Should you attempt to visit the world’s largest temple complex with toddlers and young kids?
I knew that exploring the lost city of Angkor with small people was never going to be easy.
Visiting Angkor Wat has been on my bucket list for much of my adult life. I have marvelled at stunning photographs and been awed by the history and mystic of Angkor.
We’ve become pretty experienced family travellers these past few years; we’ve adjusted expectations; we know pretty well where breaking points are likely to occur, but I won’t deny it – taking 3 children (a 6, 3 and 1-year-old) to Cambodia was tough going.
Tackling the Angkor Temples with them, perhaps a step too far.
Let’s wind the clock back a bit though and look at the challenge that stands in front when planning an epic trip like this. What should families think about beforehand? Is it OK to do something for yourself instead of the kids? And in what circumstance would I recommend you leave the kids behind.
Yes, the Globetrotters have found a breaking point.
What exactly is Angkor Wat & the Angkor Temples?
First, let’s take a quick step back if you know Angkor Wat by image and by name and little more. Angkor Wat is, in fact, one of many temples and structures in modern-day Cambodia that made up the ancient city of Angkor – part of the vast Khmer Empire.
Even to this day, it is still the largest stone structure in the world and the largest religious structure. To put it in perspective, the ancient city of Angkor would have been larger than modern-day Paris and contained more stone than the Pyramids of Giza.
In the 12th century, the Khmer Empire covered most of South East Asia, yet with little written records from this era, the ancient city of Angkor mysteriously disappeared around 500 years ago.
It’s believed around 1860 the city was rediscovered and over the last century, restorative projects have been undertaken to try and uncover the stories of its past.
Since 1992 the Angkor Archaeological Park has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The nearest modern-day town to the ancient city is Siem Reap, situated approximately 6kms to the south where most tourists base themselves for exploration of this vast archaeological site.
The most famous, and intact of the temples is Angkor Wat (“Heaven on Earth”) with the other popular options for exploration being the ancient city of Angkor Thom and the Bayon Temple (where people and Gods co-existed) and Ta Prohm – probably the most intriguing temple with its overgrown tree roots engulfing the temple that once lay beneath.
There are dozens of other smaller temples to explore within the 400sq mile park. There is a myriad of transport options from cycling to private hire cars or buses to get around the temple complex, but for the best experience, hiring a tuk-tuk driver for the day or morning/evening is the best way to go to soak up the atmosphere.
So there are the absolute basics, now as for brining the kids…
Why we left our kids behind exploring the Angkor Temples
We DID take our children with us on the first evening to explore Angkor Wat at sunset. It’s a moment I had looked forward to with such anticipation and certainly, the size and scale of it all cannot fail to impress! It was really here, pinch me a minute!
But then did I mention the hundreds, no probably thousands of other tourists there soaking it in too, argh!!
Forget that dreamy photo with any sort of sun reflection happening off the lake (swamp), it ain’t going to happen.
My sheer hatred of the selfie stick hit an all-time high… My 3-year-old’s whining started from the moment he got off the tuk-tuk, no amount of placating about the heat, walking, hunger – or whatever today’s issue was could console him.
My 6-year-old daughter, on the other hand, was as in awe as I was. She wanted to draw EVERYTHING! Which was brilliant, so excited to see her trying to get involved, but of course this meant it took us forever to walk from A to B, mind the selfie sticks and control the throngs of crowds who wanted to be photographed WITH our children (hey look people, ancient temple, cool huh? no blonde-haired children apparently rocked their world more).
As for the 1-year-old; wide spaces, big crowds, steep drops and open bodies of water… need I say more.
So, with that first experience in mind, we made the bold call to explore the rest of Angkor the following day without them, safely leaving them in the care of the hotel kids club – where they made new friends and had an absolute ball without us!
HINT: If you purchase your 1-day ticket before sunset (after 4.30pm) you get that evening for free; your ticket only becomes valid the following day so you can technically squeeze in a day and a half of exploring on the one day ticket!
It was probably the best decision of our entire Cambodia trip we made!
Not only did hubby and I get some alone time without the whining and constant attention-craving that can ensue when you’re travelling, but we could also do it all at our own pace.
I was able to stop, take photographs and not constantly fear for my children’s safety, something which was forever prevalent for me on this trip.
Still want to take the kids to the Angkor Temples?
Good on you! Braver than we are for sure – please do be conscious of ages though and whether you are doing it for them or for you.
