I will be travelling to Bangkok, Siem Reap, Vietnam and Singapore for 6 weeks at the end of march 2009 with my husband and 4 year old son. Due to the rediciulous price of airfares from bangkok to SR we are now flying to PP and geting a private car and driver to take us to SR. We will overnight in PP as the air asia flight doesn%26#39;t get in until 1600. I am undecided if we should spend the next day in PP and then go to SR or just go to SR the next day. We will be in SR for 5 nights. My son is very aware and asks a lot of questions so the killing fields and S21 are out for us. Plus I have been to a concentration camp in Austria so don%26#39;t feel the need to see more of the worlds attrocities. If anyone has an opinion it would be greatly welcomed, especially those who have been to PP with small children. Is it worth the extra night and is there anything worth looking at. The museum looks like it would be worth while. Thanks so much for the help.
Do we go to PP with a 4 year old
Hi Chester
Phnom Penh is a fascinating little city and would be suitable to bring your 4-year old son. Definitely skip the war memorials, instead take him to see the Imperial Palace and the Silver Pavilion next door, and then down the road a bit to Wat Phnom, a cool little temple right in the city. At that temple you can often see monkeys, and there is an elephant always stationed there for riding, which might interest your son. Central Market is also just a short walk away (or tuk-tuk ride if it%26#39;s too hot that day) or if you prefer somethigng tamer, Sorya Market is a good example of a smaller version of a modern Asian shopping mall.
Do we go to PP with a 4 year old
Wait until he is old enough.
Maybe at 5 years of age.
Thanks for getting back to me. Sounds interesting so we shall stay the extra day.
Kids can have a ball in Phnom Penh (as in Cambodia generally).
Wat Phnom is a good destination, as another poster has mentioned already. During the day, Sambo the elephant is usually there -- rides are US$5 I think, but it%26#39;s pretty high up for a 4-year old...and it should be enough fun just to watch Sambo eat and hang out.
Also near Wat Phnom is a recently-installed (few months old) play area for small kids - slides, tunnels, etc. Best to go in early morning or late afternoon (mid-day will be too hot).
The riverfront can be fun and around sunset (say, from 5 pm on), Hun Sen Park (along Sihanouk Blvd, from the Independence Monument to Sothearos, then north to the Palace) to watch all the kite-flying, informal football games, kids playing, etc. There%26#39;s a fountain (between the Vietnam Friendship Monument and the Palace) that has a sound and light show starting just after dark.
If it%26#39;s getting too hot, head for one of the kid play zones in the air-conditioned malls - try the one at Paragon. Or check out Le Jardin cafe/bistro on St 360 between Sts 51 and 57: the kids eat ice cream and play in the sandpit / slide / treehouse, while the parents relax with coffee / brunch / etc. If it%26#39;s too hot, head to air-con Fresco cafe (corner of St 51 %26amp; St 306) which has a kids%26#39; playroom and doesn%26#39;t charge for babyccino (foamed milk in an espresso cup, with some chocolate sprinked on top).
Try to get a hotel with a pool (especially as by end-March/April it will be HOT). If you can%26#39;t afford it, then note that many hotels will let you use their pool for a fee/minimum food %26amp; bev charge.
Other things that kids love: tuk-tuk rides, green coconuts (stick in a straw and drink the juice), monks...
Enjoy!
Kids can have a ball in Phnom Penh (as in Cambodia generally).
Wat Phnom is a good destination, as another poster has mentioned already. During the day, Sambo the elephant is usually there -- rides are US$5 I think, but it%26#39;s pretty high up for a 4-year old...and it should be enough fun just to watch Sambo eat and hang out.
Also near Wat Phnom is a recently-installed (few months old) play area for small kids - slides, tunnels, etc. Best to go in early morning or late afternoon (mid-day will be too hot).
The riverfront can be fun and around sunset (say, from 5 pm on), Hun Sen Park (along Sihanouk Blvd, from the Independence Monument to Sothearos, then north to the Palace) to watch all the kite-flying, informal football games, kids playing, etc. There%26#39;s a fountain (between the Vietnam Friendship Monument and the Palace) that has a sound and light show starting just after dark.
If it%26#39;s getting too hot, head for one of the kid play zones in the air-conditioned malls - try the one at Paragon. Or check out Le Jardin cafe/bistro on St 360 between Sts 51 and 57: the kids eat ice cream and play in the sandpit / slide / treehouse, while the parents relax with coffee / brunch / etc. If it%26#39;s too hot, head to air-con Fresco cafe (corner of St 51 %26amp; St 306) which has a kids%26#39; playroom and doesn%26#39;t charge for babyccino (foamed milk in an espresso cup, with some chocolate sprinked on top).
Try to get a hotel with a pool (especially as by end-March/April it will be HOT). If you can%26#39;t afford it, then note that many hotels will let you use their pool for a fee/minimum food %26amp; bev charge.
Other things that kids love: tuk-tuk rides, green coconuts (stick in a straw and drink the juice), monks...
Enjoy!
Hi Mal67
Thanks for the really great tips. We are also going to SR and to Angkor Wat so is there anything else in SR we which would be great for my son. Thought we would go to the butterfly restaurant.
No comments:
Post a Comment