Phnom Penh · With kids

The city's default wet-season and mid-afternoon escape, at No. 132 Street Somdach Sothearos in Tonle Bassac, with a cinema, food court and indoor entertainment under one roof. Not a sight, but the reason a Phnom Penh day with small children works at all.

The museum charges US$3 for ages 10–17 and admits under-10s free, but that is a ticket rule, not advice: this is a torture prison presented without softening. Prepared older teenagers can handle it; leave younger children out of the day entirely.

The small wooded hill the city is named after, north of the centre, with a shrine at the top and mature trees around the base. Short, cheap, and a genuine break from the traffic in the middle of a long day.

The organisation that rebuilt Cambodian classical and folk performance after the Khmer Rouge, still running concerts, workshops and demonstrations of rare instruments. Check its events page before you arrive — the programme moves, and there is no fixed nightly show to turn up to.

The sights are spread out and the middle of the day is unusable from March to May. Do one heavy thing in the morning, retreat indoors after lunch and go back out at five; tuk-tuks are open-sided, so hats and water are not optional.