Popular review site and booking portal Tripadvisor has included the “Angkor Wat Sunrise Tour” in its latest lists of top 10 experiences in Asia and the world, ranked fourth and eighth, respectively. The tour offers travellers the unique opportunity to witness the sunrise over Angkor Wat, a 12th-century temple complex in Siem Reap, Cambodia. The sites for the list were chosen based on review data from millions of travellers globally, spanning 12 months to 30 April, according to a statement from the northeast US-based TripAdvisor LLC
The world list starts with a “Grand Circle Island and Haleiwa Tour” in Hawaii, US, followed by the “Thai Cooking Course” in Chiang Mai, Thailand, and “Ubud Tour – Best of Ubud” in Bali, Indonesia. Rounding out the top five are “Red Dunes ATV, Sandsurf, Camels, Stargazing & 5* BBQ” in Dubai, UAE, and “Best DMZ 3rd Infiltration Tunnel Tour from Seoul” in Seoul, South Korea.
The remaining five include the “Reykjavik Food Walk – Local Foodie Adventure” in Iceland, “Amsterdam Luxury Guided Sightseeing Canal Cruise” in Netherlands, “Angkor Wat Sunrise Tour” in Cambodia and the “San Juan Guided Snorkel Tour” in Puerto Rico, US. The “Hanoi Jeep Tours” in Hanoi, Vietnam closes the list.
Siem Reap provincial Department of Tourism director Ngov Seng Kak estimated that 8,726 people, including 2,226 foreigners, witnessed sunrise over the central spire of Angkor Wat in March 2023, during the 32nd Southeast Asian (SEA) Games and 12th ASEAN Para Games’ torch-lighting ceremony. Dean of the Faculty of Archaeology at the Royal University of Fine Arts in Phnom Penh, Ngin Chanrith, stated that Angkor Wat was more than a temple – it concealed mysteries about Cambodia’s history, culture and civilisation for tourists to explore.
The Ministry of Tourism in Cambodia is pushing for more promotion of the biannual equinoxes at Angkor Wat in March and September, including through social media, as part of its “Visit Cambodia Year 2023” campaign. It has sold 344,757 standard tickets for Siem Reap province’s Angkor Archaeological Park to foreign visitors from January to May 2023, amounting to $16,065,829, which reflects a 653.09% and 765.42% year-on-year increase in quantity and value of tickets sold. Cairan Ryan, CEO of Asia-based hospitality and travel company Vietcetera, said that increased tourism in Cambodia had helped to regenerate and preserve the country’s heritage sites.
