Cambodia — Angkor Wat, Phnom Penh and the southern coast — is most often visited as part of a wider Southeast Asia trip alongside Thailand and Vietnam. That’s worth flagging at your consult, because a multi-country itinerary can change what you need.
This guide covers the vaccinations and precautions Australians should consider for Cambodia. It is general information only and depends on your itinerary and health history.
Do you need vaccinations to travel to Cambodia?
No vaccinations are required for most Australians (a yellow fever certificate is only needed if arriving from a yellow fever country). The vaccines below are recommended for your own protection.
Recommended vaccinations for Cambodia
For almost every traveller
- Hepatitis A — food- and water-borne; recommended for nearly all travellers.
- Typhoid — recommended for essentially all travellers to Cambodia.
- Routine vaccines — tetanus, diphtheria, whooping cough, MMR (measles) and seasonal flu should be current.
Depending on your trip
- Rabies — a genuine risk; worth discussing for rural travel, animal contact or children (see below).
- Hepatitis B — for longer stays or possible medical, tattoo or personal exposures.
- Japanese encephalitis — endemic in Cambodia; considered for longer or rural stays in agricultural areas.
- Chikungunya — considered for some travellers depending on itinerary and length of stay.
- Cholera — occasionally recommended for higher-risk itineraries.
- Dengue — worth discussing for travellers to Cambodia, particularly given this year’s outbreak (see below). Suitability of the vaccine depends on your age and prior dengue history.
Rabies and Japanese encephalitis
Rabies is present and almost always fatal once symptoms appear; a pre-exposure vaccine is worth discussing if you’ll be around animals, in rural areas, or travelling with children. Japanese encephalitis is endemic in rural rice-growing areas, so the vaccine is commonly considered for longer or rural stays.
Malaria and dengue
Malaria risk in Cambodia is mainly in rural and forested areas, including some border regions, and no antimalarial tablets are needed for Phnom Penh, Siem Reap and the main Angkor temples, or Mekong River cruises. Whether you need antimalarial tablets depends on your itinerary — this is an itinerary-by-itinerary decision.
Dengue is widespread and peaks in the wet season — and Cambodia has had a significant dengue outbreak in 2026, with case numbers through the middle of the year running around three times the usual level. The outbreak appears to have passed its peak, but dengue vaccination is worth discussing at your consult depending on your trip and dengue history, and mosquito-bite prevention is essential: repellent with DEET or picaridin, long loose clothing, and screened or air-conditioned rooms. The mosquitoes that spread dengue bite through the day, especially early morning and late afternoon. Ask a travel doctor whether the dengue vaccine (Qdenga) suits you, and read our guide to the dengue vaccine for who it is recommended for.
Food and water
Travellers’ diarrhoea is common. Drink sealed bottled or boiled water, be cautious with ice and raw foods, and choose busy outlets. A travel doctor can prescribe a treatment kit to carry.
Travel note (October 2026): heavy rain since late September 2026 has caused flooding across Cambodia, including Phnom Penh, with Battambang and Siem Reap provinces worst affected and transport disrupted. If Siem Reap and Angkor are on your plans, check Smartraveller and local advice before you go, avoid floodwater (it raises the risk of leptospirosis), and be extra careful with food and drinking water.
When to see a travel doctor
Book your consultation 6 to 8 weeks before you fly, and mention any other countries on your trip so your plan covers the whole itinerary.
At Travel Doctors Brisbane in Bulimba, we tailor recommendations to your exact Cambodia (and multi-country) itinerary, prescribe what you need, and issue yellow fever certificates where required. See our Cambodia destination health advice, browse our travel health services, and book your consultation.
This article is general information only and was reviewed against our subscription travel health database in October 2026. It does not replace personalised medical advice. Vaccination needs and disease risks change and depend on your itinerary, season, length of stay and health history — always confirm with a travel health professional and Smartraveller before you travel.