Bringing the children along on your visit to Siem Reap can be brilliant fun, whatever their age. Here are some tips or making your family’s stay a fun, exciting and comfortable one.
Angkor Wat with Kids
A visit to the Angkor temples, which are the main draw, after all, can be done very easily with children with a little planning. Purchasing a three day ticket allows you to spend two or three mornings exploring the temple complex, either by tuk tuk (more fun) or by hiring a car or van with a driver (less fun but possibly cooler). This way, you’ll have the afternoons free to rest, enjoy a leisurely lunch or cool down in the hotel’s pool. Take plenty of cold water with you, and the tuk tuk ride between temples are ideal for cooling down and resting weary legs.
Bike rides
The city is perfect for bike rides. Within a few minutes you can be admiring rice paddies and grazing water buffalo in the countryside. Many hotels offer free use of bicycles. However, if yours doesn’t, it’s easy to hire one for the day, or longer, for just a dollar or two. Don’t forget a helmet and some drinking water.
Cinema
Siem Reap is lucky enough to have two modern cinemas with 2D and 3D screens showing all the latest Western and Khmer releases, so anyone missing some blockbuster movie action during their stay can easily catch up. Legend Cinema is located at The Heritage Walk shopping complex, while Platinum Cineplex is along Sivutha Boulevard near Pub Street.
Also don’t miss: our top 10 activities for children in Siem Reap!
Eating out
Children and babies are welcomed in almost all cafes and restaurants in Siem Reap, but here are a few favourites for children. Some have play areas, others have an appealing menu or particularly child-friendly staff or surroundings:
Kameng Leng, located in Wat Bo area, is perfect for kids between 0 and 5 years old. They can enjoy playing with educational wooden toys in the indoor and outdoor areas, which help them develop their skills and creativity. You can also treat them to delicious and healthy dishes, made with fresh local ingredients that are free of chemicals and preservatives.
Viva Mexican & Khmer Restaurant has two locations in the Pub Street area and is popular with families who enjoy their tasty pizzas and the all-important sombreros to try on. Try the generous portion of giant onion rings!
Gelato and Coffee Lab makes an ideal pit stop after a busy day. Taste traditional Italian gelato that’s made fresh, daily, or an all-natural sorbet.
The practicalities
Parents will be relieved to know that you can lay your hands on most of the essentials that you’ll need when you’re on holiday with the children.
Pharmacies – for plasters, pain relief, upset tummy advice and relief for mosquito bites, there is U-Care pharmacy with two very central locations or Angkor Thom Pharmacy on Sivutha Blvd. Consult our health and safety guide for more tips.
Books & toys – IBC Book Center, on Road 6 near the intersection with Wat Bo Road, for toys such as Lego, board games, Hot Wheels cars and an array of children’s books in English. Also try Asia Market and Angkor Market (upstairs) for toys including pool inflatables. Lucky Mall and Angkor Market supermarkets for nappies, baby food, toiletries, snacks and drinks.
Bring with you swim nappies, baby or paediatric paracetamol (eg Calpol), sun screen (you can buy it in Siem Reap pharmacies and supermarkets but you’ll find it’s very expensive).
Have you spent time in Siem Reap with your young children? What did your children enjoy the most? Why not let us know? We’d love to hear from you!
