As the sky lightens, you squint in an attempt to discern the outline of Angkor Wat on the horizon. This is it. This is the moment you flew across the world for. This is the moment all the travel brochures tell you is ‘once in a lifetime’.
And then, just as the sun finally pops out from behind the temples, a selfie stick pops up in front of you and blocks your view. You try to move out of the way, but you can’t. You’re stuck in a moshpit of hundreds of tourists, 50% of whom are holding selfie sticks of their own.
As the sky turns pink and illuminates Angkor Wat from behind, you are left to watch those precious moments when the temple complex is at its most beautiful through the lens of somebody else’s iPhone.
So how do you avoid it?
Like this:
1. Know the Peak Times
Most tourists follow a very specific itinerary when visiting Cambodia’s Angkor Wat temple complex. They rise early for the Angkor Wat sunrise, have breakfast at their hotels, head back out to explore the temples and return to their accommodation in the early afternoon.
In order to evade the crowds, we advise you to get up early like everyone else to witness the sunrise at Angkor Wat, but then stick around after the sunrise for a few hours of exploring the temple complex, minus the hordes of people (and the heat).
When the crowds return in the late morning, head back to your hotel for a siesta and wait until the cooler and quieter late afternoon to resume your exploring.
2. Put on Your Indiana Jones Hat and EXPLORE!
Finding yourself in a crowd-free Angkor Wat largely comes down to being at the right place at the right time.
Most tour groups follow the same well-worn paths around the temple complex, however as Angkor Wat covers a massive 500 acres of land, there are plenty of spots that remain pretty tourist-free. There is really no part of the main temple complex that’s off limits to visitors, so take the time to explore and find your own private spot to soak up the history.
A perfect example of the benefit of going against the crowd is the Angkor Wat sunrise. Most tourists visit Angkor Wat for the sunrise alone. Almost ALL of these visitors go to the EXACT same place to take the EXACT same photo of the sun rising behind the temples in the reflecting pond on the left-hand side of the bridge to the main temple complex.
However, there is another reflection pond on the right hand side of the bridge that presents the EXACT same image that few people go to for some unexplained reason. The moral of this story is to forget Beyonce’s advice and head “to the right, to the right”.
3. Don’t Be Afraid of a Little Rain
Like most countries located in Southeast Asia, the weather in Cambodia is dominated by the annual monsoon cycle. This means that Angkor Wat only really sees two seasons – the wet season (from May to October) and the dry season (from November to April).
Not surprisingly, most tourists visit during the dry season. Accordingly, you will experience far fewer crowds at Angkor Wat if you choose to visit during the wetter months. What most people don’t realise is that most of the time when it rains in Angkor Wat, it’s only for short periods throughout the day.
Moreover, the rain has the added benefit of creating amazingly luscious green countryside and spontaneous reflecting ponds around the temples. So, if you want to escape the crowds at Angkor Wat turn up your Rihanna and get “under your umbrella-ella-ella”.
4. Engage with the Locals
This one is more about escaping the crowds in a metaphysical sense, but trust me: it works wonders. The key is to take the time to engage with the locals – whether it’s with a local monk offering blessings or your local tour guide. I can promise you they each have a story to share with you that will make you completely forget all about the crowds as you become completely absorbed in the captivating history of the country and its people.
There are so many amazing places to see in Cambodia, and Angkor Wat really is the most special. Hopefully my recommendations will help you to plan the best trip possible but you also view more information on my Cambodia travel tips.
