Cambodia Family Adventure: Temples, Tuk-tuks & Island Fun

Today the whole family explores the temples of Angkor, a real-life adventure. You visit Angkor Wat, the largest religious monument on earth, exploring its vast galleries carved with gods, demons and armies as your guide brings the legends alive for young imaginations. You continue to the walled royal city of Angkor Thom, entering through its giant stone gateway to reach the Bayon, whose towers bear more than two hundred huge, smiling stone faces that delight children, and walk the Terrace of the Elephants. The pace is gentle, with breaks, cold drinks and shade. The sense of discovery is thrilling for all ages. As the day ends you return to your hotel for a swim and a rest. This evening, savour a relaxed family dinner in Siem Reap. Rest well, for tomorrow brings the jungle temple and the circus.

Today you explore the famous jungle temple and the great lake. At Ta Prohm you clamber past enormous silk-cotton and strangler fig trees whose roots pour over the ancient ruins like a film set, a magical adventure for children. In the afternoon you cruise the vast Tonle Sap lake to a floating village, where whole communities, including children paddling to school, live on the water, a fascinating, eye-opening experience for the family. The temples and the lake are captivating and full of wonder. As the day ends you return to Siem Reap. This evening is a highlight, tickets to the dazzling Phare Cambodian Circus, a joyful show of acrobatics, juggling and storytelling by inspiring young Cambodian artists, thrilling children and grown-ups alike. Rest well, for tomorrow you journey to Battambang and its famous bamboo train.

Today you journey by road to Battambang, Cambodia's charming, laid-back second city, set amid green countryside and colonial-era architecture. The scenic drive passes rice paddies, sugar-palm trees and villages, a window on rural Cambodian life. On arrival the highlight for the family is a ride on the famous bamboo train, a rickety, ingenious little wooden platform on wheels that whizzes along an old railway track through the countryside, an exhilarating and giggly adventure. At dusk you witness one of nature's great spectacles as a million bats stream out of a mountain cave in a vast, swirling ribbon across the sky. The fun and wonder are unforgettable. As the day ends you settle into your hotel in Battambang. This evening, savour a relaxed family dinner. Rest well, for tomorrow you journey on to the capital, Phnom Penh.

This morning you explore a little more of charming Battambang, perhaps its lovely countryside, fruit farms and workshops making rice paper and dried bananas, or its French colonial streets, before journeying on by road to Phnom Penh, Cambodia's vibrant riverside capital. The drive gives another window on rural Cambodian life. On arrival in the capital, set where the Mekong and Tonle Sap rivers meet, you settle into your hotel and take a first, breezy tuk-tuk spin along the lively riverfront, watching the city buzz to life around you. The countryside and the energy of the capital are captivating. As the day ends, the family relaxes after the journey. This evening, savour Phnom Penh's excellent, child-friendly dining, perhaps overlooking the river. Rest well, for tomorrow you explore the glittering Royal Palace and the fun of the capital.

Today the family explores vibrant Phnom Penh by tuk-tuk, the fun way to get around. You visit the beautiful Royal Palace, still home to the king, with its elegant golden-roofed pavilions and gardens, and the dazzling Silver Pagoda, whose floor is laid with thousands of silver tiles. You buzz by tuk-tuk to the bustling Central Market, under its great yellow dome, to hunt for souvenirs and treats, and perhaps visit Wat Phnom, the hilltop temple that gave the city its name. Parents may add a respectful, optional visit to the country's moving history. The palace, markets and tuk-tuk rides are captivating and fun for all ages. As the day ends you enjoy a sunset cruise on the Mekong, watching the city lights come on. This evening, savour a family dinner. Rest well, for tomorrow you fly to the island of Koh Rong.

Today you fly south to Cambodia's beautiful coast and take a boat to the idyllic island of Koh Rong, the family's tropical reward. From the port near Sihanoukville you board a speedboat across the warm, clear sea, watching the water turn brilliant turquoise and jungle-cloaked islands rise ahead, ringed by dazzling white sand. On arrival you settle into your beachfront resort, feeling the soft sand underfoot, and the children race straight to the warm, gentle sea. The transition from temples and cities to island paradise is blissful. Spend the rest of the day swimming, building sandcastles and watching your first island sunset. This evening, enjoy a beach barbecue of fresh seafood under the stars, and perhaps spot the glowing bioluminescent sea. Rest well, lulled by the waves, with two more island days to come.

Today the family enjoys the powder-white sands and turquoise sea of Koh Rong. The children can swim in the warm, gentle, crystal-clear water, build sandcastles, and paddle kayaks through the shallows, while everyone can snorkel over colourful coral reefs alive with tropical fish on a boat trip to a beautiful bay, perhaps at Koh Rong Samloem, the quieter sister island. The laid-back beach restaurants serve fresh seafood, tropical fruit and cool drinks, and there is space for children to run and play safely. The warm sea, soft sand and gentle pace are pure family bliss. As the day ends, you watch a glorious island sunset, and on a clear night may swim among the glowing bioluminescent plankton. This evening, savour a relaxed island dinner. Rest well to the sound of the waves, with one more beach day tomorrow.

Today the family enjoys a final, blissful day on beautiful Koh Rong, entirely at your own pace. The children can swim, snorkel, kayak and play on the sand, while parents relax under the palms with a book or a spa treatment, and everyone can simply savour the island paradise. You might walk a jungle trail to a quieter beach, take a last boat trip, or do nothing at all but enjoy the warm sea and soft sand. This flexible day lets the whole family soak up the beauty and fun of Cambodia's islands before the journey home. As the day ends, you watch a last magnificent island sunset over the sea. This evening, savour a farewell seafood dinner on the beach, reflecting on your Cambodian adventure. Rest well, carrying happy family memories, ahead of your departure tomorrow.

After a final morning on beautiful Koh Rong, perhaps a last family swim in the warm turquoise sea or a quiet walk along the sand, you take a speedboat back to the mainland near Sihanoukville and transfer to the airport for your onward departure, via Phnom Penh or Siem Reap. Your family leaves having shared a wonderful adventure through Cambodia, clambering through the temples of Angkor, cruising to a floating village, cheering at the circus, riding the bamboo train, watching a million bats, buzzing about by tuk-tuk, seeing the Royal Palace, and playing on the beaches of Koh Rong, all warmed by the famous kindness of the Cambodian people, who adore children. The images stay vivid, giant stone faces, jungle temples, the rickety bamboo train, and palm-fringed beaches. Cambodia offers adventure, culture, wildlife and beach fun in abundance, and your family departs already dreaming of a return.