It’s hard luck for a new airport to have a travel writer passing through on its second day of opening, but perfect timing for a travel writer, especially when a delayed flight allows plenty of time to write an on-the-spot review.
Siem Reap is the home of Cambodia’s Angkor Wat temple complex, a UNESCO-listed World Heritage Site that attracts global tourists. Until Monday [Oct 16], tourists transited through Siem Reap International Airport, just 5km from the main temple of Angkor Wat and 10km from the city centre.
But with a rapidly expanding tourism industry, and studies showing air pollution is causing extensive damage to the temples, the new Siem Reap Angkor International Airport has been constructed 40km from city centre.
