Culture and Coast: A Luxury Family Adventure Through Cambodia
Your Cambodia family adventure starts in Siem Reap. Take in the scale of Angkor Wat and discover less-visited temples on a forest bike ride. Continue south to Phnom Penh, where you’ll get a feel for the city through its morning rituals, street art and local flavours. Finish your journey on the coast snorkelling over coral reefs and paddleboarding around the islands. Or simply pause for beach days beside the Gulf of Thailand.
Trip highlights
- Gaze at the temples and floating villages of Angkor Wat
- Visit Ta Prohm to see jungle-clad ruins and giant tree roots
- Fly through the rainforest canopy via sky bridges and ziplines
- Taste Khmer specialities at Phnom Penh’s street food stalls
- Paddleboard past alabaster beaches in the Gulf of Thailand
- Explore the southern islands, snorkelling among tropical fish
Our bespoke trips include
We design one-of-a-kind journeys incorporating luxury in all its forms. Our bespoke trips include:
- Luxury accommodation throughout
- Privately guided tours
- Private transfers
- Meticulously selected experiences
- Expertise and support from your Jacada Concierge
Itinerary in detail
Every Jacada trip is tailored to your personal preferences and interests. Below you’ll find a sample itinerary to inspire your own custom-designed journey.
Days 1–4
Tour Siem Reap’s incredible temple complexes
In northwestern Cambodia, Siem Reap is the starting point for exploring Angkor Wat and the wider temples of Angkor. Once at the heart of the Khmer Empire, this UNESCO World Heritage Site feels astonishing in scale. Look closely at its carved towers, courtyards and lotus ponds.
We especially recommend cycling through the forest on a family adventure, pausing at quiet temples along the way. At Ta Prohm, known as the Jungle Temple, vines and fig trees wrap around the ruins. Nearby, you can visit the floating villages on Tonlé Sap Lake, where communities have lived on and around the water for generations. Or discover Siem Reap’s dynamic cultural scene, wandering among small art galleries and watching a thought-provoking circus performance.
Where you could stay
Explore more
Canopy tour
Forest cycling
Circus show
Abandoned city
A zipline adventure through the rainforest canopy
The jungle surrounding Angkor Wat adds to its otherworldly beauty. Experience the landscape from a different perspective, high above the ground. Close to the temples, families with children aged five and above can traverse the rainforest canopy across a series of interconnecting platforms, soar on ziplines and cross sky bridges. You’ll also have the chance to abseil down one of the tallest trees.
A forest bike ride to Siem Reap’s quiet temples
Siem Reap is home to dozens of temples. Explore some of its less-visited monuments by bike. You’ll cycle from Srah Srang to jungle-swallowed Ta Prohm, which featured in the 2001 movie Tomb Raider. Pedal on to Ta Nei, often gloriously free of crowds, and pause for breakfast. The final stop is Ta Keo, known as ‘the mountain with bronze peaks’ due to its five-tiered pyramid structure.
An evening of theatrical performance at Phare Circus
Enjoy dinner and a show at Phare Circus during this creative evening. Phare Circus teaches young people from disadvantaged backgrounds circus skills, theatre performance, music and visual arts. It’s a brilliant way for families to learn about Cambodian history through storytelling. Expect acrobatics, juggling, contortion and dance. You’ll also dine at The Nest, an award-winning restaurant focused on Cambodian cuisine.
A scavenger hunt through Angkor Thom
Explore Angkor Thom on a scavenger hunt through its 12th-century walled city. You’ll follow clues, spot carved details and take photographs at each stage to unlock the next part of the trail. Angkor Thom, meaning Great City, was the last capital of the Khmer Empire, with Bayon Temple at its heart. Look out for the huge smiling faces carved into the stone, as well as walls decorated with elephants and scenes from daily life.
Days 4–5
Be immersed in Phnom Penh’s culture and history
Cambodia’s capital, Phnom Penh, sits where the Mekong and Tonlé Sap rivers converge. Explore places such as the Royal Palace, home to Cambodia’s kings since 1866. Or Wat Preah Keo, the Silver Pagoda, where you can see its silver-tiled floor and ornate details. For older children and adults, Choeung Ek offers a sobering but important insight into Cambodia’s recent history and the impact of the Khmer Rouge regime.
