As the vaccine rollout strengthens, Cambodia is, at last, looking towards re-opening its borders for tourism.
The Cambodian ministry of tourism announced plans to relax travel restrictions for foreigners from November. To further entice tourists, the country is also looking at reducing its current quarantine time of 14-days, or, even removing it entirely. At this stage, it appears that the re-opening plan will only permit fully vaccinated travellers to visit the country. As yet, no further details have been announced.
Cambodia is rapidly outpacing its neighbours in the vaccination race – according to figures from Our World in Data, the country has vaccinated 54,6% of its population. Thailand, and Vietnam are lagging behind with 11,2% and 3,6% respectively. It’s no surprise then, that these positive numbers have brought the possibility of re-opening to leisure travel to the fore. In fact, Cambodia’s vaccine rollout has been so fast-paced, it’s the second highest in Southeast Asia, beaten only by Singapore, which is currently at 79,1% of the population vaccinated. Currently, Cambodia’s capital city, Phnom Penh is the most vaccinated city in Southeast Asia. The country’s goal is to reach herd immunity by the end of September when roughly 75% of the population will have received both jabs.
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When to visit?
For foreigners eager to explore the temples of Angkor Wat, or kick back on a beautiful beach, then Cambodia‘s re-opening couldn’t be better timed. The wet season tends to run between May and October, so by then, the seasonal monsoon cycle should be over. The dry season runs from November to April, and December and January are the coolest months. With daily average temperatures sitting in the mid-20oC’s the end of the year is ideal for a beach escape. So, whether you want to snooze on the beaches of Saracen Bay, or hack through the rainforests in the Cardamom Mountains, Cambodia will soon be a bucket-list possibility once more.