What a day! I wanted to fit a lot in, but I wanted to keep the kids happy as well. I am proud to say that Teacher Erin and I rocked it and I think we did both. All four kids were asleep as their heads hit the pillow and I’m right behind them. Here is a quick photo summary of an amazing day in Phnom Penh that would be a great intro to the city for any family:
We woke up early and had breakfast at the hotel, then put on sunscreen, hired a tuk tuk for the day and headed out. We paid our tuk tuk $20 for the day, which is higher than I would usually pay, but there are six of us and I wanted him to be helpful getting the kids in and out and I wanted to keep him through dinner. It worked great and I felt he was worth the money.
We started out the morning with Wat Phnom, one of the city’s main landmarks. A huge Stupa marks this area and around the stupa are many Buddhas and places to place flowers and incense. My kids loved getting incense and then making their wishes.
We spent a little while exploring Wat Phnom and dodging the monkeys that call this park home. Some of them appeared less than friendly so we gave them a wide-berth, but they were giggle worthy.
Across the street from Wat Phnom is a fantastic playground. With new equipment and lots of options the kids were very happy here and gave them a break from looking at temples and behaving nicely. There are popcorn sellers at the entrance so it’s a good stop for a play and a mid-morning snack. Callie and I had to head to the embassy so Teacher Erin and the other kids played while we ran to get her passport renewed. We returned and we all got back in the tuk tuk and headed for lunch.
I had read about Le Jardin, but had never tried it. What a gem! Located on quite Street 360 it’s a lovely garden restaurant with a large sandbox, treehouse and toys for the kids. While Erin and I enjoyed a drink the kids played in the sand and enjoyed the shaded treehouse. They had a special where kids could choose a meal of a hamburger, cheeseburger or pizza, a drink and ice cream for $5, easy and not too pricey. I had some great garlic shrimp and Erin enjoyed the Pesto Pasta. Le Jardin also housed a lovely shop called Cheeky Monkey where we found some wonderful hand-made costumes and other beautiful kids clothes. It was the perfect mid-day break!
After lunch we headed to the Royal Palace. I had been a bit nervous of this as my kids were not fans of the Grand Palace in Thailand, but I was wrong. The Cambodian Royal Palace is very manageable in size and it is just a really lovely area. The high walls drown out traffic noise and the landscaping is beautiful. Sray Nut and Chen were very excited to see where the King lives and of course Callie was very excited about anything involving a real life Princess. We explored the Throne Room, the Ramayana Epic on the walls and we all loved the Silver Pagoda with its amazing floor and thousands of Buddha statues.
A couple hours in the heat though and we were all starting to fade so we had the tuk tuk take us to Open Book Library, a non-profit library set up for local children on road 240. Now, Road 240 is another blog post all in itself (shopping, restaurants and chocolate!), but the library was the perfect mid-afternoon break. The kids did puzzles, read books and just enjoyed the shade and fans, it was a really nice time and Erin and I each snuck off to visit a few of the closer boutiques while the kids relaxed. To give them a little treat we stopped next door at Chocolate, an amazing place that does hand-made Belgium chocolate right here in Cambodia!
Our last stop of the day was Sorya Shopping Center. We went to the top floor because we had heard there was roller-skating; there was, but no chance I was letting my kids, or myself, in there. All you have to do is think about the way Cambodians drive…let’s just say they aren’t much better on roller skates! We did have fun watching, and then we let the kids play in the play center and arcade and then wandered back down seeing a “modern” Cambodian mall.
Our trusty tuk tuk dropped us off at the hotel and after a much-needed swim we headed to dinner at my favorite restaurant in Phnom Penh, Friends! Couper didn’t make it past the appetizer, but the rest of us had an amazing dinner (you have to try the honey and garlic meatballs…amazing!).
It was a great day tour, and one we will definitely put on for families traveling with us in the future.
