Angkor Questions
 

Just recieved my Nat. Geographic Traveler magazine. It lists Angkor Wat area as a worst rated destination due to complete over development and crushing tourism. To the point of the temples being worn away and sinking because the hotel wells lowering the water table. I have wanted to see Angkor for years but we really are turned off by places that are deluged by busses and high pressure vendors every where constantly trying to sell things. On this board it doesn't seem a big concern. Any tips on how to minimize contact with the hoards? I realize I am one of the hoard but if a place is completely overun I'll look for something a little less impacted.

Who knows why Nat'l Geographic rated it as worst. No question, development is changing the area near Angkor substantially. But it is far less developed (and has fewer visitors) than many areas of similar interest. A good driver or guide can assist you in dodging the worst of the crowds. And if you opt to visit some of the so-called minor temples, you can still be the only visitors.

kathie is right....the guide/driver will assist you in avoiding huge crowds to some extent....its a huge area so you can get to some of the smaller places with very few people visiting....angkor itself is also huge, but has the most concentration of people that you will see


go and enjoy!!

The town of Siem Reap is certainly being developed at an extremely rapid pace, but inside Angkor, this is not the case. Yes, there are busloads of tourists and many children trying to sell you postcards and drinks and there will continue to be more and more of this. But regardless, Angkor is a special place that shouldn't be missed.

The vendors can drive you to distraction sometimes.

Clearly Angkor is a major attraction and there is going to be a downside, if you visit certain temples at certain times of the day however you might be pleasantly surprised to find yourself the only person there. However National Geographic may disapprove of the development at Angkor it is still an amazing spectacle, not to be missed.

http://www.travelsinasia.com/Cambodia/Cambodia.htm

I thought it was well worth it to visit Angkok Wat along with all the other temples we visited. I even enjoyed the town of Siem Reap! Be sure to check out the Dead Fish Tower Bar! You can't miss it!

A guide will make the experience much more enjoyable than doing it on your own. We specifically told our guide that we wanted to avoid the crowds as much as possible and he worked wonders with that.

Seeing Angkor Wat at sunrise was a magical treat! See my photos here:

http://www.windjammer.smugmug.com/gallery/1239647/6

Go now before it gets even more crowded!

And if you're REALLY serious about avoiding the crowds, you could check out these guys...

http://www.helicopterscambodia.com/

Thanks for all the reassurance. The article was about which World Heritage sites were doing the best job manageing the impact of tourism and in their opinion Angkor is not doing a very good job. I would guess this is a reflection of the state of Cambodia in general where bringing tourism dollars to help its economy may overshadow environmental concerns. Hopefully they will learn Angkor is a resource for the long term and will manage for the future as well. I will look forward to our trip and try to tread softly while visiting this great site.

scfphoto- I also read that article last night, with concern. I have been to Angkor Wat twice; in 10/03 and again in 4/06. On the second visit I saw an increased awareness towards protecting the temples that I had not witnessed the first time. Specificially, the carved reliefs on the walls were roped off so people couldn't touch them - you could see where they were getting worn down from previous visitors touching them. Also, access to some of the stairways was curtailed.
There were also wooden walkways built above the stone walkways to protect the original structure.
I was glad to see these efforts.

I went to Angkor back in 2001. I t really breaks my heart to hear of the damage being done.

Go now before it is ruined further.