangkok → Phnom Penh | AirAsia / Thai AirAsia / IndiGo codeshare | ₹16,000 (~$165.83) to 24,000 |
| Mumbai → Kuala Lumpur → Phnom Penh | AirAsia | ₹18,000 (~$186.56) to 26,000 |
| Bengaluru → Singapore → Phnom Penh | Singapore Airlines / Air India (via Singapore) | ₹22,000 (~$228.02) to 30,000 |
| Kolkata → Bangkok → Siem Reap | Thai AirAsia | ₹15,000 (~$155.47) to 22,000 |
Visa: Indian passport holders get visa-on-arrival at Phnom Penh and Siem Reap international airports for ₹2,892 (~30 USD), or e-visa online for ₹3,471 (~36 USD). Both give 30 days single entry. Apply at the official portal: https://www.evisa.gov.kh. Don’t pay anyone else to do it for you, there are scam sites that charge double and forward your details. Extensions cost ₹4,338 (~45 USD) and are done at the immigration office in Phnom Penh.
Getting Connected
A working SIM is more important in August than in any other month. You need it to check rain radar, flood alerts, and bus cancellation notices. The three big carriers are Cellcard, Smart, and Metfone. A 30-day tourist SIM with 5 to 10GB of data runs ₹386-₹675 (~4-7 USD). Pick it up at the airport counter on arrival, you will be set up in 15 minutes. If you prefer to land connected, Get Nomad eSIM covers Cambodia and activates before you board your flight from India.
FAQ
Is Cambodia worth visiting in August? Yes, if your priority is low prices and few other tourists. No, if you want guaranteed dry weather for temple photography or beach time. August is the trade-off month: you give up sun, you get silence and savings.
Is August a good time to visit Cambodia from India? Yes for budget trips. Round-trip flights are at their annual low, hostels drop to the floor of their range, and you avoid the November to February peak when everyone else from India is booking. The monsoon is manageable if you plan around afternoon rain.
Can you visit Angkor Wat in August? Yes, and it is one of the best months to do so. The temples are at their quietest, the grounds are green, and the moats around Angkor Wat are full. The sandstone gets slippery in heavy rain, so wear sandals with grip and avoid the upper terraces of Bayon when wet.
How bad is the rain in Cambodia in August? Expect rain on around 15 to 19 days of the month, mostly in the afternoon. Mornings are typically clear, which is when you do temple visits and outdoor activities. Heavy all-day downpours are rare outside typhoon-influenced periods.
Are Cambodia’s beaches open in August? Yes, but the sea is rough. Koh Rong and Koh Rong Samloem ferries run but the crossings can be cancelled in heavy weather. Swimming is fine on most days but red-flag warnings are common. August is not the month for an island-hopping trip.
Is it safe to travel in Cambodia during monsoon? Yes. The main risks are dengue (carry repellent), road conditions in rural areas, and disruption from heavy weather. The Phnom Penh–Siem Reap river boat service is currently suspended, so travel overland by bus. Check your government’s travel advisory before departure, the Indian MEA publishes current advisories at mea.gov.in.
Subodh’s Take
August in Cambodia is the trade most travellers don’t make. They see the word “monsoon” and book November instead, then pay 40% more for the privilege of standing in a queue at Angkor Wat at sunrise. If you can handle rain that mostly falls while you’re eating lunch, August gives you Cambodia at its cheapest, its quietest, and arguably its most photogenic. The temples are yours, the hostels are 600 rupees a night, and the tuk-tuk drivers are happy to pick up the phone. Bring a real rain jacket and you’ll have a better trip than 80% of high-season visitors.