For the littlies, it’s NOT stroller friendly at all! Infants will be best carried in a baby carrier like an Ergobaby, or larger toddlers you may want a more structured toddler carrier.
Whilst slightly older children will enjoy exploring the passageways and rambling over ruins – particularly Ta Prohm which is still engulfed by enormous tree roots – its HARD WORK.
Allow lots of time for rest breaks and careful of the steep drops. My recommended minimum age would be 5/6 years old to truly appreciate it, but each to their own; you and your children may have way more patience and tolerance for heat, crowds and history than ours do.
Additional temple exploring pointers
You need to be a little bit fit. We found a lot of the steps to be very steep. Mr Globetrotter pointed out that many of the staircases now had additional wooden steps added, and safety rails put in that didn’t exist 10 years ago – they are still quite steep and precarious. I would definitely advise against small children and preggies doing a lot of the temple climbing.- It’s super busy. He also noted that the tourist numbers had probably quadrupled too – you cannot move for a selfie stick or someone awkwardly being in your way so a bucket load of patience is needed if you want to take nice photos. From our observation, there was no “best time of day” to go to avoid it. We were pre-warned how ridiculously busy it was at dawn so with our poorly bellies anyway avoided this experience, but by noon and the heat of the day it was still thriving everywhere.
- Go early or late. So based on the fact it’s busy whenever you go, still aim for early in the day, even if you’re not going for 5am opening to beat the worst of the heat. If you come later in the day too around closing, you may even get a people-free shot as they move the crowds away.
- Show some respect. It is still a religious site so do bring something to cover shoulders and knees (not just a pashmina) – I saw some tourists being denied entry wearing these and they were far from polite to the security guards doing their job. Kids are fine to dress for the weather.
- Drink! If anyone offers you water at any point – take it! It’s seriously hot work and very easy to get dehydrated. There are vendors frequently spotted around and our tuk-tuk driver had his own supplies for us.
- Slip, Slop, Slap! Definitely apply the sunscreen before you go and take a hat. There’s a lot of walking about in the sun without shelter – though Ta Prohm offers a little more shade than the others, Angkor Wat and Angkor Thom are pretty exposed.
- Hire a guide. As we were being flexible with our timings and arrangements, we did not – though in retrospect I regret this. Those looking for a much deeper educational experience (no doubt with children who have much longer attention spans than ours!) then this is the thoroughly recommended way to explore and learn. The guides we overheard with other groups were thoroughly knowledgeable and will give you much greater insight, nothing around the sites is really otherwise signposted.
- Be firm with vendors. The street sellers and begging can be relentless. Yes, the children selling postcards can be quite adorable and you feel for them, but there are SO many advisories telling you not to give them money and perpetuate the poverty cycle. The older vendors can be just plain rude, they will physically grab you, or the kids, trying to get you to buy from them. An unpleasant side effect of what mass tourism has brought with it.
(There are plenty of local charities to give your money to if you want to support the children; inquire at your hotel and do your research first. Check out this guide for other socially responsible ways you can give back while in Cambodia.)
Know before you go – Angkor Wat & the Khmer Empire
There’s a lot to explore once you are at Angkor and it can be overwhelming, especially if you are simultaneously toddler wrangling!
I found it helpful to learn a little more about the temples before starting our trip – older kids (and grown-ups!) I’m sure will love watching Indiana Jones & Tomb Raider – though sadly there’s no extensive labyrinth of caves underneath to explore!
For more about the ancient city, I found this National Geographic clip a great insight.
And well worth checking out this documentary Angkor Wat – Land of the Gods (2 parts)
I won’t pretend my kids actually sat and watched these with me, but I personally found them fascinating! And yes, I did a refresher course on Tomb Raider on the plane over!
Siem Reap with Kids – Exploring around town
Taking a look back into the town of Siem Reap itself, it was foolish not to book at least another day or two here (we only had 3 days total). I think I read all the wrong reviews that the city itself was nothing much, it was sleazy in parts, but we simply did not see this; nor did we get a chance to visit Tonle Sap or further afield.
Compared to our arrival into other south-east Asian cities, Siem Reap didn’t have that same frantic pace, the constant beeping, the roar of motorcycles and tuk-tuks; it really felt more relaxed.
The airport road is a big wide boulevard, lined with luxury hotels and buffet restaurants (big business apparently with the tour groups). Notable to us too, was the lack of rubbish on the side of the road compared to other parts of Cambodia.
It’s clear considerable effort has gone into creating a beautiful cityscape here – no doubt with the aim of attracting more tourists.
