via New York Times, 16 March 2022: Tourism at Angkor is eagerly awaiting the return of tourists after the Covid-19 disruption.
Since Cambodia’s reopening, the number of overseas tourists has been gradually increasing. On one morning in early March, several dozen tourists attended the Angkor Wat sunrise, up from just a handful.
But at lesser-known temples like Preah Palilay, where moss-covered faces carved into stone peer out from the ruins, it is still possible to spend hours in contemplation without seeing another visitor. In the stillness and solitude, it is easy to imagine that you alone had just rediscovered these monuments from a different age, so long swallowed up and kept secret by the jungle.
At the popular Bayon temple, famous for its giant stone heads, one of the few visitors was a monkey that felt free to wander around, climbing to the top of one of the massive stone towers, surveying the scenery from its high perch.
Cambodia’s reeling tourism industry got a significant lift in mid-December when Singapore Airlines resumed service between Singapore and Siem Reap, the first international flights to arrive since March 2020. Earlier this month, Thai Smile began flying again between Bangkok and Siem Reap.
Source: Cambodian Temple, Once Overcrowded, Wants Tourists Back – The New York Times
