1 week in Cambodia with a 6 yr old!
 

Hi folks,

My husband and I are going to Cambodia for the first time and bringing our 6 year old daughter. We only have 7 1/2 days and are then going on to Thailand. I am hoping to get a bit of feedback on my itinerary -- thoughts/ideas/suggestions all welcome. Also, budget to mid-range hotel suggestions would be great. Thanks!

Arrive in PP on Oct 29. We are looking to stay at Billabong, VMansion or The 252 -- all seem to have family rooms. We arrive in the am so was thinking we would explore a tiny bit (maybe Wat Phnom or the Russian Market) but mostly stay at the pool and recover from the long flight from Canada. And a meal at Friends the Restaurant.

With our one full day in PP, were going to head to Phnom Tamao wildlife sanctuary - was thinking going with a tour would be best to make it easy... looking at Betel Nut Tours. (not thinking of going to Tuol Sleng or S21 just because I think it may be too much for our 6 yr, old)

For our second 1/2 day was thinking of maybe just walking around the city or taking a cruise with Phocea Mekon. Any thoughts?

We will have 5 full days to play with in or around Siem Reap. I was thinking the following:

Angkor Wat - thinking we should get a guide for a 1/2 day tour -- thoughts? Any suggestions of companies?
Angkor Thom - is a guide a good idea?
Other temples we should make sure to see (given that we have a 6 year old with us?)

Phare Circus - was going to book on our own and then take a tuk tuk or taxi
Ox cart tour with buffalotrails OR Tour with Bees Unlimited – Discover Cambodia tour (Any thoughts on these two? Other interesting tours that you would recommend?)

Was also thinking we could take a day trip to either Lake Tonle Sap (Kampong Phluk) or to Battambang -- was thinking we should not do both so we have 4 full days in Siem Reap... Does that make sense to folks? Recognizing they are both very different, any suggestions for Tonle Sap vs. Battambang or do you think it is worth doing both and having only 3 days in Siem Reap?

Thanks in advance for your suggestions. We are so excited to head to SE Asia!

To prepare for your trip to Angkor, get a copy of Dawn Rooney's book, Angkor: A Guide to Cambodia's Wondrous Temples. This will help you understand the history and will help you decide which temples are must-see for you. We didn't use guides at all, just hired a driver and made arrangements with him about where to drop us off, where to pick us up at each temple. If you think you won't be able to find the famous "Churning of the Sea of Milk" relief at Angkor, you could engage a guide, but we found it easy to find with the help of Dawn Rooney's book.

If you want a guide, ask your hotel or guesthouse to recommend one - I wouldn't use a company, just an individual guide. And you don't need any tours.

I wouldn't do any day trips from Siem Reap except to outlying temples. I know some people love visiting Tonele Sap, but I felt it was wasted time for us.

The traditional way to visit the temples is to go out at dawn, stay out until maybe 11, go back to your hotel for a dip in the pool and lunch, then go back out about 3 pm. This keeps you out of the worst heat of the day and can help prevent temple overload. Your 6 year old will appreciate it as well.

Enjoy your trip!

There will be children selling trinkets outside Ankor Wat, phyically aggressive. You may want to carry your six yr old then. These poor kids are kept out of school to work. Very sad.

@ Kathie - I looked on Amazon.ca and the book is over $100 US. Do you think it is worth that amount or would it be better to use an individual guide?

@Happy Trvlr -- that is a great suggestion. Thank you.

Yipes! It must be out of print. You can find it in your local used bookstore for $5 or less. Or take a look at your local library - they likely have one of the editions of the book. I think one is always well-advised to read before you go.

Another thing to consider while you are there is volunteering for the PLF for a morning or buying breakfast for children through the PLF. www.thePLF.com The woman (Lori) who started this wonderful charity is a Fodorite. Many Fodorites have volunteered at the PLF and have written about their heartwarming experiences. The focus of the PLF is supporting children to go to school.

@Kathie -- LOVE the idea of PLF -- I was looking for some way that we could ethically "give back" while travelling. Thanks!

Wonderful! And it will be a great experience for your 6 year old!

Inexpensive but very clean lodging at Seven Candles Guesthouse -owned and operated by the Ly family.

Alisa, when you hire a car and/or a driver to see the temples, it's usually for the day. You will see Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom, and any others you like or that your guide takes you to.
The temple kids can be aggressive in trying to sell something, but will not be physically aggressive toward your child. The kids are usually pretty bored, and might enjoy talking to your kid.

There are other fun things to do in SR. You can watch the bats in the trees take off at dusk. Go a little early to watch them all wake up and start socializing as well. Go horseback riding at Happy ranch, visit the museum, do some shopping in the old market. It will be hot, so go early, or go to the main night market. Take random of tuk tuk rides. They're only $2 a ride in town (don't believe the driver if he quotes $5, and kids love them. Swim in a pool. Go out to a rice field and watch people planting or harvesting.

Check with the plf.org to see if you can teach a craft or a dance at school. Bring extra supplies for yourselves and your driver or the teacher, as they like doing things and can help. It's easier if you bag up the supplies for each child so you don't spend time having to ration things on the spot. No electricity, so make it simple. If it involves paint, be aware the humidity may slow down drying tomes. The kids love making masks, jewelry, snacks, greeting cards, weaving, puppets, and fun science demos, scavenger hunts or making simple music or noisemakers. There are crayons, markers, scissors, so you can plan on using those, though you'll want a few pairs of better scissors if precision or fabric is involved.

What month will you be there?

@lcuy - Thanks for the great advice! We will be in Cambodia the first week of November! Can't wait.

@Kathie - we just booked 7 candles! Thanks for the suggestion!

I would choose Battambang over Tonle Sap but it is not a day trip from Siem Reap as it is about 5 hours by bus or a little less by taxi. There is a lot to see there, temples, the Bat caves and I am sure your six year old would love the bamboo railway. Some photos and more info can be found on the cambodia section of our blog @ https://accidentalnomads.com/category/cambodia/ . I would consider spending a couple of nights there as it is roughly halfway between PP and SR. Mekong Express provides a very good luxury minibus service.

Seven Candles is a great choice for Siem Reap. We spent a week there last year. Some very nice restaurants close by including the specialist ANT restaurant - the beef in red ant sauce was much nicer than it sounds!

In PP we stayed in few places but Villa Boraan was the nicest and is in a great location.

Friends restaurant in PP is great and in a good cause.Great food. I think they now have a few outlets. To get around PP it is worth hiring a tuk tuk or taxi for the day. A tuk tuk costs around $20 a taxi a bit more. Worth seeking out an English speaking driver. Ours had some fascinating tales to tell!

Re Angkor. We visited for the third time last year to take my wife's parents there and found that a day was enough to get a taste of the temples. It can get very hot and crowded. A decent guide driver can make all the difference. Some prefer the aircon of a car but if personally I prefer the tuk tuk option. I would maybe consider losing a day or two there in favour of Battambang.