Monday, April 14, 2014

Family Trip Tips: Angkor Wat and Siem Reap, Cambodia with Kids

Ta Prohm
The kids explore Ta Prohm - The Tomb Raider temple

Siem Reap, Cambodia is #9 on TripAdvisor's 2014 Travelers' Choice Destinations in the World. Planning our trip was easy since so many expat families in Penang visit there that I could pick up a ton of suggestions while hanging out at the school playground. Knowing that many friends had successful family trips to Angkor Wat and surrounding attractions appeased any worries I had about taking the kids to such an exotic location in a developing country. In case if you don't have a cadre of travelers to Cambodia available to you, here are their ideas.


Visiting Temples

Exploring the ruins of religious temples are the main draw for visiting Siem Reap. You can find details on them at tons of other websites and guidebooks, so I'll focus on the family tips. My teen recommends you take your kids to Angkor Wat first while they are still excited about visiting temples. (Learn from my mistake. We visited Angkor Wat last, and my son says he was bored by that point of seeing another temple even though it was supposed to be the best one. In his words, "Mom took us to see an impressive, large, ancient, temple ruin filled with exquisite stone carvings... and then, she took us to see five more.")

Siem Reap, temple ruins, Cambodia
Despite finally arriving at Angkor Wat, all my girl's attention is on a clam shell she found.


Beng Mealea is my kids' favorite temple to explore by far. It got rave reviews from other families, too. This temple has a real Indiana Jones feel to it because it has not been restored. Parts of the temple are still standing but are interspersed with piles of fallen stone blocks, and a web of tree roots are intertwined throughout the structure. The best part is climbing all over it. We ducked through the maze of corridors, scrambled over the heaps of blocks and swung from tree branches. It was like a giant, ancient playground. If you have little ones in your group that are not agile or you are carrying a baby, wooden walkways also go throughout the complex for an easier route. Located 90 minutes outside of Siem Reap, I highly recommend hiring an air-conditioned car ($US70/day for a van) for this excursion.

Angkor, Siem Reap, Cambodia, temple ruins
Swinging on tree roots in a collapsed corridor.
Beng Mealea felt like a 900-year old playground to my kids.

Other popular ruins to explore with kids are the South Gate of Angkor Thom (the one with the statues), Bayon Temple (the one with the serene faces), Baphuon (the world's largest jigsaw puzzle), Ta Prohm (the one from Tomb Raider) and Banteay Srei (the one with the best carvings).

Other tips for visiting temples:
  • Heat and humidity killed off a lot of youthful enthusiasm. Get an early start, wear hats, keep everyone hydrated, and drape a wet, wrung-out scarf or bandanna around the neck to stay cool. (If we had made a home movie, it would be called Angkor Temples and the Search for Shade.)
  • The temples are not stroller-friendly, so don't bother bringing one. If you leave yours in the tuk-tuk, make sure you get back into the same tuk-tuk.
  • If you accidentally lose your stroller by getting in the wrong tuk-tuk, ask your hotel to direct you to one of the 2 stores in Siem Reap that sells them.
  • One option for families with young children is to only visit a few temples with everyone. Then, parents take turns spending a few hours at the hotel with the children napping or swimming while the other goes out to touring.
  • Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom, Bayon Temple, and Ta Prohm are 10-15 minutes from Siem Reap's city centre, and are ideal for the parent-swap plan above. They are easily reached on a tuk-tuk, although we hired a car (US$50/day for a van) because we love air-conditioning and the chilled water they kept for us. 
  • Children under 12 years old do not pay admission. Bring a copy of your child's passport if you think their age will be questioned. At a few temples, we had to show my tall, 11-year-old son's passport since he did not have a paid ticket. 
  • Access to the top level of Angkor Wat is only permitted for people with paid tickets. Children under 12 years old may not go up. Once your place in line reaches the bottom of the stairs, it only takes 15 minutes. Leave your kids with your hired guide if you feel comfortable or take turns with the other parent.
  • Banteay Srei is about 40 minutes from Siem Reap and costs US$60/day for a van. The Landmine Museum and Banteay Srei Butterfly Centre are along the way.
  • Wear mosquito spray to avoid getting dengue or malaria (not a big enough risk to take meds).
  • In case if you are worried about land mines, thousands of visitors have gone through the popular complexes, so it is not a problem.
Siem Reap, temple ruins, Cambodia

