Starting with Intention
After a couple of days of settling in, we felt ready to begin exploring a bit more intentionally.
We had planned to spend about two weeks in Siem Reap so we wouldn’t feel rushed, and having that time built in gave us space to move slowly and balance heavier experiences with plenty of downtime.
Instead of heading straight to the temples, we decided to start by learning.
APOPO: Learning in a Way Kids Could Understand
Our first stop was APOPO.
It’s a center where trained rats are used to detect landmines, and it gave us a perspective we hadn’t fully understood before arriving. The work they’re doing is incredibly precise, and seeing it in person made it feel very real.
It also opened the door to learning more about Cambodia’s recent history in a way that felt approachable for our kids.
Meeting one of the HeroRATs at APOPO—such a unique way to learn about the work being done here.
A Heavier Layer
Not long after, we visited the killing fields.
Only our older children were ready for that experience, so we approached it carefully and kept things age-appropriate.
It’s not something you rush through, and it’s not something you easily explain to children. We answered questions as they came and allowed space for them to process it in their own way.
It shifted the tone of our time there.
There’s a depth to places like this that goes beyond what you see on the surface. Starting our visit this way changed how we understood everything that came after.
Slowing Down & Resetting
After those experiences, we leaned into a few slower days.
We spent time relaxing, exploring at an easy pace, and taking full advantage of the pool during the hotter parts of the day.
Those in-between days mattered.
They gave everyone time to reset before taking in something new.
The in-between moments mattered just as much as the big ones.
A Hands-On Way to Learn
During one of our slower days, my oldest daughter and I joined a Khmer cooking class.
One of my favorite parts—getting to slow down and learn something new together.
It ended up being one of the most approachable ways to experience the culture.
We were able to walk through their onsite garden and see how some of the ingredients were grown, including their mushroom setup. We’ve grown oyster mushrooms at home from a kit before, but it was neat to see a larger operation in action.
Cooking the dishes ourselves made the whole experience more engaging, and it gave my daughter the chance to work more independently—building confidence while learning new skills along the way.
She definitely gained some confidence in the kitchen that day.
The class itself was small, which made it feel relaxed, and the other travelers we met added to the experience.
At the end, we visited a local market, which gave us a glimpse into where the ingredients come from and how people shop day to day.
A quick stop at a local market to see where everything comes from.
It was a simple experience, but one that stayed with us.
The Angkor Museum
After a bit of that rhythm, we decided to visit the Angkor Museum to learn more before heading out to the temples.
It ended up being a really helpful step.
Taking time to understand what we were about to see made a big difference.
Instead of going in without much context, we were able to better understand what we were seeing—how the temples were built, the history behind them, and why they matter.
For the kids, it helped turn what could have just been “another place to walk through” into something more meaningful.
Visiting the Temples (With Kids)
By the time we made it here, it felt different.
By the time we made it to the temples, the experience felt different.
We weren’t just walking through beautiful structures—we had a better sense of what we were looking at and why it mattered.
That said, visiting with kids still requires balance.
There’s a lot to take in—especially with kids.
There’s a lot of walking, a lot of heat, and only so much attention span in a day.
We kept things simple, didn’t try to do too much at once, and gave ourselves permission to leave when it felt like enough.
Visiting Angkor was also when having a driver like Mr. Sokhom made things easier.
When the heat started to build and everyone was getting a little tired and irritable, he had a way of shifting the mood.
At one point, he started tossing helicopter seed pods with our son, showing him how to get them to spin just right. It turned into a small moment of trading and trying again until they found the ones that worked best.
It didn’t take much.
But it was enough to reset the tone of the day.
The seed pods ended up becoming a running interaction between him and our son for the rest of the trip.
A Different Way to Experience Angkor
Not every moment in Angkor has to be slow or serious.
While we were exploring the Angkor complex, we decided to try something completely different—ziplining.
It’s set within the grounds of the Angkor area, although you don’t actually see the temples from the course itself.
Still, being out in that landscape in a more active way added something unexpected to our time there.
For the kids, it was a chance to move, reset, and experience the area in a completely different way after days of walking and learning.
Our Take
Taking the time to learn before visiting the temples changed everything for us.
It gave context to what we were seeing and helped the experience feel more connected—not just something to check off, but something to understand.
And for our kids, that made all the difference.
Before You Go
If you’re just getting started with Siem Reap, you can read about our arrival and first impressions here:
Siem Reap with Kids: Arrival, First Impressions & Settling In
The Curious Compass Co.™ 