One of the most common questions we receive from travellers planning a visit to Stung Treng is: when should I come? The honest answer is that both seasons offer something genuinely worth seeing — but they offer very different things. The right time depends entirely on what you are looking for.
Unlike many Southeast Asian destinations where the wet season is simply something to avoid, Stung Treng's wet season transforms the landscape into something extraordinary. The flooded forests, the swollen rivers, the roaring waterfalls — all of these are at their most dramatic when the rains are heavy. At the same time, the dry season brings comfort, clarity, and the kind of long, golden mornings on the river that photographers dream about.
Here is an honest, month-by-month breakdown from people who live here year-round.
The Dry Season — November to May
November to February is the peak season and the most popular time to visit Cambodia generally. Temperatures in Stung Treng are comfortable — typically 25–32°C during the day — with low humidity and almost no rainfall. The skies are clear, the river is calm, and mornings on the water are cool and luminous. This is the best time for photography, for comfortable trekking to the waterfalls, and for travellers who prefer predictable weather.
The flooded forests in the dry season have a different but equally compelling character. The water level is lower, channels are narrower, and the forest floor is partially visible — you can see the root systems of the trees, the exposed riverbanks, and the sandbars that emerge mid-river. Wildlife is concentrated around the remaining water sources, which can actually make birdwatching more productive.
March and April are the hot season. Temperatures climb to 35–38°C and humidity rises. It is genuinely hot — noticeably more so than November or December. That said, the river provides natural cooling, and early morning tours (which we always recommend regardless of season) are very manageable. The waterfalls are still running well in March. By April they begin to slow as the dry season reaches its end.
"The wet season transforms the landscape into something extraordinary. The flooded forests reach their peak — and so do the waterfalls."
The Wet Season — June to October
May and June mark the beginning of the rains. Showers arrive in the afternoon at first, then become longer and more frequent. The river begins to rise. By June, the waterfalls — which may have been modest in April — are thundering. This is one of the most spectacular times to visit the falls, when the volume of water is enormous and the spray fills the air for hundreds of metres.
July, August, and September are the peak wet season. Rain can be heavy and prolonged, though it rarely rains all day — mornings are often clear and tours run normally. The Mekong rises to its highest levels, filling the flooded forests completely. The landscape becomes extraordinary — the river is wide, powerful, and brown with sediment, and the forest channels are deep and navigable far inland. For travellers who have seen the dry-season river and want to return for something completely different, this is the time.
October is the transition month — still wet but beginning to clear. The river is at its highest point early in the month, then gradually begins to fall. Waterfalls are still magnificent. The flooded forests are still fully submerged. Skies begin to clear more reliably toward the end of the month, making late October one of the most interesting times of the entire year — you get some of the dramatic wet-season scenery with improving weather conditions.
Month by Month at a Glance
- 🌤 November – February: Peak season. Cool, dry, clear. Best comfort and photography.
- ☀️ March – April: Hot season. Manageable with early starts. Waterfalls slowing.
- 🌦 May – June: Rains begin. Waterfalls at their most powerful. River rising.
- 🌧 July – September: Full wet season. Flooded forests at peak. Dramatic scenery.
- 🌤 October: Transition. High river, improving skies. Underrated month to visit.
What About the Waterfalls?
This is where the wet season has an unambiguous advantage. The waterfalls of Stung Treng Province are fed directly by seasonal rainfall. In the dry season — particularly March and April — they can be reduced to a modest flow. Beautiful, but not thundering.
In the wet season, particularly June through September, they are completely transformed. The volume of water is enormous, the sound is deafening from a distance, and the spray creates its own microclimate of mist and cool air. Swimming beneath them in the wet season is one of the most exhilarating experiences Stung Treng offers.
If seeing the waterfalls at their most dramatic is your priority, visit between June and September. If comfortable trekking conditions matter more, November to February is your window.
Our Honest Recommendation
For most travellers — particularly those visiting Cambodia for the first time — November to February is the safest choice. The weather is reliable, everything is accessible, and the experience is consistently excellent.
For travellers who have some Cambodia experience and want something different — or who are specifically interested in the flooded forests and the waterfalls at their most dramatic — late September to October is a genuinely special window that very few visitors know about.
What we can tell you with certainty is this: there is no bad time to visit Stung Treng. Every season has its own character. We run tours year-round and we have never had a guest leave disappointed, regardless of when they arrived.