Covering a land area of 181,035 square kilometers, Cambodia is divided into 21 provinces. It is bordered to Laos in the north, Thailand in the north and the west and Vietnam in the East and south. Its south and southwest coastlines are 435 kilometers and face the Gulf of Thailand.

Much of Cambodia is flat with fertile lands, making it one of the main rice producers in the region. The country has three small mountain ranges; the Dangrek Mountains, the Cardamons and the Damrei Mountains. The former two are near Thailand border in the southwest while the last one, which is also called the Elephant Mountains, is southeast of Phnom Penh. Most of beautiful scenery in Cambodia includes vast green rice fields dotted with tilting palm trees and simple thatched roof houses of peasants.

Another significant feature of Cambodia’s geography is Tonle Sap Lake. This extraordinary lake stretches northwest from the ‘Chaktomuk’ confluence in Phnom Penh to Siem Reap. It is the largest fresh water lake in Southeast Asia, serving as a lifeline of millions of Cambodian populations. Its main water supply is the Mekhong River. During the wet season from June to September, the Mekhong River swells with a massive amount of waters to the point that it reserves the flow of the Tonle Sap River back upriver to the inner area of the Tonle Sap lake for about 120 kilometers. The lake is believed to expand as much as 12,000 square kilometers during this period. The water starts to shrink at the beginning of the dry season to the size of just 2,500 square kilometers. This phenomenon supports a rich and diverse eco-system. There are more than 1000 varieties of water birds, 200 species of fish and other animals inhabiting in the lake. Numerous floating villages of stilted houses are also part of the life in this great lake.

The lake is about 15 kilometers south of Siem Reap. The ferries from Phnom Penh drop their passengers at the Chong Khneas village here. Boat tours to see the culture and wildlife of the lake are also possible.

Climate and Seasons
As a tropical country, Cambodia is warm and wet throughout the year. The average temperature is around 25 degree centigrade (77 degree Fahrenheit). To be more specific, there are 4 seasons in this country.

1. The cool and dry season (November – February) – it is considered the best time to visit Cambodia.
2. The hot and dry season (March – May) – It is hot and humid during the day. It is warm at night. The temperature is about 35 ‘C in one of the hottest days.
3. The hot and wet season (June – August) – This is the beginning of the rainy season. You will see sunshine in most of the days but it gets wet unexpectedly on some days.
4. The cool and wet season (September – October) – This is the rainy season period. During this time, the sky is usually clear in the morning while rain will come in the afternoon.