Hello
I am planning a trip to Cambodia this year. I have 10 days to spare and my plan is to visit Cambodia and another country near by perhaps either Thailand or Malaysia or somewhere near to Cambodia. What other countries would people recommend and would 10 days be enough? I was thinking of spending 5/6 off these days in Cambodia?
Which cities are worth visiting in Cambodia and is it a good choice for solo travelers?
Which is the best time to go?
Any advise would be great
Thanks
You need 2-3 full days for Siem Reap, depending on your appetite for temples. Phnom Penh was not my favorite city in SE Asia, but the Khmer Rouge sites are chilling and powerful. I went to Sihanoukville too, but I would put it much lower on the list of Southeast Asian beaches to visit than those of Thailand.
With only 10 days, I'd focus on Siem Reap and one other destination in SE Asia. Northern Vietnam is a good stop with your limited time. Siem Reap, Hanoi, Halong Bay, and possibly Sapa could make a good 10 day trip. If those don't sound appealing, a quick stop on a Thai beach or a few days in Chiang Mai might be of interest. Look for deals with the budget airlines.
Summer is rainy reason on the mainland. Just something to consider.
10 days...for me,2 or 3 destinations max.
They could be all in the same country (eg Siem Reap.Battambang and PP for example)....or spread over a couple of countries (obviously then you will be flying more and spending more on transport).
Best time to visit depends on what you want to do I guess...probably December/January for the weather.Of course that is high season so things are busier,and prices are higher......
with 10 days, i would also not try to do and include too much, as posted above. 3 destinations is the absolute maximum i would do with 10 days.
i'm into temples and history, and 4 days in siem reap would be my minimum. but i realise that a lot of people are probably okay with 2-3 days there. phnom penh is a must in cambodia imo for the horrible not so distant history of the khmer rouge regime. the killing fields and s-21 are not pleasant places to visit, but are memorable places.
you could easily spend 10 days (and much more) "only" in cambodia.
if you really want to include a few days in another country, thailand is your obvious choice. most flights to cambodia will go via thailand. and with your limited time frame, you dont want to waste time to travel from a to b.
Prices are not significantly higher in Cambodia for high season, except maybe in downtown Siem Reap, I'm not sure about that, but otherwise it's not an issue, like it is on the thai beaches. The best time to visit is definitely November - February. Starting March it gets extremely hot which makes it difficult to do anything during the day, and then the rains come bringing even more humidity to the heat. November-February on the other hand is pleasant. As for which countries to visit, they're all very different and all interesting, so you should do some research and decide which one you're interested in. Asking people here you're just getting random people's personal opinions. The only place I would recommend avoiding in SEA if you're looking for an authentic experience is the major beach sites of Thailand, since they are in no way an authentic experience.
You can't burn out one country in ten days, especially if you consider travel time which is much slower than it is in your home country. Stay in Cambodia for that short period of time. As for x amount of time here or there it is your decision.on the basis of what you are experiencing not what travel books or contributors to this forum recommend.
10 days is really not very long and I would personally spend all of it Cambodia.
It would be enough time to go Siem Reap - Phnom Penh - Kampot - Phnom Penh...OR...Siem Reap - Battambang - Phnom Penh. That will give you a nice mix between city and country. It is most convenient if you can fly into Siem Reap and out of Phnom Penh or vice versa.