Away from the major landmarks, browse Central Market for fresh produce, jewellery and clothing. Or the Russian Market, where stalls are packed with fabrics, souvenirs and antiques.
You’ll also see how varied Cambodian cooking can be. Khmer specialities are served from street carts and increasingly appearing on the menus in elegant restaurants. Taste the national dish, amok trey , which is curried fish, steamed in banana leaves. And look out for vendors selling lok lak – stir-fried beef in a tangy brown sauce – or fried spiders.
Where you could stay
Delve deeper
Ju-jitsu masterclass
Street art
Breakfast tour
A rooftop jiu-jitsu lesson with a national team athlete
Brazilian jiu-jitsu is one of several grassroots sports growing in popularity in Phnom Penh. Learn the basic principles with a private lesson from a member of the national Ju-Jitsu team. At the federation’s rooftop training facility, you’ll be guided through positions while wearing a traditional gi, the durable jacket and trousers worn by competitors. Children and teenagers often have fun trying the movements for themselves. Age suitability is best checked in advance.
A mural walk through Phnom Penh’s neighbourhoods
Phnom Penh’s dynamic arts scene is especially evident in the street murals that brighten buildings and walls throughout the city. Your knowledgeable guide will take you to see more than 30 such works by local and international artists. Afterwards, visit a contemporary art gallery and a smaller space showcasing work by Khmer artists.
A look at how Phnom Penh residents starts each day
Breakfast is a social affair in Phnom Penh. The air fills with chatter and the aromas of specialities like bai sach chrouk (grilled pork over rice, pickled vegetables and chilli) and kuy teav, a noodle soup. You’ll see and taste the city’s morning rituals at small markets and street stalls. Join locals for traditional breakfast dishes and snacks, learning about the history and influences behind each bite.
Days 5–9
Discover the islands and beaches of Coastal Cambodia
Rainforest-clad mountains, mangroves and beaches line Cambodia’s coast along the Gulf of Thailand. In the south, the coastline opens onto the Koh Rong archipelago, where private resorts such as Song Saa sit among largely undeveloped islands. Sihanoukville is the main coastal city. And Kep has French-style villas, a traditional crab market and quiet coastal paths for slower walks by the sea.
Across the final few days of your Cambodia itinerary, the pace slows without losing the adventure. Explore the mangroves surrounding Koh Kong, or go island-hopping around Koh Rong, visiting dazzlingly white beaches and snorkelling around coral reefs. End the day on one of the west-facing beaches to watch the sky shift through sunset colours as you reflect on the journey all together.
Where you could stay
Song Saa Private Island Resort
On the water
SUP tour
Reef snorkelling
Bioluminescence
A relaxed family paddle around Koh Rong
Accompanied by an expert guide, you’ll explore the islands around Koh Rong on stand-up paddleboards. Glide through turquoise-tinted waters and pass stretches of white sand, backed by palm trees and rainforest. As part of Cambodia’s first marine national park, this is a great chance for children and adults to learn about the coral reefs, seagrass beds and mangrove forests found around the islands.
A snorkelling experience in Cambodia’s southern islands
Coastal Cambodia’s clear waters and coral reefs make this a wonderful place for snorkelling. On this private tour, head out to prime spots around the southern islands to look for the area’s marine life. You might see barracuda, parrotfish and damselfish. Along with sea turtles or tiny seahorses among the coral.
A bioluminescence boat trip from Song Saa
Witnessing bioluminescence is one of those experiences you won’t forget when conditions are right. On moonless nights, phosphorescent plankton can illuminate the water around Song Saa, creating glimmers of light across the dark sea. On a boat trip from the island, cruise out to see this natural phenomenon up close. You’ll also have the opportunity to swim through the glowing water.
We took a ten-day four-person family vacation in Cambodia and were very very pleased with the planning and the result. Phnom Penh, driving, touring, daily guided destinations and guides... all were exceptional. Our trip was a huge success. We saw Phnom Penh, Siem Reap and temples in and around Phnom Penh all the way to Siem Reap and beyond, bazaar…
Why book with Jacada
Personalised design
We’ll plan your trip around your personal interests, tastes and preferences, providing honest advice based on first-hand knowledge.
Authentic experiences
Our expert guides and brilliant Concierges are hand-picked for their ability to bring your destination to life with care and passion.
Positive Impact
We seek out unforgettable experiences that benefit both local communities and the environment.
