Minus the tourists, ancient Angkor returns to a state of tranquility

The shutdown of world travel has hit tourist-reliant Siem Reap hard, with visitors to Angkor Wat dropping dramatically. But inside the park it's Cambodian visitors who are the beneficiaries, as they enjoy a brief moment of tranquility at this sacred cultural heritage site.

Finding pockets of solitude in Angkor Wat is one of those rarest of luxuries in normal circumstances.

With 2.2 million visitors, or some 6,000 per day, visiting last year – comparatively low numbers for the World Heritage site in what proved a slow year – it’s also a luxury you could have been forgiven for thinking was long consigned to history.

With its shaded courtyards, solitary libraries, and unlit winding passages, the usual throngs of snap-happy tourists that dominate the site feels at odds with its original purpose as a Hindu religious monument and funerary temple conceived with serenity and sanctuary in mind.

In full: https://southeastasiaglobe.com/angkor-wat-empty-covid-19/

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