Cambodia and Indonesia in summer: ideal itinerary with kids?

Hello,

I’ll only answer for the Cambodia part.

In June, we’re gently entering the rainy season. Nothing too bad—just evening thunderstorms with heavy downpours that last about an hour. The rest of the day is sunny. On average, there are two or three showers a week, though this can vary from year to year. In July, there’s a bit more rain—let’s say every other day. Again, these are still late-afternoon or evening storms that don’t last long and cool the air nicely for the night. The rain is warm, and all the kids run from puddle to puddle! The days are usually sunny, and the landscapes and rice fields are lush and green. Personally, I much prefer this time of year to the second half of the dry season (February to April), when the heat is hard to bear and even a passing truck kicks up a cloud of dust because it hasn’t rained since November. It’s really only from mid-August (until now, mid-October) that the weather gets rainier, with several showers a day—often not even stormy—gray skies, and a gloomy atmosphere!

So, should you start with Cambodia? Honestly, it doesn’t make much difference. There are more tourists (Europeans and Americans) in July than in June because of summer vacations.

- Irrawaddy dolphins in Kratie: yes, you should normally see them. From a distance, though, as the boats don’t get too close to avoid disturbing them, even with an electric motor.

- Mondulkiri Project: the elephants wander down at their own pace into a valley where tourists come to feed them sugarcane stalks or other treats. Then, if you want, you can swim in the river—or just watch the elephants from the bank. As far as I know, there’s no elephant riding. Think of it for what it is: a business that lets local indigenous communities (the Bunongs) earn a little money—though probably less than the agencies organizing the tours—and gives the elephants a peaceful retirement instead of making them haul logs in the forest. There’s also a sanctuary near Siem Reap, the Kulen Elephant Forest Sanctuary (started by a young Franco-Khmer, I think). Some of the elephants there used to carry tourists around the Bayon and up Phnom Bakheng a few years ago. A well-deserved retirement for them too.

- Angkor Temples: three days is good for a solid overview and to visit the main temples. To fully enjoy them and explore the more remote temples and dozens of lesser-known ones outside the small and grand circuits, you’ll need at least a 7-day pass.

- Tonlé Sap Lake: there are floating villages and stilt villages. Often, the stilt houses line a road that’s exposed at the end of the dry season/start of the rainy season and submerged the rest of the year. At the end of the road, you can see the floating houses. Kampong Phluk, near Siem Reap, with its flooded forest, has become quite touristy. Hotel owners usually recommend going further east to Kampong Khleang, a larger village with fewer tourists (I’ve never been). I think there are guesthouses there (on stilts) where you can stay. The ideal option—but in June-July, there won’t be enough water—is to travel from Siem Reap to Battambang via Tonlé Sap Lake, passing through floating villages and then going up the Sangker River to Battambang. There’s also Kampong Luong, a large floating village on the route between Battambang and Kampong Chhnang, on the south shore of the lake, but I don’t think it fits into your itinerary if you’re already planning to go to Kratie and maybe Mondulkiri.

- Treks: you can do some around Sen Monorom in Mondulkiri—it’s hilly and still quite preserved. You can even combine a trek with an elephant encounter. You can also take a day trip to Phnom Kulen (River of a Thousand Lingas, Kulen Waterfall, a few viewpoints) from Siem Reap.

- Activities/sites for kids: other forum members might have better suggestions than me. There are all kinds of activities in Siem Reap (aquarium, Samatoa lotus farm, Apopo mine-detecting rats, Phare Ponleu Circus in the evening, water park, etc.), dolphins and elephants, an evening stroll at the confluence of the Mekong and Tonlé Sap rivers in Phnom Penh, bike rides on the Mekong islands in Kampong Cham or Kratie. Don’t hesitate to take a tuk-tuk and ask the driver to take you for a ride through the countryside between rice fields to local villages. In the late afternoon, you’ll see herds of cows and water buffaloes heading home—great photo opportunities! !

Hello,

We know this period corresponds to the rainy season. Is it really reasonable to go at this time? And if so, is it better to start with Cambodia and then move on to Indonesia, or doesn’t the order matter from a climate perspective?

