We decided to go on a short trip for Agata’s upcoming birthday and head to Cambodia for 4 nights. It’s been a while since our last post, so here’s a little update: we are not traveling just as a couple any longer! Now, we have company: our 2-year-old son and a little one in Agata’s belly :) We were traveling from Bangkok and booked our stay at TUI BLUE Angkor Grace in Siem Reap. Check out how our experience was during this Cambodia travel with a toddler while pregnant (at the end of the 1st trimester).
Why did we plan a travel with toddler to Cambodia while pregnant?
First and most importantly, we could undertake this journey because Agata’s pregnancy is going smoothly and she feels well. We wanted a destination with a short flight since it was still the end of the 1st trimester, so we split the sightseeing into one temple a day in Angkor. We simply didn’t want to push ourselves too much but still wanted to be able to see something. Traveling with a toddler is a bit different now because we have to pay attention to his needs and well-being, especially since he still takes one nap a day. That’s why, when we plan a trip, we pay attention to his sleeping schedule and take a little break in the middle of the day. To be honest, traveling with a well-rested kid is much easier.
Trip preparation & packing list for pregnant travel with toddler
I will soon write another post about our top essentials for traveling these days, but it’s actually not much gear. Our toddler has a ride-on suitcase for the airport, which makes things much easier, faster, and of course, way cooler. I’d say this suitcase was our best travel investment so far, so stay tuned for a full review!
Of course, we packed mosquito nets and a first-aid kit with necessary pregnancy supplements. We only brought a couple of toys and books, as our little one doesn’t really play with toys when staying in hotels—everything there is new and much more interesting to him. But a funny thing happened to us at the airport: as a huge fan of fixing things, our boy had to take his toy drill and toy screwdriver everywhere, even to “fix” things at the airport. Sadly for him, the airport staff decided his toy drill looked too suspicious and confiscated it, but luckily the screwdriver survived the travel. Next time, we’ll definitely remember to put such things in our checked luggage :)
Our 3-day Angkor Wat itinerary
Day 1 – Angkor Wat temple + made in Cambodia market
To get to the Angkor Wat temple, we took a tuk-tuk. Since we didn’t have entry tickets, our driver had to take us to the official ticket office, which is located in a different area from the temples themselves. At the ticket office, there are also some stalls with souvenirs and clothing at reasonable prices. It is important to remember that knees and arms should be covered, but if you forget about it, you can simply buy appropriate clothes there. As we split our sightseeing into 3 days, we bought a 3-day pass, which costs 62 USD (compared to 37 USD for a 1-day pass).
This day was the most difficult for us as it was very sunny, and Angkor Wat is a huge open space. It is a great idea to have a handheld fan, plenty of water (there are toilets in there, so no worries), sun hats, or even umbrellas. I didn’t take umbrellas because I wanted to pack only one backpack and was afraid of the monkeys that can approach you and steal things. We were lucky because we didn’t meet them, but that was my biggest fear, to be honest, as I am simply terrified of them :)
After crossing the bridge, we stopped for a while inside the first gate to get some shade. This place was great fun for our toddler; I think he felt like a little explorer there :) We also wanted to have a seat and a sip of water. Honestly, it’s a good idea to make little breaks like this, especially when walking in the sun while pregnant.
At this place, there were many locals offering a photoshoot for 1 dollar per picture. And you can actually pay with dollars there (even at the stores and markets). Of course, it’s easy to bargain with them since there are often more photographers than interested tourists. But I think it’s worth using their service, especially when you travel with a toddler. I felt it was faster, and now we have beautiful family photos without having to bother strangers to take them for us.
After about 1.5 hours of sightseeing, we came back to our hotel for a nap and dinner. I can highly recommend TUI BLUE Angkor Grace—it was nice, spacious, and clean. It had two huge advantages for family travel: our room was like a separate little house, which is fantastic when you decide to travel with a toddler. While he was taking his nap, we could go to another room and relax without disturbing him or sitting in silence waiting for him to wake up. Another huge advantage was the food. It was delicious. I still remember their spaghetti to this day, but other things were also very tasty. Most importantly, the food was fresh and they didn’t serve us anything that would cause food poisoning.