Pub Street – the main bar and restaurant district in the centre of town – came across in prior reading as having a bad reputation. We were very pleasantly surprised then by what we got. We visited several times in the afternoon and early evening and found it to be completely family-friendly.
Of course, we’re not staying out late with the raving crowd – Mr Globetrotter got quite a different perspective on the city when we walked around as a single gent later at night! Yeah, lots of things might be stated as illegal in Cambodia, but….
For shopping and souvenirs, the Old Market probably has the best selection – everything from fresh foods and spices to the usual clothing, bags, art, and hardware. We thought it was only open day times but was still trading each time we walked past in the early evenings.
Separately there is also the Art Market across the Siem Reap River open from early evenings – a bit more modern and nice and wide – it fit the double stroller! Despite the name, it sells a mixture of everything – tucked right at the back are a number of art stores if you’re looking for a painting or keepsake.
There are several other Siem Reap night markets spotted around town, but same-same.
If you are travelling with slightly older kids, there’s a huge range of activities beyond just the temples that you might want to check out – Go Live Young has a great selection of ideas from cooking classes to floating markets you could add to an itinerary around Siem Reap.
Food & kids supplies in Siem Reap
We could get hold of things like nappies and wipes OK, but our toddler son did not like the milk at all, even the carton imported stuff he rejected – I should have bought some infant formula.
They do have all variety of packaged snack foods but most we did not recognise or understand what was in them and the kids didn’t like them.
Compared to other parts of Cambodia, Siem Reap is very much geared to tourists and menus everywhere will be in English along with Western dining options.
Siem Reap with Kids – How we did it
Getting to and from Siem Reap
We arrived via a domestic flight from Sihanoukville on the western coast to Siem Reap.
At our time of travel (April 2016), there was a once a day Cambodia Air service in the late afternoon that takes about 45 minutes in a small aircraft. It was a little turbulent which normally wouldn’t have caused us an issue, except we were all miserably sick that day!
To go by road in comparison takes about 12 hours; 6 hours to Phnom Penh where you either change bus or connecting passengers get on and off. Although some of these services are luxury coaches – the idea of 12 hours on a bus (let alone with poorly kids) was far from appealing; we sacrificed for the significant extra cost ($433USD) to save on pain and time.
We returned home from Siem Reap to Ho Chi Minh City with Vietnam Air (operated by Cambodia Air). For a family of five (2 children, 1 infant) the total airfare was $488USD. Again a little pricey but significantly easier than driving which would take well over a day.
We originally entered Cambodia from Phnom Penh and pre-purchased our Visa’s online which took less than 24 hours. All we needed to do was present the print outs as we crossed the border, no lining for Visas.
You can fly between Siem Reap and Phnom Penh if you’d prefer not to take the 6-hour bus. There are also good connections between Siem Reap and Bangkok, flying and by bus. There’s a great detailed guide here on how to catch the bus from Bangkok to Siem Reap.
Family-friendly accommodation in Siem Reap
There are plenty of family-friendly accommodation options to suit all budgets in Siem Reap. We stayed at the beautiful French Colonial style Victoria Angkor Resort & Spa in the centre of Siem Reap.
It was the only luxury hotel stop we made for the trip around Cambodia, and boy was it well needed and appreciated! Here’s our full review of our experience at Victoria Angkor Siem Reap.
With the heat and kids it was slightly beyond walking distance for us into town, but only an easy $2USD tuk-tuk ride away (yes, a tuk-tuk can fit 5, plus a double stroller, plus the shopping!).
Read Trips Advisor Reviews For Victoria Angkor
The big bonus for us in booking Victoria Angkor was the kids club which allowed us to avail the opportunity to explore kid-free on this occasion.
If this is something you are interested in doing and you are staying at a budget location, you can still book your kids into the kids club at Victoria Kids as outside paying guests – as well as use the pool facilities for an additional fee.
Having a pool for your return at a bare minimum is essential, we got seriously hot and sweaty at the temples and needed to cool off!
Also, I would recommend you look for a hotel on the northern side of town nearer to the Angkor Archaeological Park to cut down travel time. There are many big hotels near the airport, but driving daily from here can make for a very long day. Take a look with the map function.
Exploring Angkor with Kids – Essential Information
- Entry to the temples requires an Angkor Pass – $20USD for a one day pass.
- All adults and children over 12 must have a photo ID printed which is carried at all times around the complex – children under 12 are free.