The Villages on Stilts above Tonle Sap Lake

Visit Tonle Sap lake on a VIP tour with Hidden CambodiaAccording to my friend, "This freshwater marvel expands and contracts annually based on the seasons; during wet season, water levels rise to within a meter of the house floors but recede greatly during dry season. Our tour guide led us to his own village of Kampong Khleang (even pointing out the house he grew up in and bringing gifts to his mother) and led us on a boat ride down the canal leading to the lake. Along the way, we saw many local fishermen, stopped to witness the fish smoking process, and had lunch in a stilted house. We were also blessed to visit a local school and hand out supplies, though we weren't prepared for the number of children there were. We donated water filters (purchased from the tour company) to some very poor families."

You can also visit Tonle Sap lake on your own or with a private guide for a few hours paired with a visit to Beng Melea or Banteay Srei. Doing it this way got mixed reviews from my friends as there seems to be "right" and "wrong" villages to visit based on how crowded they were with tourists. One friend enjoyed the boat traffic jam because villagers liked her cute kids and let them take shortcuts through their homes. Another friend with a baby and young child cut their boat excursion short as the kids lost interest quickly, didn't want to sit down in the boat, and were overwhelmed by the loud motor and smell of gasoline.

Other Activities

Quad Adventure Cambodia lets you explore the countryside on quad bikes. My friends enjoyed seeing villages, rice paddies, and water buffaloes while following their guide for a couple hours. Kids ride on the back of a parent or instructor's bike. 

Do volunteer work and experience the hardships of local life through a "Day in the Life" tour with Beyond Unique Escapes in partnership with Husk Cambodia. Y.O.L.O.! Mom on the Go... assisted a family in weaving together bamboo and palm leaves to patch their leaking roof after riding there in an ox-cart. Afterwards, they cooked lunch with another family, walked through the village, and helped out with a community sewing project of handicrafts that would later be sold. The family from Four Over the Edge assisted a woman in harvesting her rice by hand, and it gave them an incredible appreciation of how difficult it is to toil in the fields.

Watch artisans practice their craft at Artisans d'Angkor. This organization promotes the revival of the traditional handicrafts that the Khmer Rouge tried to eliminate in their effort to stamp out Cambodian culture. They train people from rural villages in various traditional Khmer arts like silkscreening, painting, metalwork, and carving wood and stone. These artisans then return to their villages to teach others how to produce handicrafts that can be sold. Walk through each room to observe them working and then purchase souvenirs from the gift shop. The gift shop is of limited interest to children other than food and a very small selection of wooden puzzles.

Cambodian handicraft
Artisans d'Angkor

Discover how silk is made at the Angkor Silk Farm, located 20 minutes from Siem Reap. Learn about the process from cultivating mulberry bushes that feed the silkworms to cocoon unwinding, thread preparation, and silk weaving.

Swim in the hotel pool. This was a favorite way for multiple families to cool off and have a bit of relaxation during their vacation.

Hotels

Siem Reap has a booming tourism industry and has family-friendly hotels across all price points from luxury resorts to budget hostels. If you're worried about accommodations being too rustic, have no fear. Each of the hotels below were personally recommended to me by multiple families.

