Cambodia, the Angkor Temples

[Guest lazyphil]

<<`ve been this summer for 5 day´s in Siem Reap. It was terrible hot (39 C, 90% humidity). But the temples are one of the best place I have ever seen in my life>>

 

They are stunning, a magical place for sure. Well worth a visit.

[kamui]

Only one advice for those who haven´t been at Angkor, yet and are thinking of going.

 

Go there as soon as possible!

This year Cambodia had less than 1 million tourists. But the country is desperatly looking for many more in the upcoming years.

 

Which means, no empty, quiet tempeles anymore, fences around parts of the tempels, higher prices...

The temple with the most beautiful bas reliefs "Banteay Srei" has already a ribbon around the inner towers with the delicate carvings and I coudn´t go near them. Very sad, but maybe necessary.

[pattaya127]

I just saw a documentary about Angkor yesterday. They are already preventing little vendors and kids to enter the temples so as not to "bother the tourists", some policing highly regrettable IMO, and people who went recently say some of the temples inside compounds are cordonned off, and can't be approached as closely as before (Banteay Srei was the example given).

[Guest lazyphil]

<<I just saw a documentary about Angkor yesterday. They are already preventing little vendors and kids to enter the temples so as not to "bother the tourists", some policing highly regrettable IMO, and people who went recently say some of the temples inside compounds are cordonned off, and can't be approached as closely as before (Banteay Srei was the example given)>>

 

 

I think helping to preserve the bas reliefs isn't such a bad idea by cordonned them off. As for stopping venders selling coke etc and keeping away those delightful children (proberbly a stupid thing to say;White man+children+Cambodia can = pedo, a shame those scumbag pedos have given this beautiful country such a warped image) who have excellent English and when I was wondering around the 'Jungle Temple' two of them had really amazing knowledge of there heritage by talking me through the history of the place (I gave them a few $$ for there time). Whos idea was this? Did the tourist authority get complaints from other tourists about vendors etc at the temples? As if life for these people isn't brutal enough without some asshole preventing them eek out a living.

[kamui]

You are right, the more tourists the more damages. Therefore it will be necessary to fence the most important parts in. And of course they will need handrails for the steps, more guards, more souvenier shops eg. This will change the experience of the place.

Concering the kids selling postcards and other stuff in every temple: I had the opportunity to accompany the scientists who do the restauration work at a main temple in Angkor. They told me that they don´t buy anything from the kids, rather than supporting a local school. The school system in Cambodia is in a terrible state, but the kids not going to school, because they have to support their families (this sounds familiar, doesn´t it) are ruining their own future.