Siem Reap Local Heroes #1 - Phare, The Cambodian Circus
A night at Phare Circus in Siem Reap
Every month we will showcase a person, a business or a cause in Siem Reap that we truly believe in and support. Drumroll please for the first edition…Phare, the amazing circus of Cambodia.
When I first moved to Siem Reap almost five years ago, everybody said I “must” go to the circus. Being British, this conjures up images of poodles jumping through hoops and a malnourished lion. How wrong I was! This modern Cambodian circus show focuses on performing arts and the artists are graduates from Phare Ponleu Selpak (Brightness of the Arts in Khmer) in Battambang. The hour long performance tells a story relating to Khmer culture and depicted through acrobatics and gravity-defying moves. It will have you on the edge of your seat and peeking through your fingers as the artists perform seemingly impossible moves. It’s no wonder this highly rated evening entertainment has been compared to a low budget Cirque du Soleil. The Cambodian version is raw and real whilst teaching you about Khmer culture and all for a very good cause.
Phare Circus: The Facts
When and where?
Nightly performances at their big top tent on the outskirts of Siem Reap (10mins by tuk tuk from the centre of town). The show starts promptly at 8pm (you should arrive at 7.30pm) and lasts for one hour. From November through February, an additional 5pm performance is available on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays.
Section A, B or C?
Section A is the best and priced at USD 38 per adult and USD 18 per child (under 5s go free). These are the best seats in the front and you also get a refillable water bottle as part of the ticket.
Section B is also in the middle but higher up. We sat here last time (see photos) and liked the panoramic view. This section is priced at USD 28 per adult and USD 15 per child.
Section C is on the sides and some seats might have obstructed views. If you book these seats I would recommend going in as soon as the big tent opens to get better seats. The price for this section is 18 per adult and USD 10 per child.
Fans and A/C
The tent is cooled effectively with a/c and we love that all guests are offered hand fans to keep them cool. Such a thoughtful touch.
Is Phare circus family-friendly?
We decided not to take out two year old and I think it was a good move. The music is loud and I think she would have got restless. My six year old nephew on the other hand loved it and was on the edge of his seat the whole way through. I would recommend Phare circus for kids 5 years old and above.
Why not combine a performance at Phare with our Taste For A Good Cause tour. We can arrange the starter and main before the show and then dessert after with a private tuk tuk for the evening. Get in touch to find out more and book.
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