Sokha Angkor was one of those fantastic, "I can only afford this luxury because I'm in Cambodia" type of resorts. We booked 2 adjoining rooms for our family and required an extra bed for the 3rd kid. The salt-water pool cooled us off in the afternoons, and the cheap foot massages in the lobby were a great way to recover after hours climbing around ruins. Full-service spa is also on-site. A huge breakfast buffet with made-to-order egg and noodle stations is included in your stay.
Ranked 4.5 stars on Expedia; US$98 per room for early June 2014


Siem Reap, Cambodia, hotel
Salt water pool at the Sokha Angkor Resort

Chateau d'Angkor La Residence has large 2-bedroom suites with a seating area that was perfect for large families. The washing machine and kitchen were convenient ammenities, and the children enjoyed the pool. Includes breakfast.
Ranked 3.5 stars on Expedia; $93 for a 2-bedroom suite in early June 2014

Tanei Guesthouse is a budget-friendly option with a good location recommended by round-the-world traveling friends. The Family Room sleeps 4 people, and children under 12 years old stay free with existing bedding. Extra beds are US$5 nightly. Includes breakfast and hotel transfers. A pool and bicycles are available.
Ranked 2 stars on Agoda; US$46-54 per night for Family room 

Where to Eat

Are you worried about what your kids will eat in Siem Reap? Most restaurants had something for everyone by offering both dishes familiar to Western kids as well as traditional Cambodian dishes (similar to Thai food but not as spicy). Make sure you try Amok, a delicious coconut curry with fish chunks. Stay hydrated with bottled water or fresh coconut juice, although sodas (you cannot escape from the reach of Coca-Cola) and Angkor Beer are other choices.

Jungle Junction is one of the most family-friendly restaurants I have been to in the world. We ate there with a few other families, and the combined total of 8 kids entertained themselves leaving the adults to visit in peace over a loooong dinner. When was the last time that happened to you at a restaurant? The trampoline, outdoor playscape, inflatable bounce house, indoor playscape with slides and ball pit, billiard table, and movie/karaoke room kept the kids occupied for hours. The food was fine and included Western dishes like burgers, salads, and ribs as well as Asian and Khmer cuisine. They also serve liquor. Your kids may ask to go there every day.
Open 8AM-11PM; Located on Makara Street/High School Road, 300 meters past University of Southeast Asia/Mekong University and Angkor High School.

Blue Pumpkin is a delightful little patisserie and cafe. The kids had sandwiches and pasta. I dined on Grilled Eggplant with Minced Pork while sipping Mexican Coffee. The Amok Ravioli sounded like an intriguing East-meets-West fusion dish. Save room for dessert and ice cream! We enjoyed the lounge-like Cool Room (air-conditioned) upstairs and the free Wi-Fi at the Hospital Street location. Comfy daybeds lined one side of the room, and I'm sure that we would have never awoken my teen if we had snagged a table next to them. In addition to their full cafes in central Siem Reap, they also have outlets at Artisans d'Angkor, at the Angkor Cafe opposite the west entrance of Angkor Wat, and the airport.
Open for breakfast until late at night. Hours vary by location.

Rumduol Angkor across from the northern side of Srah Srang (Srang Reservoir) near Ta Prohm served up excellent Khmer and Western food. You can sit on the covered deck overlooking Srah Srang or in the air-conditioned VIP room. Go amok (coconut curry fish stew) when you order. It's really tasty here.

Cambodia, food, coconut curry fish stew
Amok - One of Cambodia's famous dishes

Independent Travel

Most of my friends book their own flights into Siem Reap and their own hotel rooms. Hiring a guide (US$25-35 per day) was easy by setting it up via email prior to arrival. Those with a professional license or certificate from the Tourism Ministry have been trained in providing you with an abundance of information in your native language. I found hiring a guide to be a good way of injecting money into this impoverished nation as well as allowing me to keep one eye on the kids and one eye on the ruins instead of trying to read about it from a book. Plus, they know good vantage points for photography. Ours met us at the airport and provided translation throughout our visit.
We hired Lach Baley (lachbaley2011 at gmail.com) who speaks both English and Spanish. 
Other recommended guides are Thy Khieu (thyangkor at yahoo.com) and Ing (chandarkh at yahoo.com)

Guides can also arrange a driver with air-conditioned car (US$50-70 per day depending on distance) to take you around touring. Numerous cheap tuk-tuks are available for transportation at hotels, tourist areas, restaurants, and the airport. Tuk-tuks can comfortably seat 4 people, but you can squeeze in more if your kids don't attempt to push out a sibling. Conventional taxis are not available.