June and July aren’t the wettest months of the year, but July is a little rainier than June. While it’s not ideal, going during this period isn’t unreasonable as long as you don’t plan on trekking through remote trails deep in the countryside. Plus, post-storm skies sometimes offer stunning light you’d never see in the dry season. In terms of tourist crowds, Indonesia is quieter in June than in July-August.

The Mekong and Irrawaddy dolphins: do we actually have a chance of seeing them?

You’re most likely to spot them during the dry season when they’re more concentrated.

The Irrawaddy dolphin is an endangered species.

If your goal is to show your kids dolphins in their natural habitat, next time (and during our winter), head to New Zealand, Kaikoura—there, both adults and kids can even swim with them in a very supervised* way, wearing wetsuits to protect against the cold water. Same opportunities and conditions* for swimming with seals (they’re not dangerous as long as they’re in their element). It’s also easy to observe* whales, but from a boat. *In NZ, they let you experience nature but never allow reckless behavior when approaching wildlife.

Back to Cambodia and Indonesia.

The temples of Angkor: are 2 or 3 days enough to fully enjoy them?

Three days is a reasonable minimum. But visiting Angkor is tiring, and some people can get overwhelmed by all the ancient stones. I’d recommend breaking up those 3 days with one or two "off" days away from the ruins to rest and/or explore other sights. The 3-day pass (usable non-consecutively within a 7-day period) gives you that flexibility.

We were there 15 years ago and loved our itinerary: Yogyakarta / Borobudur → Bromo → Kawah Ijen → Bali → Gili Trawangan. This time, we’re hesitating: · Retracing part of this route to share it with our kids (even if revisiting the same places doesn’t thrill us much),

Now that you’ve explored East Java, maybe it’s time to tackle the West? Look into Ujung Kulon National Park, Bogor, Puncak Pass and the Bandung area, Cirebon, Pangandaran and its surroundings...

about two weeks in Raja Ampat. (...) for budget and ecological footprint reasons.

I’m not familiar with those islands, but I know the flight to get there takes 3–4 hours depending on the departure city, and staying there is expensive.

Are there regions where the "backpacker" approach is still possible, and others where it’s better to book in advance?

Even though the backpacker approach is becoming less common (since travelers are getting more cautious), most cities and places are still accessible without booking accommodations in advance.

And for certain activities or sites, is it recommended to hire guides?

At a few rare sites, a guide is mandatory. At others, one is recommended to avoid getting lost in nature or to access remote locations—nothing new. For the rest, like visiting ruins, if you’re sure you’ll retain more than 10% of what they tell you, you can hire one. Personally, I never do. For Angkor, for example, what my simple moto-taxi driver told me about each site was more than enough.

Don’t hesitate to take a tuk-tuk and ask the driver to take you for a ride along the paths between the rice fields to villages in the countryside. In the late afternoon, you’ll come across herds of cows and water buffalo heading back to the barn—great photo ops!

Kids laughing and chatting as they walk home from school, bringing life to the village or hamlet that’s otherwise quiet during the day, people taking advantage of the cooler temperatures to step out and chat or do their shopping for dinner, farmers bathing their buffaloes in the river, small afternoon markets opening up... Moments not to be missed, even if for this kind of ride I prefer to find a bike—rarely an issue.

Yes, these are the little slices of life that far too many rushed tourists don’t take the time to discover—unfortunately (for them!).

I’m researching Tbong Khmum, and on Wikipedia I learn it’s a province. The photo they use to illustrate it is the Kampong Cham bridge over the Mekong, which surprised me—I recognized it right away! When I crossed it from the city to wander along the paths on the east bank of the river, I had no idea I’d actually crossed into another province.

Yes, Kampong Cham province, the most populous in the country and quite extensive from west to east, was split into two 12 years ago. The western half kept the name Kampong Cham on the west side of the Mekong, while the eastern half became Tbong Khmum. At the time, it was mainly political because the western part of the province voted massively for the CNRP opposition, whereas the east was more moderate and leaned toward the ruling CPP party. So, instead of losing seats in Kampong Cham province, the CPP divided it in two to secure the next elections in the new Tbong Khmum province.

