The Cambodian coast has two faces, and choosing between them is most of the work of planning a trip. The dry season brings the postcard weather and the crowds; the green season brings the rain, the discounts and a landscape at its most alive. Neither is wrong. It depends on what you are after.
The dry season, roughly November to April
This is the coast at its most reliable. The skies are mostly clear, the sea is calm and the islands are at their picture-book best, which is exactly why this is high season. Prices climb, the popular beaches fill, and the festive weeks around the new year are busiest of all. If you want guaranteed sun and easy boat crossings, and do not mind company, these are the months.
The green season, roughly May to October
The rains turn the mainland a vivid green and send the crowds home. It rarely rains all day; the pattern is more often clear mornings and a heavy afternoon downpour that clears as fast as it came. The sea can be rougher, some island boats run less often, and a few places close, but the rewards are real, lower prices, emptier beaches, full waterfalls and a coast that feels like your own.
The shoulders
The edges of the seasons, roughly late October into November and April into May, are often the sweet spot, warm and largely dry but without the peak crush and prices. The landscape is still green from the rains, the sea is settling, and you get much of the best of both worlds.
How to be here
For sun and certainty, come in the dry months and book ahead. For value, greenery and quiet, come in the green season and stay flexible with the island boats. Whenever you come, build in a spare day for the weather, and treat a rained-out afternoon as permission to do exactly nothing.