Cambodia may open Angkor Wat at night for visits

Tuesday May 26, 2009

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) - Cambodia is considering opening the famed Angkor Wat temples at night to draw more tourists to the impoverished country, an official at the archaeological site said Tuesday.

Similar night tourism efforts have been introduced at other sites in Southeast Asia.

Cambodia already has installed some lights at the network of centuries-old temples, said Bun Narith, who leads the agency responsible for managing the Angkor park.

Tourism is a major foreign currency earner for cash-strapped Cambodia. More than a million foreign tourists are expected to visit this year, with most from South Korea, Japan and the United States. More than half of tourists visit the Angkor temples, by far the country's biggest draw.

Visitors are now ushered out of Angkor at sunset, but authorities are considering extending visiting hours to as late as 8:30 p.m. local time.

"We want tourists to see all views of the temple, even in the dark places where they may have not have seen some of the sculptures and statues," Bun Narith said.

But conservationists have long expressed concerns about tourism's impact on Angkor.

They say the uncontrolled pumping of underground water to meet the rising demand of hotels and residents in the nearby town of Siem Reap may be destabilizing the earth beneath the temples.

Angkor is about 143 miles (230 kilometers) northwest of the capital, Phnom Penh.

WARNING: Cambodian schoolchildren are not part of the tourist attraction!

Invading tourists force Cambodian school to rope off classrooms

11.01.08
DPA

A Cambodian-based not-for-profit educational charity has cooperated with students at a school near an ancient temple to stop foreign tourists wandering through their classes.

British-registered Schools for Children of Cambodia (SCC) posted the advisory on its website this week, saying it had roped off classrooms "to keep tourists from wandering on campus, photographing (the children) in class, and disrupting their education." "The school stands within 100 metres of the entrance to the 9th-century Lolei temple ruins, which attract hundreds of visitors each day," SCC general manager for Cambodia, Andrea Messmer, said in a statement.

Lolei Primary School's position at the edge of the famous Angkor Wat temple complex in the northern province of Siem Reap, about 400 kilometres from the capital, means it is prohibited by royal decree from erecting any permanent structure to control curious travelers, or potential sexual predators posing as tourists.

"While some tourists enter the school grounds to use the toilets ... others enter to get a glimpse of everyday Cambodian life," Messmer wrote.

Plan to open a night market for Phnom Penh city

Thursday, July 19 2007
Everyday.com.kh
Translated from Khmer by Socheata

As a strategy to attract tourist to stay in Phnom Penh city for many days, the ministry of tourism and the Phnom Penh municipality held a meeting on Monday to discuss a plan to open a night market in Phnom Penh city. Kep Chuktema, Phnom Penh governor, showed three possible locations to set such nighttime market: (1) along the street parallel to the river from Phsar Chas to the north side of the royal palace; (2) on the street in front of the old National Assembly building until the east of the Monument of Independence; and (3) all around Phar Thmei, in this case the market will be allowed to operate between 6:00 PM to midnight also. The night market will be authorized to sell art objects such as painting and sculptures, and restaurants only. Thong Khun, the sinister of tourism, said that, based on experience in neighboring countries, night markets are opened near large tourist center, and most of the merchandises sold are locally made, and have some cultural values.