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phnom penh for kids

Things to do with kids in Phnom Penh

9 December 2014 by Nathalie Abejero 2 Comments

On this last stretch of our time here in Cambodia, we’ve met a lot of new families with questions on what to do with their kids in the city. “Good luck” pops initially to mind. Activity generally means access to some space and fresh air for a bit of exercise. But to be fair, there are plenty of day trip options:

  • Cambodia Country Club – They have a pool, play tennis and other sports, ride horses etc.
  • Soun Soben Resort, where they have stocked fish ponds, a pool for the kids, caged animals and lots of running space
  • Phnom Tahmao Wildlife Rescue Center – This place is fantastic and I can’t recommend a day trip here enough. In the time I’ve been here the guys there have done incredible work rehabilitating trafficked or injured animals and working with some endangered species eg siamese crocodile. You need a car to get from one exhibit to the next. And make sure to stick around the food stalls, to catch one or more elephants taken out for a walk.
  • Or check out any one of the many resorts located on the national roads straight out of the city.

Closer by for outdoor fun is Koh Pich (Diamond Island). At night there’s a popular amusement park for small children, and the wedding halls are overflowing. Families take kids biking there on Sunday mornings when it’s relatively quiet, to ride laps around the island.

Phnom Penh has a fantastic length of grassy, open boulevards stretching from the Independence Monument to the river then up towards Wat Phnom. Unfortunately this route was completed in tandem to rising congestion. Nevertheless, there are endless activities for kids:

  • Chasing pigeons before they roost
  • Flying kites (the season seems to peak in November)
  • Watching a hackeysack circle, or a game of badminton or takraw (futbol/soccer with a rattan ball)
  • Dancing to modern hits with the myriad aerobics classes, complete with speakers cranked to volume capacity (~2000Riel/US$0.50 per adult)

Exercise in the park

  • Having a picnic – Food hawkers are plenty, especially towards evening when families come in droves to chow on steamed corn, noodles, fertilized duck egg, fried insects, and many more Khmer delicacies on offer
  • Beautiful outdoor playgrounds have been built throughout the city with great equipment (though unfortunately with poor upkeep). The two main ones near the city center are on the corner of Sothearos and St 240, and on the south side of Wat Phnom.

Kid flying a kite near the Cambodian Royal Palace  _MG_9763sm

Private lessons for different musical instruments seem to be plenty, on top of the formal classes at Simphony and the Music Arts School. Lots of instructors can also be found for private lessons in ballet, dance, sports and of course, tutoring. I just learned how to make soap with a great bunch of ladies, from a Korean soapmaker who sells at the Russian Market.

There is also VIP, Phnom Penh Sports Club and the major hotels (eg Cambodiana, Himawari, Intercontinental, Phnom Penh Hotel, Raffles etc) that have the grounds, that provide lessons for sports, especially for tennis. The biggest schools open some of their school activities to the public, and certainly have summer programs and camps that are open to all – Canadian International School, Northbridge International School, International School of Phnom Penh.

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Embassies often work with local NGOs that organize events and holidays to promote cultural exchange. The most active ones are below but there are many more. If a holiday is coming up, check that embassy or consulate’s site to find out if events are scheduled. For example, for Purim there is an event at the Chabad Jewish Center. The Indonesian community works with the restaurants and their embassy to host a big party for Eid-al-Fitr (end of Ramadan).

  • Japanese-Cambodian Friendship Center – They have regular concerts and events. Check their Facebook page and website for these. Currently running is the Kizuna Festival 2015, where they introduce Japanese culture. There is a cuisine show; classes for origami, ikibana and calligraphy; introductory Japanese (language lesson); movies and documentaries.
  • French Cultural Center – They have a big children’s section in the library. There are events every week for everyone in the family (readings, movies, etc), so make sure you get on their email list. The courtyard is a great place for the kids to run around in, especially during happy hour :-) The restaurant food and bar cocktails seem decent.
  • Art exhibits, movie and documentary screenings, workshops and festivals can also be found at the Meta House, or the German-Cambodian Cultural Center.

Guesthouses springing up all over the city all seem to have swimming pools. Most of these establishments will allow non-guests to use the pool for the cost of a meal or drink purchase. But ask first. Sometimes there is a $5 charge for pool use, even with purchase. The ones we like to bring our 4- and 2-year-olds to are:

  • Splash Inn (#5 St 244, South of the Royal Palace between Sothearos and St 19) – non-guests can access the pool with $10 purchase
  • Eureka Villas (#24 St 184, behind the Royal Palace) – non-guests can access the pool with purchase
  • Lyla Center (36, St. 508, corner of St. 103. Go south on Monivong, past Mao Tse Tung and The Rock, and it’s a right turn a couple of streets down) – it’s got a huge jungle gym with slides and mushroom with “rain”, in the middle of a large shallow pool. Fantastic place space. Avoid during the busy times of evenings and weekends starting at lunch time.

