One of the things a visitor notices about Cambodia are the children who are everywhere. Cambodia has a very young population and you see children running around playing with other children, and many women will have one or two kids in tow. Due to the economic circumstances of their families, many children are forced to peddle goods in tourist spots and I have read that child labour and prostitution are huge problems in Cambodia. 

But children are children, and there is always an innocence and beauty in them that is so irresistible. These are some pictures I snapped of the children of Cambodia.

Young boys on boats that take tourists down the Tonle Sap River. These boys try to earn some money by giving tourists a shoulder massage during the boat ride.

A toddler discovering the simple joy of playing the drums which are being sold by a craftsman.

A young group of girls take a break from peddling souvenirs to tourists at one of the temples in Angkor Wat. Reminded me of the games I used to play in school.

This picture was taken at the Banteay Srei temple and I was drawn to this girl as she had a rather sad expression in her eyes. She was just sitting in the nook of the tree, playing with her posy of red flowers and oblivious to the hordes of tourists walking past. 

Nearby, these three children were happily rolling on the ground and playing with each other. I was glad to see children without smartphones in their hands!

Surrounded by a sea of unripe bananas, a toddler plays around his parents’ shop at the local wet market.

A young girl hangs around her father’s mini bakery at a local wet market. His oven was a charcoal one which is rarely seen in places like Hong Kong and Singapore.

Young boys hanging around the entrance of Angkor Wat.