Cambodia this winter: Angkor at sunrise, then the places most people never reach
Cambodia is one of the few destinations that can be both iconic and intimate in the same trip. Most people go for Angkor, and they’re right to. But if Angkor is the whole trip, you’ve only seen the opening act. The more interesting Cambodia starts when you use the temples as your first chapter and then head somewhere almost nobody else goes. The timing is good too. Cambodia’s cool, dry season runs from roughly November to February, so you get clear skies, comfortable temperatures and green landscapes after the rains. That lines up neatly with UAE winter break, so if you’re still deciding where to go in December or January, Cambodia should be on your shortlist.
Getting there from Dubai just got easier!
Emirates now flies to Siem Reap, three times a week, via Bangkok. You leave Dubai in the morning and land in Siem Reap the same evening. You don’t have to self-connect or overnight anywhere, and Business Class is available all the way. For a long time, getting to Angkor from the UAE took a bit of planning. Now it’s simple.
Angkor, done with style (and sanity)
UNESCO describes Angkor as one of the most important archaeological sites in Southeast Asia. It holds the remains of the Khmer capitals from the 9th to the 15th centuries and covers a huge area. That scale is exactly why it needs to be planned properly.
Here’s how I build an Angkor day:
Sunrise, but not the obvious spot. Everyone heads for the same reflecting pool at Angkor Wat. A good private guide knows where to stand for the light without the crowd in your shot.
Back to the hotel by late morning. Swim, have a proper breakfast, rest through the heat of the day.
Return in the afternoon. The light changes, the tour groups thin out, and temples like Ta Prohm and the Bayon feel completely different.
Angkor isn’t somewhere to tick off. It’s a full sensory day, and you’ll enjoy it far more if you treat it that way. I usually suggest at least three nights in Siem Reap.
Where to stay in Siem Reap
Amansara: the former royal guesthouse, quiet and discreet, with Aman’s excellent temple guiding.
Raffles Grand Hotel d’Angkor: a 1930s grande dame with colonial character and beautiful gardens.
Shinta Mani Angkor: Bill Bensley design, walking distance to town, with a strong community and conservation ethos.
Phum Baitang: my hidden gem pick, with stilted villas set among rice paddies, about ten minutes from the centre.
The wild northeast: the high-end adventure most people miss.
This is the part of Cambodia I’m most excited to put in front of clients.
In the far northeast, Siem Pang Wildlife Sanctuary protects some of the rarest birds on earth. That includes the giant ibis, Cambodia’s national bird, and three species of critically endangered vulture with fewer than 150 individuals left in the world. Rangers, researchers and local communities work together to protect them every day, and the conservation here is active work, not just a label.
Siempang Forest Lodge is a small luxury glamping camp in the middle of all this, with tents, full board, wine included, river cruises on the Sekong, a bush dinner under the stars and yoga in the forest. Days are spent tracking banteng (a wild cattle species) and Siamese crocodiles with expert guides, or watching vultures feed from a hide.
I won’t pretend it’s a quick hop. It’s roughly a seven-hour drive from Siem Reap, broken up with a stop at Koh Ker. Koh Ker is a remote, jungle-wrapped temple complex that became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2023 and sees a tiny fraction of Angkor’s visitors. Three nights at the lodge makes the journey worthwhile. If you want the closest thing Cambodia has to a safari, this is it.
Prefer less time on the road? Shinta Mani Wild, another Bensley creation, is an all-inclusive tented camp in the southern Cardamom Mountains, where you arrive by zip line. It’s a different landscape and costs more, but it delivers the same feeling of being somewhere very few people get to.
Phnom Penh: two nights, done well
Phnom Penh deserves a well-paced stop at the end of the trip. There are great restaurants, riverside energy, and the chance to understand Cambodia’s story beyond the temples, including its harder chapters.
A private guide makes all the difference here, because you can go deep without feeling overwhelmed. I’d stay at the Rosewood Phnom Penh, at the top of the Vattanac Capital tower, for the views and the bar, or at Raffles Hotel Le Royal if you prefer heritage over skyline.
A 9-night Cambodia route with real variety
Nights 1–3: Siem Reap, Angkor at sunrise, the quieter temples, great food and time to breathe.
Nights 4–6: Siem Pang, northeast Cambodia. Drive out via Koh Ker, then wildlife-led days and calm evenings at the lodge.
Nights 7–9: Phnom Penh. A short domestic flight down, then history, design hotels and a proper culinary plan.
If you want Cambodia to feel seamless, I’ll build it so you get the iconic moments and the ones most travellers never hear about, without constantly packing up and checking out.
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