Tbong Khmum was already the name of the region in the early days of the French protectorate in the late 19th century, one of the five major regions of Cambodia, covering all lands east of the Mekong up to Sambor in the north (Stung Treng was in Lao territory, and the current provinces of Mondolkiri and Ratanakiri were occupied by highland ethnic groups not under the Kingdom of Cambodia’s control).

Tons of PDFs with accounts from French explorers, missionaries, and officials in Cambodia at that time here (a real goldmine if you're interested!): https://www.aefek.fr/premiersregardscoloniaux.html In particular, the writings of Etienne Aymonier.

Hi there,

Two days in Angkor will be a bit rushed—three days seems good, even though you could easily stay longer.

In Indonesia, skip Java and Bali since you already know them. Your kids will have plenty to marvel at elsewhere. The Raja Ampat: as you planned, 15 days is the minimum, so keep that idea.

That leaves you with two weeks, so I’d consider: - South Sulawesi since there are flights from Sorong ("RA gateway") to Makassar: Toraja country for 5 days and the south. Don’t go to the Togians after Raja Ampat—it’ll be disappointing. Even though the Togians are stunning, Raja Ampat is so exceptional that anything else will feel like settling for "just beautiful" [:)] - Or a direct flight from Sorong to Manado for North Sulawesi (Minahasa country), then Toraja country, and depart from Makassar. Same advice—skip the Togians. Bunaken is doable for 2 days since it’s only 40 minutes from Manado, and the drop-off is really amazing. - Or Flores from Maumere to Labuan Bajo, but flights from Sorong are a bit tricky. For Komodo, same as the Togians (beautiful but hard to appreciate after Raja Ampat). - Or the Moluccas, but I don’t think there are flights from Sorong to Ternate. In the north, the "volcano islands": Ternate with its sultanate, Tidore the Catholic, Halmahera the wild, and the "unnamed archipelago." Transportation is complicated, not always reliable, and accommodations are limited, but the locals are extremely friendly. It’s a 100% nature trip with zero tourists.

For more info and photos, check out my travel journals: - Raja Ampat: https://forumvoyage.forumactif.com/t1778-carnet-de-voyage-papouasie-et-raja-ampat - Sulawesi: Crossing Sulawesi - Moluccas: The Moluccas: splendors (and struggles) of an archipelago unknown to tourists No journal for Flores

Hi Ludovic,

In Kratie, there’s a really nice guesthouse that organizes kayaking trips (completely safe even for kids). The team is fantastic at helping us spot the dolphins. The ride in the back of the truck with the kayaks and other participants will definitely be a hit with teens—the group dynamic clicks instantly. Halfway through the kayak trip, there’s a little break on a sandbank where you can swim in clear water just past the flooded forest. A small snack is served. We were there last February and we’re going back in February 2026. We saw lots of dolphins, but it’s not easy to photograph them from the kayak—you’ve got to watch the paddle and, most importantly, not drop the camera in the Mekong! 😅 It’s a well-run, very clean place, and from the upstairs dining room, you can enjoy the sunset... https://soryaguesthouse.com/gallery/ Best regards, Joël

Thanks to everyone for your invaluable tips.

Based on the different opinions you’ve shared and the other posts we’ve found on the forum, we’re reassured about the weather.

We’ll start with Cambodia, though, just to stack the odds in our favor.

So here’s the plan: Cambodia for 1 week around Siem Reap, then 1 or 1.5 weeks to be decided. For elephants, the Kulen Elephant Forest Sanctuary seems like a really interesting option. That’s why we’re seriously considering heading east—especially since we talked to friends this weekend who went to Kratie and weren’t blown away by the few dolphins they spotted. On the other hand, they really enjoyed Battambang. I’ve also heard about Virachey National Park, where we could see gibbons (I know, I’m contradicting myself about going east, but I *love* watching primates!). Anyway, it sounds great, but it also seems tricky to access, and I’m not sure if there’s much else to do/see nearby?

For Indonesia, we haven’t made much progress yet. We’re thinking of spending 1.5 to 2 weeks somewhere, then wrapping up with 2 weeks in Raja Ampat. We’ll look into your suggestions in detail and keep searching for our ideal itinerary.

