10 Best Things To Do in Siem Reap, Cambodia with Kids

The weather of most countries in Southeast Asia is the same with 2 seasons: rainy season and sunny season. Therefore, it is not hard to choose the best time to visit Siem Reap. The dry northeast monsoon season runs from December through April, while the southwest monsoon from May to November brings wet weather and high humidity. Following this weather, the best time to visit Siem Reap is from December to April when the time of sunny and it is not too hot compared to the period from May onwards, but start from mid-July to October may have rainy with a little bit of muddy in temple sites. Since the weather in Siem Reap is hot in the daytime, so, you should bring much water along the way of your journey. Now, we start to discover what do Siem Reap has for your family trip.

The first place that everyone always thinks about when mentioned Siem Reap is the complex of Angkor Wat temples. Therefore, your family could not miss this place when traveling to Siem Reap. Bring your kids to visit the Angkor Thom complex where your family will explore the fascinating beauty of Bayon Temple and the world-famous Ta Prohm Temple (Tomb-Raider Temple). Absolutely, your kids will marvel at the enormous and beautiful Angkor Wat Temple, one of the largest religious monuments in the world. However, a small note that your family should wear properly when visiting this place since this is temples and you should give some respect to wear the clothes to cover your shoulders and your knees.

Phnom Kulen (literally Mountain of the Lychees) is a gorgeous destination that you should spend a day to explore the nature here. There is Kulen Waterfall, the River of a Thousand Lingas, and the Reclining Buddha in this place. It is suitable for a day out trip with your family to immerse the spectacular scene even though on the way there or the mountainous scenic of Kulen Waterfall. Following lush jungle trails and seeing ancient temples and pagodas, then cool off from the trek with a dip in the cool and clear waters of the waterfall, before you head up to the River of a Thousand Lingas, a sacred river filled with holy water. Let’s the kids to admire the intricate carvings on the sandstone riverbanks and splash some water on your hands and face, which gives them good luck and health according to the locals. Climb up some more for a look at the reclining Buddha, a massive sandstone sculpture and one of the biggest of its kind in Cambodia! However, this trip is not suitable for kids from 0-9 years old, since there are so many rough terrain on the way.

If you want to explore more about the culture and traditions of Cambodia with the easiest way that your kids also can understand and interested in. You should think about the Angkor Dynasty Show that will bring the kids to dive deep into the vibrant history and culture of Cambodia. The show was created with the show’s International world-class production, high-tech visual effects, and riveting performances by its powerhouse cast! Set in the new $35M-worth Angkor Grand Theater, the show will keep you thrilled and on edge with its panoramic visual effects. Your family might even get a chance to be part of the show with the cast’s interactive performance! Don’t forget to take some photos after the show to keep this moment in your family album!

Exploring the countryside of Siem Reap in a different way with Quad Bike, why not try one time? This ride allows the kids from 6 years old can join together with parents in a tandem ride. You should take this chance to be so cool in front of your kids when driving these Quad Bike and send them through rural villages and communities, including a visit to the rice paddy field. Visiting Cambodian Buddhist monasteries, and one of the lesser-known temples built even before Angkor Wat! This activity is quite suitable for family and kids, you couldn’t miss it!

Spend a day to live like Tarzan in the jungle with your kids in Siem Reap, would you like to try? Testing your kids’ brave with zipline located deep inside the Angkor Enterprise complex, you can select some options of choosing between a full course of zipline adventures or a custom one. This breathtaking experience will have you flying up to over 15 trees, 21 platforms, numerous single and double ziplines, sky bridges, and more. There will be a guidance of world-class staff who will accompany you to ensure your absolute safety, you’ll also learn about the amazing wildlife within the park, and hear of interesting stories about the location. Your family also can combine to visit temples inside the Angkor Enterprise after join in these Angkor Zipline activity and you need to buy Angkor Passes onsite for your visit.

Finding something to do with your kids when traveling in another country is an unforgettable moment between parents and children. In Siem Reap, you can join in Khmer Ceramics Pottery Class to do a pottery thing by yourself and bring home after this trip like a unique souvenir. Put on your apron and create masterpieces that embody the true Khmer spirit at a ceramic pottery class with your kids. The instructor will help to make your very own Angkorian bowl and start carving Khmer designs to your creations to make them even more unique. You don’t need to have any special skills for this activity, the teacher will know how to help you with this cultural discovery!

Most of the museums are not allow for touching and taking photos, but you can do both these functions when you are visiting the ArtBox Trick Art Museum in Siem Reap. The kids definitely will like this place where they can be a part of the pictures and take many photos as they can. Let’s the imagination of your kids go further when your family joins in this museum with more than 130 lifelike art pieces inside the museum, each sure to make for impressive photos. The museum can be enjoyed both alone and in groups, and it would be better when you are here with your family so, you will have many unique family photos in your album.

The dragon boat is a part of Cambodia culture, they even have the Long Dragon boat race in water festival and this event attracts millions of participants every year. Since your family is in Siem Reap, you should take this chance to ride this tradition boat at least one time. This would be great if you take the dragon boat at Angkor Thom and watch the sunset with your loved ones! The kids will marvel at the gorgeous sunset over the ancient city of Angkor Wat. Witness an amazing transition of over 50 statues lined up and decorating Angkor Thom as you cruise the surrounding lake inside the park. Don’t forget to bring a camera with you to capture picturesque and Instagram-worthy shots during this tour.

“Phare: The Cambodian Circus” is an offshoot project of Phare Ponleu Selpak (PPS Association), which translates as “Brightness of the Arts.” The PPS Association is a Cambodian non-profit, non-governmental association, founded in 1994 by 8 young Cambodian ex-refugee artists from Anchanh Village, Ochar Commune in Battambang Province. Enjoying this show with your kids to explore an amazing blend of traditional and modern theater, music, dance, acrobatics, juggling and contortion, all beautifully choreographed. Also, you can help to contribute to developing the careers of Cambodian artists, with the aim of reviving the nation’s art scene, making worldwide connections, and contributing to artistic, educational, and social programs.

The floating market is a part of the Khmer tradition, and it would be an omission when you are traveling to the Khmer country without join in this activity. You can book a simple floating market tour to explore this culture in 4 hours with your family on a boat ride through Tonle Sap lake. The Tonle Sap lake is the largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia and the richest fishing lake in the world. The trip to the lake is long 14 kilometers. You will travel past many rice paddies along the way, and see the magnificent Cambodian countryside. Then you will get to the entry to the river that they prepare the private boats waiting for you to take you to and around the floating village. You will onboard the boat and downstream through the lake and immerse in the lifetime of local people and buy something if you want.

Traveling to Siem Reap with your family is not a big challenge when you can refer to some recommendations above and list out in your plan. Don’t only think about Angkor Wat in Siem Reap, you have so many other things to do with your kids here. Base on your kids’ age, you can design a suitable itinerary with your family to have the best moment when you travel to this city in Cambodia.