Please be sure to tip your guide and driver as they do not keep 100% of the money earned.

Cambodia, Siem Reap, transportation
Tuk-tuk taxi - The cheap way to travel


Toilets

I give thumbs up to the toilets in Siem Reap, probably because I stayed firmly in the tourist zone. Clean, Western-style toilets were available at the temples and restaurants. The floors were dry (unlike Malaysia), and toilet paper was available in the stall (once again, unlike Malaysia).

How Long to Visit

Most people stay in Siem Reap for at least 3-4 days. A visit to Cambodia is often paired with a trip to Hanoi and Hoi An, Vietnam in order to round out a week. Hopping over to Bangkok is another option.

Arrival and Departure

The Siem Reap Airport is conveniently located only 15 minutes from the city center. You need at least 6 months validity on your passport. Bring along US$20 and a passport photo to get a Tourist Visa on Arrival, although citizens from many ASEAN countries are exempt. Save time but spend an extra $5 by doing it online at the Kingdom of Cambodia's E-visa website. Processing time is 3 days. Departure tax from the airport is US$25 for international flights and US$6 for flights to Phomh Penh.

Air Asia is the fastest and cheapest flight from Malaysia to Siem Reap. The 2-hour flight leaves from Kuala Lumpur's LCCT at 6:50AM, so you may need to travel to KL the previous night. I recommend Tune Hotel or Concorde Inn by the KL airport for your overnight stay.

Currency

Although the Cambodian Riel is the official currency, the American dollar is what's primarily used. It was so strange seeing prices marked in US$ throughout our trip. Change less than US$1 is typically given in Riel notes. Numerous ATMs are available and dispense American money. Try to bring small bills up to $20 if possible as larger notes may be difficult for them to break.  

Taking the kids to Angkor Wat and Siem Reap is an excellent and easy family adventure. Are you dreaming of going?


Linking up at the following sites. Check them out for more around-the-world travel inspiration. 

58 comments:

  1. Oh! One of our favourite places.

    We went there in late 2012 with our two kids and had a great time. Unexpected thing, though: our son found the temples (especially the ones everyone else's kids rave about) to be "spooky" so we had a rocky start to the day before we worked out the problem.

    We ended up having to swap around a lot as he wouldn't go in, although setting him a scavenger hunt helped take his mind off things (he had to spot a statue of a lion, etc etc etc). Luckily we'd both been there before so it didn't take long to think up a list.

    Our tuk tuk driver also had chilled water - they know tourists there :) . In fact it's pretty easy to organise everything for that reason.

    We loved Kampong Pluk. The other favourite place of ours is Battambang - we rounded off our week there, enjoying the Bamboo Railway.

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    1. I think my daughter would have also been spooked by the temples when she was younger. Doing a scavenger hunt to get them to go in is an excellent idea. Good job, mom!

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  2. What a fantastic comprehensive post. You open up the whole trip for beginners and make it so easy. Fantastic. Sounds like having a guide and driver is definitely the way to go and I bet my teens would appreciate the advice of your teen. I feel as if I could take my family straight there now and all would be well!!

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    1. When I first moved to Malaysia, I remember my friends and I saying that we'd love to take our families to Angkor Wat but it seemed so difficult. After we'd lived here long enough to see many other families have good visits there, we realized it wasn't so hard after all.

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  3. I loved your detailed information on traveling through this region. I'm always concerned about visiting an area without the protection of a travel group, but it sounds like this is a safe area. How fun for your kids to be exploring like heroes from our favorite movies.

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    1. I used to do group travel packages before I had kids. With the kids, we've needed more flexibility than what a group package allows. Plus, I didn't want to drive the non-parents crazy with my kids' incessant talk of Minecraft.

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  4. Wow! This is such great list, but my favorite part is "and then we saw five more" Hahaha!

