Cambodia Family Tour
Perhaps Cambodia is perceived as a bit too off-the-beaten-track for a family holiday destination and certainly our Cambodia family tour, Ruined Cities and Tropical Islands, doesn’t compete in popularity with our well-subscribed Thailand family tours, Jungles and Islands or Reefs and Rainforests.
Yet, our Cambodia family tour – actually, Cambodia and Thailand, as the tour finishes on a Thai island – includes a visit to an elephant sanctuary, a unique boat journey through the floating villages of the Sangkar River, an exciting ride on the iconic Bamboo Train and mine-detecting African giant rats as well as the exotic jungle temples of Angkor and serene tropical islands of the Gulf of Thailand.
Preah Khan Temple, Angkor Thailand offers some of the best food to be had anywhere and Cambodia is renowned for having the friendliest residents you’ll find in Southeast Asia, so, combined with some excellent accommodation, we’d say it makes for an enthralling 2-week family holiday that’s hard to beat.
Not too shabby – rooftop view at the Patio Hotel, Phnom Penh. (The infinity pool is just behind) The tour begins in Cambodia’s bustling – even somewhat chaotic – but fun and friendly capital, Phnom Penh. We’re keeping the city tour flexible as, in our opinion, it depends largely upon the age of your kids. Our standard one-day Phnom Penh tour would take in the Royal Palace, iconic Wat Phnom and the famous Russian Market, as well as the equally well-known Genocide Museum – Tuol Sleng – and the Killing Fields site. While we’d say that learning about one of the most notorious periods of recent history is important for older children, it isn’t suitable for kids of every age. (And the two museums don’t spare any details.) This is, ultimately, your shout and alternatives are easily arranged. A half-day tour followed by a trip out to Koh Dach – a nearby island in the Mekong River known for its silk weaving – for example, while the fascinating Phanom Tamao Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre is situated a mere hour or so south of the City. An edited, morning tour followed by some free time getting over jetlag in the hotel pool is also a popular choice.
Phnom Tamao From Phnom Penh, we head across country to Siem Reap. Happily, these days, the road is in very good condition and around 5 hours or so driving time is broken up by plenty of stops and visits on the way. Our accommodation in town has an excellent location, a short walk to the town centre and market and also comes with a pool for the kids. Our standard Angkor programme for families consists of a 2-day tour – rather than trying to squeeze it all into a single day – thus providing a comprehensive, but leisurely, visit. Once again, as this is after all a private tour, the itinerary can easily be tweaked and temple visits can be broken up by a visit to the aforementioned mine-detecting giant rats or the famous ‘Battambang Circus‘ for example. Again, it depends upon the kids and when we took our 5-year-old daughter to Angkor, we couldn’t get her out of some of the temples!
Our third day in Siem Reap includes a morning visit to an elephant sanctuary and an afternoon at leisure. (The following day is a travelling day.) Our boat journey from Siem Reap to Battambang takes most of the day, but the boats are comfortable, spacious, and there are plenty of things to see. Marshes filled with birdlife, the Tonle Sap Lake and its unique floating villages make for an unforgettable trip.
Houseboats on the Sangkar River Our Battambang itinerary represents something a bit different, although our accommodation is a similar style with a small boutique hotel possessing a great pool and particularly friendly staff. The morning includes a ‘cottage industries‘, tuk-tuk tour of local villages, so provides a great opportunity to meet the local residents and learn about their traditional livelihoods. (And of course, there’s the famous Battambang Bamboo Train!)
The next section of our Cambodia family tour is the tropical islands bit, and once again, recent road improvements make the journey to the nearby Thai border and on to Koh Chang relatively painless. There’s an hour and a bit to the border where you’ll wave your Cambodian guide off and change to a Thai minibus, followed by a similar distance to the ferry terminal. The minibus accompanies you on the car ferry before dropping you at the resort reception, so, all very straightforward.
You’ll be on Koh Chang in time for sunset Our choice for Koh Chang is a low-key resort with individual chalets set in a garden giving on to the beach. There’s an excellent in-house restaurant with wonderful sunset views, a great pool and family bungalows are also available if you’re travelling with younger kids. Your last few days on the island are up to you; explore the local area, laze on the beach or by the pool or take a boat tour for some island hopping and/or snorkelling in the surrounding national marine park.
As we said, a Cambodia family tour offering plenty of variety and tons of activities and sights, albeit at a relaxed pace with plenty of downtime. We’d say that definitely ought to keep kids of any age, and of course, not forgetting the parents, interested and entertained.