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Movies

Flicks Movie House (#39b St 95, which is the next street west of Monivong) – They have a kids’ feature every Sunday at 10am.

The Empire Movie House (No.34, St. 130 ‘Khemarak Phnom’, near corner St. 5, 1 block from Riverside Blvd – They have a kids’ club every Saturday at 4pm ($1.50 for kids under 12).

For the international releases there are now a plethora of choices: Platinum Cineplex at Sorya Mall, Major Cineplex at Aeon Mall, Legend Cinema at City Mall.

Indoor Playgrounds

Kids City (162A Sihanouk Blvd, near Monivong) – Go-cart, ice skating, climbing wall, jungle gym for toddlers and older kids

Monkey Business (House 16, Street 370 in Boeng Keng Kang 1) – Jungle gym and shallow swimming pool – free up to 6 months, $2 up to 2, $4 for over 2.

Aeon Mall –

Blu-O Bowling Alley (3rd floor) – $5 per person to play in the regular lanes or $100/hr to rent the VIP room with two lanes and a karaoke space

Ice Park (4th floor) – Ice Skating Rink $10/person and they even have cute penguin walkers for beginners!

Kids Park (1st floor) – Mon-Fri $6/kid Weekends $8/kid

Playground (3rd floor inside the Department Store by the kids’ department) – $3/kid during weekdays; $4 on weekends. This place has fantastic pretend play areas, a huge inflated rolling cylinder, and a big ball pit.

Dream Games (3rd floor) – pin ball machines, video games, rides for kids, etc. Our experience compared to similar ones back home is that these machines don’t let you get far enough to be satisfied, that you’d keep putting coins in.

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Restaurants with green spaces are popular and growing. The Shop Too in Toul Kork is fantastic for the grassy area and healthy menu. Farm to Table just opened for the conscious consumer, where the tractor and rustic yard literally keeps kids entertained for hours. Riverside drinks and meals of Himawari and Cambodiana are great places for small kids to bring their bikes and a ball or two.

There are lots of great activities for kids, with many not well advertised. For example, there are playgroups by language (I see occasional postings for Mandarin playgroups for kids to learn the language), a breastfeeding support group that meets at Sambo’s Tots (it has a play area for older siblings), Halloween parties at Gecko and Garden and Giving Tree, and last weekend there was a jazz brunch with storytelling for kids at Cabaret Restaurant (reminds me of being in New Orleans!).

Make sure you join the Cambodia Parent Network on Yahoo!groups to get updates on these or other events and services. If you don’t find what you’re looking for, post a question and you’ll likely find someone who can help.

Filed Under: Life Tagged With: Cambodia, kids, Phnom Penh, phnom penh for kids, things to do with kids in phnom penh, what to do with kids in phnom penh

Phnom Penh for kids and families

23 April 2014 by Nathalie Abejero Leave a Comment

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It seems like most cultures outside the West are kid-friendly. It’s easy to go out or travel with kids in Asia. You won’t be met with glares and attitude as soon as you enter an establishment with a toddler in tow, or signs banning kids from restaurants. When ours were babies, restaurant staff would even take and entertain them so we can enjoy our meal together, then give the baby back with the bill! Same with getting a massage, manicure or pedicure.

So on top of other things that make Cambodia attractive for an expatriate post, in the past eight years the options for families with young kids have improved significantly. My favorite things to do where I can take the kids with me:

  • For a great manicure/pedicure with a glass of wine, and where the staff are awesome with the kids:
    • Chanails #46 St 352
    • July Salon #67 Sothearos Blvd, almost across from Almond Hotel
  • Khmer Desserts:
    • Shaved ice desserts
    • Coconut ice cream
  • Restaurants:
    • Java Cafe, with a special kids’ room #56 Sihanouk Blvd
    • Romdeng – they won’t normally take the kids, but they have a great kids’ room #74 St 174
    • La Cita Urban Mex Restaurant (they serve Peruvian and other Latin American fare) #12 St 282

Here is a list of more kid-friendly activities in Phnom Penh. Don’t forget to check the various listings around town for kid-friendly  events during the various holidays, like Easter egg hunts, Purim parties, Eid Al-fitr feasts, the myriad new years (International, Chinese, Khmer, Hindu), etc.

(If another Phnom Penh resident sees this and has others to add, feel free to leave a comment and I’ll include it!)