- Your passes are purchased at a security checkpoint on the way to Angkor, they take your photo there. (As mentioned above purchasing after 4.30pm also gives you entry for the evening – parks start shutting from 5.30pm, closed at 6pm).
- If you want to spread things out a lot further a 3 day pass is $40USD or 7 days $60USD.
- Bringing your own photo may help you skip the 3 day / 7 day queue but you’ll need to line and have a picture taken for the day passes.
- Mornings the park opens from 5am for those looking to catch sunrise at Angkor Wat.
To be honest, unless you have are deeply interested in the history, architecture, religion – or want to move at a much slower pass, you can adequately cover the “Big 3” temples in a day if needed – Angkor Wat, Ta Prohm and the ancient city Angkor Thom & the Bayon. I can’t imagine even slightly older children being amused for several days.
I would say the 10-year-old+ crowd could probably handle it. Just bear in mind there are no additional activities or facilities aimed at children out at the archaeological park at the time of writing. Due to the fragile nature of the structures, touching and crawling over much of the temples is prohibited which is like a red flag to a bull when you’re talking small kids.
Other useful resources and information for visiting Cambodia
- The currency we used was predominantly US Dollar at a rate of 1=4,000 Cambodian Riels. You can withdraw Riels from ATM’s along with US Dollars but most vendors and drivers will want you to work in US Dollar (its a slight upper hand to them on the exchange rate). You really only need pocket change in Riels, larger shops and restaurants will take credit cards as well.
- Most hotel power sockets came with multi-points, however Type G plugs are the official wall socket. Honestly, we saw a varierty of everything! Bring your own multi-adapter to be sure; Power is 230V so you will also need a power converter if coming from the US.
- Wifi signal around the country is not great but most hotels offer it for free so you should be able to make some connection, albeit slow.
- For more Cambodia Travel Tips we found this detailed guide by South East Asia travel expert Adventure in You to be useful reading.
- We have this detailed guide to Safety and Travel Scams to avoid whilst in Cambodia – essential reading before you go, especially if trvaelling with small children like we did.
When to visit Siem Reap Cambodia
- Wet season runs from May to November – expect unpredictable monsoonal weather and potentially roads to be cut off if visiting during these months – but also beautiful lush greenery and much less tourists.
- The coolest time of year to visit is at the start of the dry season December/January, getting increasingly hotter up to April.
- Khmer New Year is in early April, we left just days prior but the decorating and upcoming celebrations looked exciting – be warned though hotel prices can significantly increase during these celebrations and some businesses will close.
Now I hope we haven’t put too much of a downer on anyone’s travel plans to Cambodia!
You know we are all for showing our kids the world and having new experiences – we have a whole website here dedicated to it! But I also think it’s important to have an honest view too, from two tired and weary parents we took on too much visiting Cambodia with 3 young kids.
Had we waited just a few more years I think it would have made a huge difference to the experience taking our kids to Angkor Wat – but I guess that just gives us another reason to return.
Have you explored Angkor Wat and the ancient Angkor Temples with kids? What age would you recommend being ideal for learning and exploring with minimal whining?
See more on our South East Asia Adventures in the Travel Diary, including our adventures in Phnom Penh and Sihanoukville as well as our return trip to Otres Beach
Disclosures: We received a discounted rate on our stay with Victoria Angkor in exchange for our honest review of our family experience. As always, all opinions are our own. This page also contains affiliate links. You can see our full disclosures here.
© Our Globetrotters
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I was thinking of traveling alone with my 5, 3 &1 year olds to Siem Reap. I have been twice before (before kids) and really wanted to take them before we move back to Europe later this year. They were all born in Asia. My plan was to do two temples, one a day in the morning and then play at the pool / kids club for the rest of the day and wander to downtown for some dinner each day. I am a little bit worried about my 1yr old as she is at the stage of wanting to climb everything haha. Might need to rethink after reading your blog.
These were exactly our ages but we had 2 parents and still found it VERY hard work, this particular trip sticks in my mind as one of the toughest. You know your own kids and limits best though. Had it just been my 5 year old at the time, fine. The 1yo was OK as we could strap him on when really needed for crowd control. It was the moany 3yo who had zero interest that was the hardest at the time!!!
Thank you for your candor. Kid allergy travel will be visiting Asia for a month during the rainy season and, with a child as young as five, my husband questioned whether or not this major complex was the right excursion for this age bracket. This gives us a bunch to consider. Thank you for sharing!
