The stunning temples of Angkor rank amongst the finest historic and cultural sites on Earth. Vast complexes of intricate temples created by Cambodian kings of old compete to inspire devotion amongst their followers. Here you'll find grand perfectly preserved masterpieces next to crumbling ruins fighting for space amongst dense jungle. Nowadays, Angkor attracts vast numbers of tourists, but it is still well worth a visit, and with a little sensible planning you can avoid the worst of the overcrowding, gruelling mid-day heat and of course the kids (young and old) moaning about seeing another temple! The good news is that you can balance all that temple time with pool time at one of a number of superb small hotels and fun evenings out in Siem Reap.

When exploring the temples, we recommend heading out early to avoid the heat of the day, drinking lots of water, making sure the kids have some kind of camera device so they can get involved in taking lots of photos. For those with younger children we often organise a treasure hunt amidst the temples to add a degree of Lara Croft to the experience.

The base town for Angkor Wat, Siem Reap, has boomed as a result of the temples popularity and is now a thriving City with bustling night markets and a pub street with a serious wild west carnival atmosphere. Families will have a riot eating out at the Cambodian BBQ restaurants (bbq your own crocodile meat anyone?), street vendors selling grilled scorpions and assorted creepy crawlies and a couple of superb ice cream cafes (The Gelato lab is our favourite!)

In terms of accommodation, Sala Lodges is our top pick with the traditional wooden buildings offering a real sense of place and the gorgeous gardens and pool area a haven of peace for relaxing afternoons. There are several two bedroom family units on offer and it is easy to get into town via tuk tuk in the evening. It is a fairly peaceful atmosphere though and would be less suited to those with wilder kids. Shinta Mani Shack (in a more central location) is a no-brainer for families, it may not quite be as atmospheric as Sala Lodges and it doesn't offer any two bedroom family units, but its larger size gives a bit more scope to relax without having to worry about other guests. For families on more of a budget, we love Suorkear Boutique Hotel, which has family rooms, a nice pool area and free tuk tuks into town in the evening.

Whilst you could spend the whole two weeks of a family holiday in Cambodia (combining Angkor Wat, Phnomh Penh and the Cambodian Coast), we would recommend combining Angkor Wat with Thai Islands and either Bangkok or the gorgeous sleepy UNESCO World Heritage City of Luang Prabang in Laos.