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  5. I would love to visit the temple ruin too! Thank you for travel tips, Michele.
    Have a great day!
    Angie

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  6. This will answer all the questions for families traveling to Siem Reap for sure. I was very happy and surprised to see a link to my Kampong Pluk post Michelle. It is funny the difference between viewing the temples with and without children. Without Children we were advised to see the lesser ones first because they would seem insignificant after Angkor Wat (not that we did that). But I can see your point that with kids you may as well show them the best one first while they are still interested.

    We loved the A/C room upstairs at Blue Pumpkin too. We had no line up for the upper level at Angkor Wat and I was surprised that you mentioned Tanei Guesthouse because we stayed there. :)

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  7. Wow! This is very informative guide to Angkor Wat and Siem Reap! Loving it, will bookmark this page for future reference. Hopefully not too long from now;).

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    1. btw, seeing your comment of the toilet, makes me smile. I totally know what you mean;).

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  8. We just got back from Thailand/Cambodia with our 18 month old...and I wholeheartedly agree with this post! I just wish we had known about Jungle Junction because that restaurant definitely would have been a stop for us!

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  9. This is one of my favourite places in South East Asia!

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  10. I love the beautiful architecture of the temples, the vastness and sheer size of the sculptures in the Bayon temple is mind blowing!

    Excellent tips. As for me my major concern would be the humidity, so I guess I'l have to take your advice (early start, lots of water, bandanna around the neck ) if I ever get to visit the place.

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  11. I visited Siem Reap when I was 17 which seems pretty close to kid age to when I look back at it now. While I marveled at the beautiful and look it all in, I don't think my visit had a big impact like it would if I went now. I definitely didn't appreciate it as much. How I would love to go back one day!

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  12. I love your descriptions and everything that you saw, the places you stayed at, and the tour guides you hired! It looks like an excellent plan for families, or even those who don't have kids! Very thorough descriptions and makes me want to travel there!

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  13. Amazing adventure. A very descriptive and informative post about your travels. Interesting to those of us that have not traveled in this part of the world.

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  14. I really want to visit Angkor Wat! Do not have kids so didn't know if this would be relevant, but so much useful info here and if I'm honest there's a few points that I've thought might be good for keeping the boyfriend happy! Haha.

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  15. I've been to Angkor Wat twice, and would go back again in a moment. My favorite temple is the Bayon. I love those BIG heads :) The last time I was there was 2007, and I know things have changed, so would be interesting to go back and check it out again. I would definitely visit Beng Mealea.

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  16. great tips, not just for kids but for grown-ups too! So many useful info and it's great to see things haven't changed much since our visit 3 years ago. Thanks for sharing and happy easter everyone!

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  17. Hi Michelle, what an amazing comprehensive guide to Angkor and Siem Reap. Certainly helpful for those families planning to visit and to let them know it's very doable to visit Cambodia with young kids. I like your son's tip about visiting Angkor first. I'd probably lose interest myself after being too templed out. It sounds you like you covered a lot of ground. What a great family trip.

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  18. We'll be in Cambodia in less than 2 weeks so this is a very timely post. Even though your focus is on families, many of the tips are applicable to us as well. In the U.S., our doctors and the health agencies are recommended the anti-malarial meds for our May visit. We are on the fence about taking them but plan to bring them along and decide a day or so before getting to Cambodia. We also are planning on one day independently biking to the temples rather than using a driver or guide so we'll see how that goes - probably would not be a good idea with kids as I think a lot of people don't want to bike back once it gets hot.

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    1. We decided not to take the anti-malaria meds because it's a very low risk around Siem Reap city, and there are no cases around Angkor Wat and Tonle Sap Lake according to both the US CDC and MD Travel Health. Insect spray seemed sufficient. Plus, we were there during the dry season when mosquitoes are less of a problem overall. If we'd spent more time in the jungles or other areas with higher risk, I probably would have taken them.

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  19. Very informative post. And I absolutely love the comment your son has made on visiting the temples. Great tip for anybody visiting the Angkor Wat with kids! Amok sounds delicious.

