With a young child in tow, we travelled between Siem Reap and Phnom Penh, discovering a more fluid way to experience Cambodia.
Lead photograph by Régis Binard Photography
Travel in Cambodia often begins with a choice: Phnom Penh or Siem Reap. Increasingly, though, there is another way to approach it, not as a decision, but as a journey between the two.
Linking both cities is a name long woven into the country’s story: Raffles. With two landmark hotels dating back to the early 20th century, the hotels offer a natural thread between Phnom Penh and Siem Reap.
We built our recent trip around that idea, with immersive stays at both properties and a fascinating drive in between, our five-year-old in tow.
Checking in: Raffles Grand Hotel d’Angkor
Just over two hours from Hong Kong with daily flights on Cathay Pacific, our first stop is Siem Reap. A short drive from the airport, Raffles Grand Hotel d’Angkor sits within 15 acres of beautifully landscaped French gardens just beyond the centre of town. Originally built in 1932 to welcome the first travellers to Angkor, it remains one of the city’s most established addresses.
Like most visitors, we are here to explore the temples, and Raffles makes it possible to do so in extreme comfort.
Rooms lean into that heritage, think high ceilings, polished wood floors and marble bathrooms, with views over gardens or the landmark pool. Even the original cage elevator remains, restored, gliding between floors as it has for decades.
In the room, a tent had been set up for our daughter, which made a lasting impression. A handmade buffalo toy on the bed, created in collaboration with a local charity, quickly became a companion on our visits to the temples. There were other touches too, a butler who ensured we were always looked after, warm milk and personalised cupcakes before bed, an excellent children’s menu, and a complimentary programme of immersive cultural activities, which we dip into later.
Angkor, at your own pace
Mornings here begin early. There’s the option of sunrise yoga, led by a teacher who first discovered the practice through an organisation that once visited her orphanage.
Afterwards, a champagne breakfast on the terrace, eggs, tropical fruit and local dishes, feels entirely justified before heading out to Angkor Wat, best seen at first light before the heat builds. Raffles can arrange more elaborate experiences, from off-the-beaten-track Vespa tours through the temples to breakfast picnics along the way, but with a young child, a tuk tuk for a few hours, taken at our own pace, is more than enough.
Back at the hotel, afternoons are slower. Time is best spent lazing by the expansive swimming pools, or on the tennis courts once the air begins to cool. There’s also the hotel’s programme of complimentary experiences, from lotus flower folding, unexpectedly calming, to cocktail-making with the in-house gin master.
One morning, the hotel arranges for a monk to visit for a traditional Cambodian water blessing, known as Srouch Teok, chanting low and rhythmic as lotus-infused water is poured and sprinkled over us. Our daughter, initially unsure, sits quietly through it all, leaving with a woven bracelet she refuses to take off.
The journey south
On the third morning, we set off on the five-hour drive south to Phnom Penh. Raffles arranges a driver, and the journey becomes part of the experience.
Just outside Siem Reap, we stop at Spean Praptos, a 12th-century Angkorian bridge still standing today. Further along, trays of fried tarantulas sit by the roadside, offered for a dollar each, our driver noting, with a smile, that even that is expensive.
The countryside unfolds, villages, roadside stalls, long stretches of green. By the time we arrive, Phnom Penh feels like a different country entirely.
Phnom Penh: Raffles Hotel Le Royal
In contrast, the capital moves quickly, which makes the calm of Raffles Hotel Le Royal all the more striking.
Set within tropical gardens in the centre of the city, it feels like a kind of protected tranquillity. Frangipani trees, shaded walkways and a pool framed by dense greenery.
Having stayed here last year, what stands out immediately is how naturally families are considered. Under the guidance of the recently appointed General Manager, Dagmar Lyons, a number of thoughtful additions have been introduced, garden lawn games, croquet, table tennis, skittles and board games spread across the grounds, alongside an indoor playroom created from a converted guest room, complete with an extensive range of toys and a small children’s library. It offers a cool, quiet retreat when needed.
Elsewhere, the details continue, with colouring books and pots of sharpened pencils appearing in every corner of the restaurants and lobby.