Virachey is quite hard to access from Banlung. The roads are poor, and you then have to cross the Tonlé San, a major tributary of the Mekong. Many treks offered by tours don’t actually enter the national park but take place before the entrance, between the river and the first hills (Virachey’s highest point is over 1,400m, in Stung Treng province, right near the Laotian border).

I might be a bit biased since I live in this area, but for me, eastern Cambodia—beyond the Mekong—is the most amazing part of the country. However, in terms of tourist infrastructure (Western restaurants, hotels with pools, transport services, minimarts, English spoken), it’s nowhere near Siem Reap or Kampot! That said, you can still find accommodation easily, especially in Khmer homestays—perfect for immersion. If you have 10 days instead of a week, it’s totally doable to combine Banlung and Sen Monorom (Mondolkiri), with a stop along the Mekong in Kratie or Kampong Cham.

A week in Siem Reap is great—there’s plenty to see and do in the area, on top of the Angkor temples.

For Indonesia, we haven’t made much progress. We’re thinking of spending 1.5 to 2 weeks somewhere, and ending with 2 weeks in Raja Ampat.

In remote areas like—among many others—the one where Raja Ampat is located, it’s not uncommon for flights to be canceled. So it’s wise not to schedule the return flight on the same day or even the day before your flight back to France. It’s better to leave at least a small buffer of 2-3 days. The same goes for inter-island flights in the Sunda Islands (from Lombok to Flores and Timor), which rarely run more than 3-4 times a week, with a non-negligible risk of cancellation. Maybe consider placing Raja Ampat *before* the "1.5 to 2 weeks somewhere" if the latter isn’t remote itself.

Hi,

In Java, we spent a night with our kids in Meru Betiri National Park to see turtles laying eggs on the beach. The place is really nice because you can also spot monkeys.

Our itinerary is taking shape!

After Siem Reap, we’ll make a stop in Battambang, then spend a few days WWOOFING at a community school, I SEE I DO, near Takeo (anyone familiar with it?). Next, we’ll head to Phnom Penh before flying to Singapore, where we’ll likely spend three days. A big thank you to everyone who shared tips about other regions in Cambodia we unfortunately won’t get to visit this time. We had to make some tough choices, but that just gives us a great excuse to come back!

From there, our journey will take us to Manado, where we’ll explore North Sulawesi for a few days before heading to Sorong to discover Raja Ampat. We’ll wrap up our trip with a few days in Bali before returning to France. As Songsam wisely suggested, this stop in Bali will give us a little breathing room before our flight to Paris.

For accommodations, we’re planning to book only the first nights after our flights since it still seems easy to find places on the spot. The only exception might be Raja Ampat, where we’re considering booking everything in advance. What do you think? Any recommendations for places to stay? We’re imagining moving around regularly to explore different sites but would also like to settle somewhere for 3 or 4 days to relax a bit. We’re not looking for luxury, but we wouldn’t say no to a room with our feet in the water, facing a breathtaking view—while still having activities nearby for the kids (markets, small temples, playing soccer with local kids, etc.).

Finally, we’d love to hear your last bits of advice about North Sulawesi and Raja Ampat: what are the must-see sites or experiences in your opinion?

Thanks again for all your help and invaluable tips!

Hi, I’m jumping into the discussion a bit late. Have you already booked all your flight tickets? If so, I’ll have a bit of trouble helping you out. Otherwise, don’t just go to Sulawesi for a few days. This island deserves at least 6 weeks, more if possible. Given your plans, the best option would be to spend 3 weeks in Cambodia and 3 in Raja Ampat—that’s the ideal duration. For bookings, it’s all about adaptability and expectations. In Cambodia back in 2015 (when I last traveled there), you could book day by day. Ten years later, that’s something to check... For Raja Ampat, July isn’t the busiest month, but be careful—it’s a destination that’s gaining popularity. If you want a minimum of comfort and accommodations like Turtle on Kri, it’s better to book ahead. Check out Stay Raja Ampat for reservations, and take a look at my 2024 trip report as well as Eiger’s post on this site. https://forumvoyage.forumactif.com/t4177-de-retour-des-raja-ampat https://forumvoyage.forumactif.com/t3713-decouvrir-l-indonesie-les-raja-ampat#56001