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  20. So many great tips and things to do. I'd love to watch those artisans at work - so much skill and patience. Big thanks for linking up with us again for #SundayTraaveler

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  21. What a fantastic informative post. I have been twice to Cambodia with young kids and it holds a very special place in our hearts xx thanks for sharing.

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  22. I would really love to visit this region!!!
    Great to see if I just hold off another couple of year til my son is fully in the tween age bracket he should really enjoy the ruins.

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  23. What a great and informative guide, Michelle. We're not going to Cambodia anytime soon but these tips and your experience are enough of an inspiration to fulfill our Indiana Jones adventure travel dreams sooner than later. Love the pictures and details.

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  24. we were initially surprised by how many families we saw when we traveled to cambodia and laos, but quickly realized it's a great trip for kids. There is so much hands-on exploring and lots of active stuff to do. Glad you had a fun time!

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    1. Eileen, that guest post you had on your site a few years ago about taking a toddler to Angkor Wat is what made me realize that a family trip there is possible. Thanks for the inspiration.

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    2. amazing. I love when a travel blog post inspires an entire trip, which inspires a blog post. It's the entire cycle and rare to see the communication publically shared. Thanks Eileen and Michele!

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  25. Excellent guide Michelle,

    I can imagine how busy a site these temples are now and your right the ideal timeframe is the cooler winter months when it is do-able in the lower 90's...glad I visited when it visited over 10 years ago.

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  26. What a great lot of info - even if you aren't traveling with a family. I do like your idea of paying a guide and injecting tourist dollars in a way that also lends dignity.
    It doesn't take long for me to get templed out so I get where your kids are coming from.

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  27. What a superb guide! I've heard great stories about Cambodia, especially through another vegan blogger, she loves these areas, too! Are there any vegan/vegetarian places you like so far?

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  28. This is a great travel story with lots of useful info for travelling with and without children. It is sometimes easy to fall into tourist traps, it is great to get some very useful and practical info. I hope one day we will travel there.
    Happy travels and thank you for stopping by my blog the other day.

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  29. I loved this post, so comprehensive! We went to Angkor Wat last year, it's one of the most wonderful places in our planet, and it's surely one of those places where we would love to return when we have kids in the future! Thanks for all the work that you put in this post!

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  30. I'm bookmarking this for reference when I make my travel plans to here. And as a Malaysian, I apologise for the wet toilet floors and lack of toilet paper in stalls. I'm mortified that things haven't changed in the 12 years that I've been away (although many malls in KL have improved on the latter.) Tsk tsk!

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  31. One of the amazing things to know about traveling is sneaking on the places you have never been to! I love that I stumble upon here and read your beautiful travel blog. Thanks for sharing it with us! Looking forward to travel again with you!

    Sebastian Chuter

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  32. Wow, this is such a good guide for visiting Angkor Wat and Siem Reap! I can't imagine not being enchanted by Angkor Wat even if there's been a lot of temples before! I'm really hoping to make it there at the end of this year when I'm in SE Asia. I'll be referring to this guide! Thanks for putting it together!

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  33. Very detailed post and gets me really excited for my upcoming trip there! Thanks for linking up to the #SundayTraveler :)

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  34. Okay you get the top award for by far the most informative post ever. I love this! Perfect for us. Thanks!

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  35. Thanks for this fantastic posting! I was lucky enough to be able to visit Siem Reap without kids but have linked your text in my blog for all those travelling with little ones, you have covered it all!

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  36. Great post! Not only for traveling with kids, but for all types of travelers! I wish I had read your brief but informative post on Angkor Wat before I visited… well, your post didn’t exist back then ;)

    A few additional things I wish I had known that may be helpful for future visitors:

    1) It was built by an ancient race: the Khmer people. These people are one of the oldest ethnic groups in Southeast Asia, dating back to 2000 BCE. They developed the first alphabet still in use in SE Asia, from which Thai and Lao scripts are derived. Angkor Wat was erected during the peak years of the Khmer Empire, somewhere around 1113 and 1150 CE.

