Siem Reap surprised us. We'd added it to a longer trip almost as an afterthought, half-worried that ancient temples and small children would be a difficult mix. Instead it turned out to be one of the most memorable stops we've made in Southeast Asia — warm, welcoming, easy to get around, and far more child-friendly than its reputation for solemn ruins suggests. Here's how to make the most of it as a family.
Doing Angkor With Kids
The temples of Angkor are the reason most people come, and they're every bit as extraordinary as the photos promise. The secret to enjoying them with children is to go early, go small and go slow. Buy a three-day pass rather than trying to cram everything into one exhausting morning, and treat each visit as a short adventure — an hour or two among the tumbled stones of Ta Prohm, where trees grow straight through the ruins, will delight kids far more than a forced march around the entire complex. Bring plenty of water, hats and snacks, and be back at the hotel pool by lunchtime before the heat peaks.
Where to Base Yourselves
Siem Reap has a lovely range of family-friendly places to stay, from smart pool hotels a few minutes from the temples to relaxed guesthouses with gardens. I'd prioritise a good pool above almost everything else, because the afternoons are hot and a swim is the natural counterweight to a morning of sightseeing. Many hotels here are genuinely warm with children and happy to arrange a tuk-tuk with a driver for the day, which is the most fun and flexible way to explore. Staying a short ride from the centre keeps you close to restaurants without being in the thick of the busier lanes.
Beyond the Temples
There's more to Siem Reap than Angkor, and the non-temple days were some of our favourites. A boat trip out to the floating villages on the Tonlé Sap opens children's eyes to a completely different way of life. The town itself is walkable and friendly, with markets, a circus that tells Cambodian stories through acrobatics, and cafés that welcome families warmly. Cambodian food is gentle and approachable for young palates too — plenty of rice, noodles and mild curries that fussy eaters will happily tuck into.
Give Siem Reap three or four unhurried days and it rewards you with the rare combination of genuine wonder and genuine ease — a place where children clamber over thousand-year-old temples in the morning and splash in the pool by afternoon, and everyone comes home with stories.