After we had rested, we headed to the Made in Cambodia Market. The area is rather small, with not too many sellers and not many tourists either. The prices are higher than at other markets, but you can buy authentic, handmade products. Our boy bought himself a lovely toy cat as a souvenir :)
Day 2 – Bayon Temple + Old Market
On our second day, we also took a tuk-tuk and headed to the Bayon Temple. We already had our tickets, so we just went straight there. Visiting the Bayon temple was way easier because it doesn’t require as much walking as the day before. It’s a great place for a toddler to run around. This temple with faces makes an incredible impression and is an easy attraction when pregnant. You just walk around it or can go inside—just don’t be surprised to find many bats. However, I couldn’t see them; I just heard them as they were very noisy. I also spotted a monkey from a distance and quickly walked the other way to avoid a confrontation :)
And same as the day before, after about 1.5 hours—which is really enough for this temple—we went back to the hotel to rest. In the afternoon, we went to the Old Market, which is bigger than the Made in Cambodia Market, has a greater variety of products, and is cheaper. We bought some souvenirs there as well. During our visit, no matter where we went, there were not many other tourists.
Day 3 – Ta Prohm Temple (Tomb Raider Temple) + Supermarket run
On our third day, we headed to the Ta Prohm Temple, and we noticed monkeys on our way there. They were in the forest right next to the street, and we could watch them for a while in their natural habitat from the safety of our tuk-tuk. This is a perfect option for someone who is afraid of monkeys just like me! We noticed another tuk-tuk coming and stopping by—someone took a banana and showed it to them, and the monkeys came quickly for the food. Something like this is a fantastic attraction for a toddler; our son was observing them with huge interest, and I felt safe knowing that if they got closer, we could quickly drive away.
Visiting Ta Prohm Temple means more walking than Bayon Temple, but it was quite easy, I’d say. I don’t know if it was because the day was more cloudy or because you walk in between the trees and inside the temple more than at Angkor Wat. Ta Prohm Temple was undoubtedly the most impressive of the three we’ve seen. The trees are out of this world. At times, you really feel like you are in a movie or a maze. When we were leaving the temple, we had to go through a bit of forest, where there was a band playing music on instruments we’ve seen for the first time in our lives. The band members were victims of landmines, and there was an opportunity to support them by buying a CD with their music, which makes a great souvenir too.
In the afternoon, after our toddler took a nap, we just went to a local supermarket, which was very well stocked, and bought some tea and sweets for ourselves and our family.
Practical tips for Angkor Wat travel with toddler while pregnant
From the very beginning, we knew we were not going to see too much in one day. I think that in our situation, it was a good idea to play it easy. Our strategy was to visit one temple a day, and we made it. I think that only the first day at the Angkor Wat temple was a bit tough for us and we didn’t make the most of it—we didn’t walk around the whole area and therefore didn’t see everything there was to see. But the other days were just perfect. When we travel with toddler while pregnant, we don’t want to push ourselves to the limit. Instead, we focus on spending quality time together as a family in a new place. We also wanted our toddler to keep his naps, as we knew he feels better and simply still needs them.
I cannot recommend any baby carrier as we have never used one, nor can I say anything about traveling to Cambodia with a stroller, as we stopped using one a few months before this travel. Our son wants to be very independent, and even when he was very tired, he refused to be carried and wanted to walk by himself. He stopped accepting the stroller, and that’s why we bought this special ride-on suitcase for him at the airport.
We headed to see the temples around 9 A.M. every day, and I’d say it was a good time because the sun is still not as strong as it gets later. We saw beautiful photos on Instagram that people took during sunrise, so if you plan your trip, bear it in mind. However, for us, it would be too difficult to wake up, eat breakfast, and go early enough not to miss it. We would have to cut our sleep time, and that’s the last thing we want to do as parents now.
To sum up, I’d say we probably wouldn’t do anything differently. This trip was perfect! We all felt good, booked a hotel that enabled us to put our kid for a nap in a separate room, and, most importantly, enjoyed delicious and high-quality food. We saw everything we planned to see and spent a wonderful time as a family.