Tourism

The best time to come to Cambodia is durning the first half of the dry season, which begins late november and continues until the coming of the rains in late May. Late March, April and May can be extremely hot, and much of the land is unpleasantly dry and dusty. Seim Reap, the provincial capital where visitors to Angkor stay, is easily reached by daily flights from either Bangkok or Phnom Penh; there are many modern hotels in the town, from modest to luxurious in quality and price. While Angkor's ruins can be accessed on one's own, unless one is with a tour it is advisable to engage a guide and a driver, as the site is very large.

Although much of Angkor can be seen in three days, it is far better to spend at least a week, since some of the complexes are worth several visits

The serious visitor should not be without a guide book in hand, either Dawn Rooney's Angkor, or Jean Laur's Angkor: An Illustrated Guide. Also to be highly recomended is the 1 : 40,000 map of Angkor published in 1999 by River Books, Bangkok.

Regarding health, the usual precautions in tropical climates should be observed: do not drink unpurified water, and do not eat raw vegetables or unpeeled fruit. Be shure to wear a hat and to apply plenty of sunscreen. The health authorities generally consider Angkor and Siem Reap zone to be malaria free, but is not true of the Kulen Hills, or elsewhere in the country

The provincial capital, Siem Reap

Tourist at Angkor Watt

Conservation and Archaeological Issues with Tourism

In recent times, tourism has increased enormously at Angkor Watt. Cambodia's most famous tourist attraction, Angkor Watt, is packing visitors in in record numbers. With an annual increase of nearly 20% every year, more than 2 million visitors came to Angkor in 2013 alone. Tourism comes with two contradicting consequences though:

-Lack of supervision over the quite significant area encourages tourists to climb over crumbling walls, adding to the deterioration at the site.

-The funds provided by tourism has been linked to the preservation of the various temples of Angkor/Yasodharapura. The more tourists which come promote more money, helping local businesses to save this ancient wonder.

As a result it is advised that it is okay for tourists to visit Angkor, for as long as they follow all rules and regulations when they are at the site, and that they respect the wishes of heritage police and the locals.