A popular spot for watching the sun set over the Angkor temples in Cambodia will be getting fewer viewers, as the agency that manages the temples limits numbers and promotes other good viewing locations.
The top of the Phnom Bakheng, seen above, has become so popular that authorities are concerned that the sheer numbers are damaging the building, as well as disrupting the tranquil sunset travelers come to see. Under the new rules, only 300 will be allowed there.
Phoeun Sophoan, the president of the agency managing the UNESCO-listed site says “The authority has also arranged places for tourists to see the sunset on the hill without going up to the temple.”
Even tour operators are on-board with the change; one pointed out that with as many as 1,000 on the top, most don’t even have a view of the Angkor Wat as the sun sets behind it. His suggestion? Watch “on a hand-propelled gondola on the moat of the ancient city of Angkor Thom, with a cool drink at hand – generally just what one wants after a long day of temple exploration.”
