Standing shoulder to shoulder, jostling for the perfect angle, hordes of tourists used to gather before dawn each morning to watch the sun rise over the magnificent ancient temple of Angkor Wat.
“This was the perfect opportunity,” said Ispas, who now lives in Singapore. “You can’t help but feel a bit special when you have one of the world’s wonders to yourself.” Even so, the sprawling Angkor Wat complex, considered the world’s largest religious structure, has sat largely empty during this peak tourist season, which runs from November to March.
Most businesses were closed and many workers had left for the countryside. Until recently, a “Happy New Year 2020” sign still hung prominently over one of Siem Reap’s main streets, as if the town had been frozen in time. The once-thriving night market had become a dark, desolate street. Cambodia’s reeling tourism industry got a significant lift in mid-December when Singapore Airlines resumed service between Singapore and Siem Reap, the first international flights to arrive since March 2020. Earlier this month, Thai Smile began flying again between Bangkok and Siem Reap.