Siem Reap · Month comparison

May vs November

November ranks #1 overall vs May at #10. Dry season begins — the best value month; Angkor accessible, lush from the rains, and growing.

Siem Reap May — a traveller explores Ta Prohm's ancient temple under a canopy of massive fig tree roots as the rains arrive

May

#10 of 12 months

Strong option

Monsoon begins — heavy rain but temples lush and green; emptier and cheaper.

  • ↑Prices dropping 25–35% below peak season: budget guesthouses near Pub Street at under US$15, mid-range riverside properties at US$30–50 per night
  • ↑Angkor's temple complex goes strikingly green: the moats fill, the jungle around Ta Prohm floods with lush growth, and the stone-and-foliage combination is more dramatic than the dry season
Siem Reap November — Angkor Wat at blue-hour dawn, the dry season returning with the temple reflected in the full moat

November

#1 of 12 months

Best match

Dry season begins — the best value month; Angkor accessible, lush from the rains, and growing.

  • ↑The most underrated month in Siem Reap: dry season conditions returning, temples still green and atmospheric from the rains, and accommodation at shoulder prices
  • ↑Bon Om Touk Water Festival (if not in October): the boat racing on the Siem Reap River and the fireworks over Angkor are the most spectacular free event in Cambodia
FactorMayNovember
Weather score
5
8
Value score
7
6
Crowd score
7
6
Events score
3
6
Atmosphere
6
8
Avg high temp34°C29°C
Monthly rain130mm60mm
Daily sunshine7hrs8hrs

May trade-offs

  • ↓130mm of rain, mostly heavy afternoon downpours: sunrise at Angkor Wat is less reliable and sometimes cloud-obscured; bring a waterproof outer layer for afternoon temple touring
  • ↓Paths inside some temple complexes can become muddy and slippery in heavy rain: less suitable for elderly visitors or young children
  • ↓Some remote temples on unpaved roads become difficult to reach in the worst rain weeks; access limited to paved-road complexes

November trade-offs

  • ↓Early November still transitional: rain can return for multi-day stretches, particularly in the first week as the dry season is not yet fully established
  • ↓Visitor numbers rising toward December peak: Siem Reap's Pub Street, riverside restaurants, and tuk-tuk drivers at higher demand than September
  • ↓Water Festival timing uncertainty: planning around it requires checking the lunar calendar date each year
See all 12 months for Siem Reap →May in detail →November in detail →
Scores compare months within Siem Reap. Climate data: Open Meteo ERA5 30-year normals (1991–2020). Methodology →