    2) Pol Pot did not want to destroy Angkor Wat. We hired an “unofficial” guide who told us that the Khmer Rouge tried to blast out the temple, as Pol Pot’s aim was to abolish all cultural forms and start civilization anew. A new civilization without architecture. There was one exception, however: Angkor Wat (and other Khmer temples). “These buildings had a useful nationalist symbolism with which to bind people to the [Khmer Rouge] regime, while at the same time being temporally distinct from a living culture marked for destruction” (source: The Destruction of Memory: Architecture at War. Robert Bevan).

    3) The dancing girls are deities. There are more than 1,796 depictions of apsaras (dancing nymphs). These celestial dancing girls are characters from Indian mythology and, the story goes, were used by the gods to seduce mythological demons, heroes, and ascetics. If the girl is not dancing, she is called a devata.

    4) Average income in Cambodia is around $3 USD per day. Please keep this in mind as children and adults swarm towards you at the entrance of the Angkor temples trying to sell you postcards, artwork, textiles. Don’t get irritated. Think about how it is possible to have such an imbalance of income in the world.

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  37. Siem Reap is one of amazing place to visit. So far this is one of the most descriptive post on Siem Reap that I have seen. Thanks for sharing it.

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  38. Hi Michelle, great comprehensive post. You had a very different experience, coming with your family.
    Our friends put the fear of death in us about mosquitos the first time we went, so we were on meds and also clothed in pants and long sleeves in 95 degree heat.
    I just posted about my experiences –
    http://visit50.com/amazing-angkor-wat/

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  39. if you go to cambodia i suggest to visit koh rong island! is an half desert island, very paceful place! you can find info and accommodation on www.kohrongisland.org

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  40. I visited Angkor Wat in 1994 when landmines were still a real problem! It was one of my solo travels and I did exactly what I wanted, no compromise. However I would LOVE to take my children there and you've made some very good points, particularly seeing Angkor first! #GlobalKids

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  41. I love all of your tips and really want to visit with my three kids. It really made me smile, your son's comment about the temples...and then you visited 5 more! So funny, I can imagine mine saying something similar! Love the photo swinging on the tree root. Sokha Angkor Resort looks fabulous - that pool!!

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  42. What an informative post - so much insight and info. I had a little chuckle to myself about your son moaning about all the temples... I felt a bit like that too after my third day at Angkor Wat (after a month in SE Asia). Love all the tips for taking kids. Am planning on taking mine there one day #globalkids

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  43. Great post! Do check out our Top 7 Things to do and Attractions in Siem Reap Cambodia as well!

    Happy Travels Everyone!

    Tom,
    2bearbear.com

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  44. Awesome post! Check out these 5 recommended restaurants and food to eat in Siem Reap Cambodia as well!

    Happy Travels Everyone!

    Tom,
    2bearbear.com

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  45. really an amazing places siem reap, there is lot of Things to do Siem Reap attractions, fun places and many more.

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  46. Hi :) Just happened to stumble across your blog while doing research to promote the new Cambodia War Remnant Museum. We're just getting started but if you're coming back to Siem Reap please stop in for a visit - we're right by the temples (and maybe your children will find the whole experience a bit more interesting now that they're a couple years older). Our guides are all veterans of the war, so it's definitely an educational experience being able to listen to their stories. We're just getting started with our site, but check it out if you can http://warrmc.com. Thanks so much!

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  47. Hi, I just go through your article and it is just awesome. Blog is very informative and it contains all activities which attracts me more to visit Malaysia. well, Malaysia is one of my favorite city so all recommendations which you have provided will be helpful to me for planning tour. Thank You.

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  48. Interesting post as it is mentioning about almost anything from A to Z. My concern is to establish a platform to which let anyone share their idea about what they LOVE about Cambodia. I may inspire from some of your posts soon.

    Hamid @ https://www.cambodianprivatetours.com/cambodia-tours

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