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Things to Do in Cambodia in November
November weather, activities, events & insider tips
Shoulder Season · Good Value
November Weather in Cambodia
Long-run averages for November in Phnom Penh
87°F (31°C)
High Temp
73°F (23°C)
Low Temp
4.7 inches (119 mm)
Rainfall
77%
Humidity
10
Sunny-Day UV
⚠ Sudden thunderstorm cells with lightning risk at exposed temples
⚠ Muddy rural roads around Koh Ker and Preah Vihear may strand 2WD vehicles
Making the most of November in Cambodia? Browse tours and activities in Cambodia on GetYourGuide.
Is November Right for You?
Weigh the advantages and considerations before booking
Advantages
- + The rainy season's last breath paints the countryside neon green and tops up Angkor Wat's moats. Photos finally match the postcards. Worth it.
- + Crowds stay thin until late month. You will share Ta Prohm with dozens, not hundreds. Siem Reap guesthouses cut walk-in rates.
- + River levels are high, so the Phnom Penh to Siem Reap boat runs on time again. Skip the spine-shaking NR6 bus ride.
- + Evening breezes off the Tonlé Sap feel pleasant, not swampy. Night-market snacking no longer demands a shower after.
Considerations
- − Afternoon thunderstorms charge in fast. Expect a drenching around 3 pm every other day. Temple stones turn slippery slick.
- − Mosquitoes spike in the rice stubble. Dusk outside cities means DEET or you are dinner.
- − Some rural laterite roads (think Koh Ker, Preah Khan of Kompong Svay) stay axle-deep in mud. 4WD only, or pay farmers to haul you out.
Short on time in November? See day trips around Cambodia on GetYourGuide.
Best Activities in November
Top things to do during your visit
Angkor Temple Sunrise Cycling Loops
November's 6:15 am sunrise comes after the 5:30 gate opening. Pedal from Siem Reap in the cool 75°F (24°C) dark, lock your bike at Angkor Wat's west entrance, and beat the Chinese-bus convoys. Roads are dry enough for 25 mm tires. Yet puddles still mirror the towers. Photographers call it 'reflection season.'
Booking Tip: Book the day before through any licensed operator that supplies helmets and bike lights. Demand trekking-style wheels, not cruisers, for laterite shortcuts.
Tonlé Sap Floating Village Boat Trips
Water peaks in November, so Kompong Phluk's stilt houses perch 6 m (20 ft) above the deck, not 2 m (6 ft). The flooded-forest channel is deep enough for small boats to glide beneath branches. Impossible from February on.
Booking Tip: Pick Chong Kneas only if time is tight. Otherwise insist on Kompong Phluk or Prek Toal. Shared boats leave until 2 pm. Morning light paints the water copper.
Phnom Penh Twilight Mekong River Cruise
Humidity falls enough that the 5:30-7 pm slot feels pleasant on deck. The sun drops behind the city's 1960s bank towers, not into a heat haze. Fishing boats string green lanterns for squid. Live Khmer guitar starts after dark.
Booking Tip: Weekday same-day tickets are fine. Friday expat crowds jam boats. Book by noon if you want upper-deck futons.
Kampot Pepper Farm Walks
Late rainy season fattens the peppercorns. Farmers gather green pearls in early November. The air carries wet earth, cinnamon bark, and faint capsicum. Impossible in dusty dry months. Afternoon storms usually skip the Bokor foothills, so 3 pm starts are safe.
Booking Tip: Hail a moto-remorque from Kampot town. Drivers know which farms allow hands-on picking. Half-day loops include Salt Field stops.
Koh Rong Samloem Snorkel & Bioluminescence Night
Seas settle after the monsoon. Visibility reaches 10 m (33 ft) at Japanese Garden reef. November nights turn dark by 6:45 pm and stay warm enough for a T-shirt float. Good for plankton glow when you splash. No moon? Even better.
Booking Tip: Stay on Saracen Bay. Long-tail boats leave at 8 pm for 45 minutes of floating. Bring a dry-bag. Waves can rise without warning.