You’re welcome. I always say never say never to any sort of kid travel, but…. just take into account their capabilities too. It was a trip I desperately wanted to do, but with hindsight would have waited until they were all a bit older. We will return again I think when they are older and more understanding – as well as all of us quite a bit fitter!
Hey Keri,
I can imagine taking kids aged the same as yours would be difficult. I can say that my 3 aged 11, 9 & 7 was a much more manageable age. We went in July & got a bit of rain but nothing major. The kids enjoyed the temples & actually didn’t whinge that much at all. We did 2 days of temples when went back in to do the zip lining with Flight of the Gibbon, you need your Angkor pass for that too so make sure you allow a day if doing that experience.
I still want to go back as I feel I didn’t see enough. I would like to walk the perimeter of Angkor Wat & as they kids were not over 12 there were a few temples at Angkor Thom we couldn’t go into. I didn’t get a sunset in either so that’s another thing I need to see.
I have to admit though, surprisingly I was really happy with my kids. I think they did a ripper job keeping up & we all had a great time. It wasn’t as busy for us though & im thankful for that.
I really look forward to returning to Cambodia again when the kids are older, sooo much more to see! I think not just the temples in the heat were are a bit of a concern and tiresome, after a fortnight of constantly stopping them from getting lost in crowds, run over by tuk tuks and the general fun and games of such young kids is very tiresome no matter where in the world! We took a similar journey to Vietnam with just 2 kids (3 & 1 + pregnant) and it was much more do-able – three under six is a different ball game!! I think once our youngest is over 6 then a lot more adventurous travel will be possible with minimal tears all around.
Those are some really useful tips for families with kids. Angkor is such an amazing place
Thanks Ami – a wonderful fascinating place. We have certainly learnt a lot of lessons travelling with the kids, but can’t wait to do Ankor again with more knowledge up our sleeve!
This is such a great post – Angkor Wat is high on my bucket list but it’s one I can’t imagine taking my three-year-old to. We’re just back from Burma and she did really well with the temples there but nothing is quite on the same scale so we could explore a bit then head back to the pool rather than dedicating a whole day. When it’s somewhere you’ve dreamed of exploring too, worrying about kids in crowds, crumbling steps and heat would mean you really wouldn’t get the experience you’d dreamed of either! #citytripping
You can always spread out the exploring in Angkor over several days if you don’t think she can handle it and one go (but adds cost for the longer ticket and say $18 per day for the driver – double if you include a guide)- but it depends on time of year too, April was very hot in the cooler months of the dry season it may be more bearable in one day. I think what was tough was I had such high expectations and looking forward to it so much, then to get the moaning… seriously, I just want to put them on pause for 5 minutes to soak it in! The downside to family travel I guess, but it certainly opened up my 6 year olds eyes and I could tell she truly appreciated we were seeing something special. #citytripping
wow hats off for travelling with 3 kids! I vowed never again after just doing a beachy holiday when my boy was 9 mths. he got ill though so it just wasn’t fun. I love your honesty though #citytripping
I hope you do give family travel another go. Its the pits when they get sick and you’re far from home (having all 3 sick on the plane – and myself was unbelievably horrific…) but it gets much better and they are so many good memories too! #citytripping
great post Keri! great name also 🙂
I wrote a post a while back about my visit to Angkor Wat and my tips for visiting were similar to yours!
Everyone wants to get that dreamy picture of the sunset, but it’s nearly impossible to achieve because there’s so many other people there trying to do the exact same thing. Never the less, I enjoyed my visit a lot and I’m glad I went! plus I got some other pretty awesome pictures 🙂
Hi Carrie – thank you! I think no matter how prepared we were the crowds and heat (and the rudeness of some tourists!) really took us by shock. I did sneak in one or two lovely photos but it was pain staking work between other people getting in the way – so glad we did our second day of exploring with my hands free at least!
We all loved it. The kids could sit in beanbags or hammocks in the cool bars while we had pre dinner drinks (that was their fun), Night Market was magical, the clothes we got were all good quality so maybe it was just luck? Phare (the circus) was a highlight for everyone. We had 5 days and the temple was about the only think that 2 of the kids complained about (because it was so hot, even though we were there by 8 and gone by 11). Fabulous city for everyone, in my opinion and def my favourite holiday destination (after Paris.)
I’m sure if we were in a different frame of mind by the time we got to Siem Reap I would have felt a little more positive about the whole experience. Its certainly somewhere I would revisit and hopefully take a little longer to soak it all in – when the kids will appreciate it more and can get involved.
