Phnom Penh
The Cambodian capital where the Tonle Sap meets the Mekong, a royal palace by the water, a hotel that sheltered writers and war correspondents, and a new airport south of the city since 2025.
- Arrival
- Techo International · KTI
- To the city
- About an hour to the centre by car
- Private jets
- VIP terminal at KTI, customs on site
- Best time
- December to April
The city
A capital on the rivers.
Phnom Penh spreads along the bank where the Tonle Sap joins the Mekong, with the Royal Palace and the National Museum a few streets from the water. Raffles Hotel Le Royal, a short walk away, received André Malraux and Somerset Maugham, and later the reporters who covered the Khmer Rouge years. The skyline now rises behind it: Rosewood occupies the top of a 39-storey tower, and the Shangri-La has moved to a new address on Koh Pich.
Go between December and April. January and February see less than 10 mm of rain between them, and afternoons reach 30 to 34 °C. By May the storms are back, and September and October each bring well over 200 mm.
- The Royal Palace The king's residence near the river, its Silver Pagoda within the same walls.
- The National Museum Beside the palace, the great collection of Khmer sculpture from Angkor and earlier.
- The riverfront The quay along the water where the Tonle Sap and the Mekong meet.
Arriving
Techo, south of the city.
Techo International opened in September 2025, about 20 km south of the city, and the old Phnom Penh International closed the night before. Hotels in the centre are about an hour away by car. The airport is open from 06:00 to 03:00.
- Bangkok 1 h 00
- Singapore 1 h 50
- Seoul 5 h 00
- Tokyo 6 h 00
- Abu Dhabi 7 h 25 long-range jet
When to go
December to April.
Hot all year, never far from 30 °C. Five dry months, December to April, end in the heat of March and April at 34 °C; the rains then take over until November, with October the wettest month of all.
- 32° J 6
- 32° F 8
- 34° M 29
- 34° A 68
- 34° M 166
- 33° J 156
- 32° J 149
- 32° A 162
- 31° S 245
- 31° O 263
- 30° N 115
- 30° D 27
Where to stay
Old Raffles and new towers.
Shown for information. We have no arrangement with any of these hotels.
- Rosewood Phnom Penh One hundred and seventy-five rooms high above a low-rise city, a 22-metre lap pool on the 33rd floor and the Sora bar on a cantilevered terrace.
- Raffles Hotel Le Royal Rooms and suites behind an Art Deco lobby, where Jackie Kennedy, Malraux and Maugham once stayed; the Jackie O suite is named for her.
- Shangri-La Phnom Penh Three hundred and three rooms in a three-tower complex on Koh Pich, many looking over the Mekong and the Tonle Sap, with an infinity pool above the city.
Where to dine
The best tables in town.
No MICHELIN Guide covers Cambodia. These are high-end tables listed by 50 Best Discovery, the signature restaurant of Raffles Hotel Le Royal, and a Khmer fine-dining room among the best rated on Tripadvisor.
- Topaz 50 Best Discovery French $$$$ Norodom Boulevard
- CUTS 50 Best Discovery Steakhouse $$$$ Rosewood Phnom Penh, 38th floor of Vattanac Capital Tower
- Restaurant Le Royal Signature restaurant, Raffles Hotel Le Royal Royal Khmer Raffles Hotel Le Royal, Daun Penh
- Sombok Rated 4.9 on Tripadvisor Khmer fine dining $$$$ Riverfront, on the Tonle Sap
Flying to Phnom Penh?
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A Business or First Class seat on a scheduled airline, or an aircraft of your own. Tell us the date and how many are travelling, and we reply with one final price, our margin included.