Siem Reap Street-Food Evening Tour by Tuk-Tuk
Air cools to 79°F (26°C) after 8 pm. Vendors wheel out charcoal braziers on Sivatha Boulevard. November brings fresh river crab grilled with kaffir lime and the first rice-wine infusions. Both vanish by December's tourist increase.
Booking Tip: Join a small-group rotation that hits five stalls minimum. Pick a driver who eats with you. He knows which cart just fired up and which sat since lunch.
Where to Stay in Cambodia in November
Hand-picked hotels across price tiers for November travellers.
Public Holidays in November
Dates that affect opening hours, transport and crowds
ទិវាបុណ្យឯករាជ្យជាតិ
Known in English as National Independence Day. Observed nationwide as a public holiday.
ពិធីបុណ្យអុំទូក បណ្ដែតប្រទីប អកអំបុក និងសំពះព្រះខែ
Known in English as Water Festival. Observed nationwide as a public holiday.
ពិធីបុណ្យអុំទូក បណ្ដែតប្រទីប អកអំបុក និងសំពះព្រះខែ
Known in English as Water Festival. Observed nationwide as a public holiday.
ពិធីបុណ្យអុំទូក បណ្ដែតប្រទីប អកអំបុក និងសំពះព្រះខែ
Known in English as Water Festival. Observed nationwide as a public holiday.
ទិវាបុណ្យឯករាជ្យជាតិ
Known in English as National Independence Day. Observed nationwide as a public holiday.
ពិធីបុណ្យអុំទូក បណ្ដែតប្រទីប អកអំបុក និងសំពះព្រះខែ
Known in English as Water Festival. Observed nationwide as a public holiday.
ពិធីបុណ្យអុំទូក បណ្ដែតប្រទីប អកអំបុក និងសំពះព្រះខែ
Known in English as Water Festival. Observed nationwide as a public holiday.
ពិធីបុណ្យអុំទូក បណ្ដែតប្រទីប អកអំបុក និងសំពះព្រះខែ
Known in English as Water Festival. Observed nationwide as a public holiday.
ពិធីបុណ្យអុំទូក បណ្ដែតប្រទីប អកអំបុក និងសំពះព្រះខែ
Known in English as Water Festival. Observed nationwide as a public holiday.
ពិធីបុណ្យអុំទូក បណ្ដែតប្រទីប អកអំបុក និងសំពះព្រះខែ
Known in English as Water Festival. Observed nationwide as a public holiday.
ទិវាបុណ្យឯករាជ្យជាតិ
Known in English as National Independence Day. Observed nationwide as a public holiday.
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View Cambodia Packing List →Essential Tips
Insider knowledge and common pitfalls to avoid
Insider Knowledge
Guesthouses hike rates after 15 November once tour groups lock in Christmas bookings. Lock yours by the 10th if you are staying through month-end.
Grab drivers cancel when roads flood. Walk 100 m (330 ft) to main streets and flag passing cars. Locals charge half the tuk-tuk mafia rate.
November peppercorns are 'green'. Buy a 100 g (3.5 oz) bag from Kampot farms, freeze at home, and enjoy bright citrus heat for a year.
Temple pass lines shrink between 11 am and 1 pm while bus tours lunch. Skip one Angkor Wat sunrise and you will have Bayon almost solo.
Street-side sugar-cane juice is safest after 4 pm when carts receive fresh ice. Morning ice melts all day.
Avoid These Mistakes
Never assume 'cool season' means cold. Night buses still blast AC to 18°C (64°F) and you will shiver in shorts.
Do not skip rain insurance on motorbike rentals. A 20-minute storm can warp drum brakes and shops bill you for full replacement.
Avoid the 2 pm Angkor Wat slot. Storms arrive around 3 pm and you will sprint across open causeways with zero cover.
Skip money exchange at Poipet border. November rates there lag 5% behind Phnom Penh jewelry-shop counters.
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