Read more: A Stay at Raffles Hotel Le Royal
From slow mornings to city afternoons
The rooms are spacious and elegant, leaning into the hotel’s heritage, with colonial furnishings and subtle Cambodian details, reinforcing the hotel’s position as one of the city’s grandest addresses.
A beautifully packaged children’s wellness kit is laid out on arrival, silk eye masks and sleep oils for us, and a menu of complimentary homemade chocolates available at any hour with a call to your butler, as is tea and coffee, and a rose petal drawn bath and warm milk or chamomile tea just before bed.
Breakfast is a highlight. Recently moved to an à la carte format, it’s worth lingering over, fresh juices, fruit and pastries from a roaming trolley, followed by an extensive selection of dishes, from smoked fish and local favourites to piled-high pancakes, all made to order. And, of course, Champagne, if the mood allows.
After breakfast, the hotel’s complimentary tuk tuk drop-off service makes exploring the city feel effortless, and really rather chic. My first stop is always Street 240, a calmer stretch of boutiques and cafés, before heading to the Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda, or the National Museum. There are also some lovely playgrounds dotted about the city and for something more reflective, Tuol Sleng and the Killing Fields offer a historical yet sobering perspective.
Fit for a princess
Back at the hotel, moments feel distinctly Raffles. To our surprise, afternoon tea is taken in the company of Princess Norodom Chansita, niece of the current King and a Raffles ambassador, an animated storyteller whose presence brings a more personal perspective to both the hotel and the country itself.
That connection extends further. The hotel’s sense of responsibility runs deep, reflected in its work with organisations such as Sunrise Cambodia, a long-running children’s charity on the outskirts of the city. During our stay, we visited the children living there with gifts thoughtfully arranged by the hotel team and General Manager, offering an important perspective for our daughter on lives beyond her own.
By evening, the hotel takes on a different energy. The Elephant Bar remains Phnom Penh’s most enduring watering hole, its history woven into the fabric of the city, often with live music or a pianist setting the tone. The Femme Fatale, created for Jacqueline Kennedy when she stayed in 1967, still holds its place on the menu.
Dinner at Restaurant Le Royal feels like stepping into another era. Beneath a hand-painted ceiling, with candlelight and arched windows opening onto the gardens, the room carries a sense of occasion that rarely exists today. The menu moves between royal Khmer recipes and more contemporary dishes, with moments of theatre throughout, from the bread trolley to a tableside crêpe suzette.
A journey that holds together
Both properties have recently been awarded MICHELIN Keys, a recognition of what Raffles continues to do well, creating places that feel both rooted and gently evolving. My daughter, meanwhile, is more direct, declaring that Raffles serve the best spaghetti bolognese ever.
Cambodia is changing quickly. Against that, Raffles offers something more constant, a thread of history and an evolving elegance that connects the two cities.
Friends were surprised we travelled five hours overland with a young child. In reality, it was the making of the trip. From monk blessings to tuk tuk rides, time spent with local children, afternoons by the pool, cupcakes in a tent and chocolates on demand, this trip was immersive in all the right ways. And that, ultimately, is why we travel with children.
Indeed, the hotels are leaning further into this idea, with newly launched experiences designed to connect the two properties more intentionally, including A Tale of Two Cities, a seven-day journey across Siem Reap and Phnom Penh. For more information, click here.
Quick Facts:
- Flight time: 2.5-3 hours from Hong Kong
- Time difference: +1 hour
- Currency: USD widely accepted
- Visa: Available on arrival for many passport holders
- Best for: Families with children age 4+
- Best months: November to March (perfect Hong Kong winter escape)
Raffles Grand Hotel d’Angkor, 1 Vithei Charles de Gaulle, Khum Svay Dangkum, 17252 Siem Reap, Cambodia. (855) 63 963 888 bookus.siemreap@raffles.com
Raffles Hotel Le Royal, 92 Rukhak Vithei Daun Penh, Sangkat Wat Phnom, Phnom Penh, Cambodia. (855) 23 981 888 bookus.phnompenh@raffles.com