Really interesting post Keri. I appreciate your honesty. Having visited Siem Reap and Angkor Wat around 15 years ago, I know it’s not an easy site to navigate – let alone with three children. You clearly made a very wise decision to leave them at the kids club the second day. I’m disappointed to hear how touristy it has got – so glad I went when it wasn’t too overrun with visitors but would like to revisit one day with family – clearly I need to wait until they are a lot older thought. You were really brave to travel to Cambodia with three children…look forward to reading the rest of your posts about it. Thanks for linking to #citytripping
I think you’ll find it quite different now Elizabeth! My husband was shocked and he last went 2004 – hugely changed in terms of volume of people. I just hope the town of Siem Reap keeps its character, you can see a lot of big buffet style restaurants now for hoarding in the masses with big neon signs – though when we went past most looked completely empty – who wants that when you can have amazing food from the little restaurants in town or street food around the markets?! I can truly appreciate how waiting 4-5 years to make a trip like this would have been better for all of us.
What an amazing thing to do with the kids. Very brave. You must have nerves of steel! #CityTripping
I think our nerves were at our very end by the time we got to Siem Reap on this trip! Thankful for the amazing hotel and euphoric feeling of seeing something you’ve dreamed of for the first time.
Great post – fantastic tips. I actually had pondered that very question and suspected it might be a bit much for the littlest ones after a similar experience in Italy. Your honesty is very refreshing .. and Australian. Love it. Very much looking forward to following your blog now that I found it via #citytripping
Thanks Katy – honesty is what we do best here! We love our travel but very willing to admit when we’ve taken on too much or things didn’t go as planned, it helps other families make the right decisions just as much as the glowing reports. Thanks so much for following us now through the #citytripping linky – great to connect with other travel lovers
Fascinating post covering everything you need to know about visiting as a family. I think your decision was very wise – as you say, there’s only so much heat, crowds and history young children can manage in a day!
#citytripping
Thanks Trish, I know these resources are invaluable when we’re planning trips to places not so well covered by guide books. I really hope this will help families decide if Angkor Wat and the temples are the right thing for them to do.
I had a friend who went on a job stint in Cambodia and I suggested to the husband to take a trip there to visit her, with a kid in tow of course since the kid followed me everywhere. My husband was like, “ARE YOU CRAZY??” So yeah.. we never made the trip. I admire you for making the trip with 3 kids! Leaving the kids at the kids club sounds like a fab idea.
One kid dare I say do-able… Our problems came from being outnumbered! A shame to miss an opportunity though, we love that friends and family are spread over the world as it gives us such good excuses to visit places we might otherwise skip over or consider too hard.
Awesome job getting the kids to some place so incredible! I know what you mean about stress levels and losing your awe moment, but I’m glad they got to join you even if just for that first day. Kids clubs are an awesome resource to have. My wife and I used them when we decide to do a SCUBA adventure when were on the road.
Thanks Kevin, we are still so glad we did it, but certainly have a new strategy for tackling mammoth travel experiences like this – kids clubs seriously rock!!
What a comprehensive review! Maybe a good thing your kids weren’t in the mood to explore the temples so you could get all that free time to your adult selves and do it on your own time. I’ve really been craving a kids-free trip recently. We all deserve it:).
The more I’ve been reflecting Corey I’m no longer seeing it as a “failure” as we did at the time, but something that we should of been planning all along. I will certainly be looking at future adventures more in the way that we don’t need to drag them along to everything, as long as we can contently leave them somewhere they’ll be happy too.
Another great read, Keri! And great tips with the kids. We want to visit Cambodia and Angkor Wat, but conscious of going with small kids. We’re definitely up for it and at least we know exactly what to expect now. I won’t hesitate to take advantage of a kid’s club.
That’s exactly right. Small chunks of it I’m sure they’d be very happy with but no harm keeping them occupied for the day while you do your own independent exploring too. I think your boys would love Ta Prohm!
Well done guys! I’ve been to Angkor twice about 10 years ago and there were hardly any crowds at all, not even in the classic sunset spot. I’d love to go back with my kiddies who are 4 and 6 now. Siem Reap is one of my favourite places! I loved the vibe, as you said, much more chilled than the usual Cambodian towns. I can’t believe there are people who say it isn’t much!
It wont be long until they would really enjoy it too, such a wonderful place for kids to get a taste of Asia if you do it right