The guide to a 5-day trip to Cambodia for 8 million VND, shared by the author of "Gái Phượt" (Backpacking Girl).

Having become accustomed to taking her child on trips and experiencing exciting destinations together, Ms. Lam Linh had no difficulty preparing the necessary items and planning the trips to these places with her child. For her daughter Bap's birthday, the two of them set off again. This time, their journey was to explore Siem Reap and the world-famous Angkor heritage site in the beautiful neighboring country of Cambodia.

The five-day trip cost only 8 million VND in total, including round-trip airfare. This incredibly low cost has sparked curiosity among many, wondering how the mother and daughter managed to travel so economically. Sharing with Travellive, Ms. Lam Linh revealed her secret to finding cheap deals on her trip, a tip she's used for many other trips with her daughter.

Destination:Lam Linh chose to visit Siem Reap in October, the lowest tourist season, so airfare and accommodation were cheaper than in other months. October is Cambodia's rainy season, but the weather is still very cool and pleasant, not hot and humid. With a baby traveling with her, she didn't want the baby to get tired from the changing weather.

Flight tickets:She often hunts for tickets during airline promotions. This time, she managed to buy a 0-dollar ticket, and the total cost for all four flights was 2.5 million dong. Lam Linh didn't use checked baggage; she and her daughter carried 14 kg of hand luggage, which was more than enough since they only wore summer clothes.

Hotel:She chose a hotel with room rates around 300,000 VND/night. Because it was the low season and she was a frequent user of booking websites, the room was already discounted seasonally, plus additional discounts from the website. The total cost for her 4-night stay was 1.1 million VND, including a separate 28m² bedroom.²and breakfast. The hotel has a private pool and offers a free airport pick-up, and is 500 meters from the city center.

Means of transportation:Tuk-tuks are a popular but not cheap mode of transportation for just the two of them, so Lam Linh chose to travel by motorbike. She rented one for four days at a cost of about 1 million VND, including fuel. With the motorbike, she could easily get around the city, visit Angkor, eat out, or go sightseeing as she pleased.

Entrance fee:The most expensive option was visiting Angkor, a famous World Heritage site. Because she had young children, she decided to buy a 3-day pass for $67 USD (approximately 1.6 million VND) to travel comfortably. With a 3-day pass, she could choose her destinations freely and accommodate her children, ensuring they were comfortable and wouldn't get tired or bored while visiting the temples and monuments.

Regarding food and drink:The mother and daughter ate local food such as grilled chicken, white rice, sticky rice, and somtam (a type of Vietnamese salad). Since they had breakfast at the hotel, they only ate out for lunch and dinner. Their daily expenses were around 300,000 VND.

Other expenses: Both mother and child passed away.Approximately 1.6 million VND for miscellaneous expenses and airport taxi fares.

With the basic budget already set, the mother and daughter had a comfortable and enjoyable trip with an itinerary suitable for a mother and a 4-year-old child.

Cambodia is the fourth country on your baby's passport and the 28th trip with mom since she was 10 months old.

DETAILED ITINERARY

Day 1:We arrived in Siem Reap around 2 pm, checked into our room, rested, and swam. In the evening, we took Bap to the old market and had dinner.

Day 2:Mother's Day

We rented a motorbike for 4 days. We drove to Angkor and bought a 3-day ticket. We visited two temples: the Bird House and the Lion House, then returned. I had to tell my daughter about the interesting things at each site because she doesn't really like temples. But luckily, she liked the sculptures like the Apsara statues and the reliefs on the walls. Banteay Kdei and Ta Phrom were two places she was willing to walk to. We had dinner near home; the chicken rice was delicious and only cost 100,000 VND for the two of us. We went to the old market, where I got a foot massage for 2 USD, and my daughter had a rolled ice cream for 2 USD.

Day 3:Children's Day

After a refreshing morning nap, we had breakfast and then jumped into the swimming pool. We took Bap to visit the museum, go to the market, drive around Siem Reap, and shopped at the supermarket for miscellaneous items. It was Bap's day, so he could play or sleep as much as he wanted. In the evening, we had grilled chicken on the sidewalk and coffee by the river.

Day 4:Mother's Day

Sleep in comfortably this morning. Back to Angkor, visiting two more temples: Angkor Wat and Bayon. Take a tour around the entire Angkor Thom complex. In the evening, have another grilled chicken, wander around the market buying souvenirs, go shopping, and eat ice cream.

Day 5:Pack up, check out. Go to a nearby temple. Return the motorbike at 3 pm. Head to the airport at 4 pm to fly back home with two loaves of bread, a bag of fruit, two boxes of Milo, two donuts, one suitcase, and one backpack.

Lam Linh