Activities for the family – 

  • Phnom Tamao Wildlife Rescue Center – see my previous posts on visiting and having a birthday party there.
  • Soun Soben and the other stocked fish ponds for a day of fishing and picnicking.
  • Cambodia Country Club – horseback riding, swimming and other activities.
  • Lyla Center – a sport and family recreational center – sports a kid’s lagoon in a swimming pool, an indoor playground, a separate adult’s swimming pool, Zoomba and other fitness classes, a spa, and restaurant.
  • Cambodia Country Club – swimming, tennis and badminton courts, horseback riding, futbol/soccer field, volleyball courts St 2004 Group 6 Toeuk Thla Contact 023 885 591/023 885 592/ 023 883 861/ 023 883 862
  • Sovanna Phum Khmer Shadow Puppet Theater – #166 Street 99. Performances every Friday and Saturday at 7:30pm. Contact 099 211 168.
  • Sorya Shopping Mall – roller skating, arcade, cinema (includes western films), karaoke at the top floor #11-13 St 63 (near Central Market)
  • Kambol Go-Karts – Kambol Village, Kandal (past the airport) Contact: 012 804 620
  • Super Bowl – Parkway Square Centre N° 113, Mao Tse Tung Blvd (St. 245)
  • National Museum Nightly light show

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Playgrounds and Playgroups – 

  • Lyla Center – (see above)
  • Kids City – science center, ice skating, climbing walls, play gyms (has Gloria Jeans’ Coffee and a Kids’ Closet), go karts, laser tag
  • Monkey Business – swimming pool and indoor playground for kids up to 8 years old(?) – #16 St 370 Open daily 9am-7pm. Contact: 016 818 283
  • Hun Sen Park across from Naga Casino – carnival atmosphere with street food, games, rides for children under 12
  • Sambo’s Club House –  Breastfeeding Support Group Saturday mornings and Tot play area -#14 St 398 Contact: 023 211 044
  • Social playgroups – every Tuesday 3-5pm at Gasolina
  • outdoor playgrounds – veal hong (off Sothearos Blvd and St 240), by Wat Phnom
  • chase pigeons in front of the Royal Palace
  • at the supermarkets (Lucky on Sikhanouk, Lucky at City Mall, Bayon, and other malls) there are small playgrounds for toddlers

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Kid-friendly swimming pools – 

  • Lyla Center – (see above)
  • Himawari Hotel Apartments – #313 Sisowath Quay Contact 023 214 555
  • Raffles Hotel Le Royal – Contact: 023 981 888
  • Cambodia Country Club – (see above)
  • Dragon Water Park – Koh Pich (Diamond Island) next to Elite Golf Club entrance. Open daily 10:30am-8pm. Contact 023 45 54 023
  • Monkey Business – (see above)
  • Eureka Villa – #24 St 184 Contact: 023 699 9020 (on one of the streets behind the Royal Palace)
  • Splash Inn – #5 St 244 Contact: 023 986 174  (next to Wat Bottum)

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Books, Movies – 

  • Flicks – weekend kids sessions every Saturday and Sunday morning 10am
  • French Cultural Center – Cartoons and Children’s library every Saturday
  • Open Book (library for kids st 240 by an NGO looking to promote a love of reading) #41 Street 240. Open daily 10-5pm. Contact 012 876 623

Instruction – Private and group classes are plenty, just hearing from other parents, seeing the posts online or the signs around town. But most are by word-of-mouth through friends, because there are lots of informal groups in the city among both Khmers and foreigners. Many are happy to provide instruction in an expertise area, and even go to a client’s house. For more formal classes, a simple google search might pull up some options, as will a search through the Cambodia Parent Network and Expat Advisory archives.

  • Music Schools – Srornos, Simphony, or private lessons in voice, piano, violin, etc
  • Dance Arts – Central School of Ballet, other dance schools
  • Martial Arts – tae kwon do, bokator
  • Sports – Tennis, Swimming (Australian Standard Swim School and many private instructors)
  • Language – Khmer, French, English, Mandarin are the most popular languages here, but other major languages are available for instruction. Again, do a search on the forums for a recommendation.
  • after-school classes for elementary grades and up – ISPP, Northbridge, Hope International, East-West School
  • after-school classes for the toddler through kindergarten ages – The Giving Tree, Gecko and Garden, DK Schoolhouse, iCAN

Other sources of info –

  • Cambodia Parent Network (yahoogroup)
  • AsiaLife Guide Cambodia (magazine)
  • Expat Advisory Cambodia (forum)

 

Filed Under: Life, Travels Tagged With: Cambodia, itinerary kids, kid guide, Phnom Penh, phnom penh for kids, phnom penh kid guide, phnom penh what to do with kids, phnom penh with kids, what to do with kids

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Those little feet pitter-pattering about rule our lives lately. But on the occasional free moment I get to tap out scatterbrained bursts of consciousness about raising toddlers in Cambodia, traveling with them and working abroad. These posts are my personal updates to friends and family. But since you’re here, have a look around. Thanks for stopping by…

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