Cambodia weather in June

The month of June marks the beginning of wet season in Cambodia and the country becomes less popular tourist destination. However, wet season is not as bad as the label implies because it depends on what you want to do in these countries. If you want to enjoy a quieter holiday in Cambodia, June is definitely a good time to avoid the crowds. In addition, short downpours have their own advantage of eliminating the scorching heat. Keep reading our article about Cambodia weather in June to have more confidence to visit this country without being disturbed by summer rainfalls.

From June, Waterfalls are slowly filled with water after many hot and dry months.

Cambodia Climate in June

When Cambodia gets close to June, the wet southwest monsoon is slowly established, which makes humidity reach up to 50 – 70% during day time and 80 – 90% at night time. At this time of the year, average temperature remains at 28°C and rain can be expected throughout the entire country. Thanks to the appearance of rainfalls, the fierce heat of hottest months (March and April) eases off and temperatures start to drop, making life a little more comfortable after many hot and dry months.

There are around 10 – 12 hours of sunshine per day with bright mornings. Different from most other tropical countries, the initial rains of wet season in Cambodia is very mellow and showers happen more frequently towards the middle of June. In spite of its frequency, June’s rains last no more than a couple of hours and tend to occur in the afternoon or at night.
Temperatures in Siem Reap range from 26°C to 33°C, with the forecast of 150mm precipitation during June. Phnom Penh experiences the same situation with average temperature of 29°C, and rainfall reaches 155mm.

Meanwhile Cambodia’s southern coastal beaches such as Sihanouk Ville and Kep, as well as Cardamom Mountains can experience heavy downpours because these is difference about pattern of monsoon rains in these regions. Temperatures fluctuate between 26°C and 31°C. Although the sun still dominates the sky in between the showers, Sihanouk Ville and nearby offshore islands get wet with more than 250mm of precipitation expected over the course of the month.

Suggested Places to visit in June

Many people often misunderstand the initial months of the rainy season in Cambodia. Actually, June – the start of the rainy season is a very enjoyable time to visit Cambodia with a lots of advantages. Most tourists refuse to visit during this month because they are afraid that rains will spoilt their holidays.

Thanks to downpours in June, Angkor Wat looks more stunning with fully watered moats surrounding.

Consequently, travel turns out extremely rewarding with much lower numbers of tourists, especially in the too famous Angkor Temples in Siem Reap. In some extends, these spectacular temples are more stunning in wet season with fully watered moats surrounding, which provides perfect chances to snap shots of temple reflections in the water. But sunrises and sunsets are very much a matter of luck. Don’t miss out the visit to floating villages of Tonle Sap Lake. Thanks to frequent downpours, the water level in the lake starts increasing, which allows boats transfer more conveniently and make the houses “float”.

In June, the increasing water level in Tonle Sap Lake allows boats transfer more conveniently.

In June, the rains tend to appear from middle of the month but it’s enough to turn the countryside into a lush green paradise. There is no better time than this month to visit Battambang, Kampong Thom and Kampong Cham, which are famous for their tranquility and countryside landscape. In addition, travel to and from these destinations remains easy due to relatively good infrastructure and convenient locations between two tourism hubs of Phnom Penh and Siem Reap.

Foreign students enjoy horse riding in the lush countryside of Siem Reap.

If you are travelling on a budget, it’s not difficult to find discount rates from hotel suppliers, as well as many interesting promotions in June. One additional good news is that sightseeing activities can easily be planned because the monsoon rains in June are fairly predictable and don’t last long. They help to decrease the temperature and the cloud cover provide tourists with a few hours of relief from the harsh sun. Between showers, plenty of sunshine is still expected and the decreasing numbers of tourists makes sightseeing a pleasant activity.

June’s rains don’t last in long period but enough to turn the Cambodian countryside into a lush green paradise.

However, there is a different story in rural north east regions like Ratanakiri and Mondulkiri. The downpours act like a dampener to adventure journeys and make the remote tracks become unpassable. There is high possibility to get drenched if you plan a trip to the south beaches of Kep and Sihanouk Ville, or the Cardamom Mountains as the torrential rain is a tough obstacle to overcome. But don’t feel frustrated because you can still get your sunshine packed beach vacation by taking short flight to Vietnamese beaches of Danang and Hoian, where experience sunny and dry days in summer time.

Cambodian Events in June

On 18 Jun every year, Cambodians celebrate the birthday of King Norodom Sihamoni’s mother – Queen Norodom Monineath Sihanouk. Even being an official public holiday, this occasion is a low-key holiday in Cambodia. The celebration may be held within royal family members, with dinner party to make cordial toasts to the Queen’s continued good health.
However, local people take advantage of this day off to take part in public events organized by local governments in public parks or shopping malls.

Elders may visit Buddhist temples to pray for the health of “Queen Mother”. Or tourists can get a taste of “traditional art” events on King’s Mother Birthday.