BigDee wrote: ↑Wed Jul 08, 2020 12:42 pm All in all, I am considering a quick trip (first time) to visit Angkor in the next couple of days to take advantage on the minimal tourist.
Not fussed on the bar street but would appreciate any recommendations a nice Hotel close to or with its own restaurant, small bar and pool. happy to pay a premium for something in a nice relaxing setting.
Thanks in advance

REI Angkor hotel $38 for suite big room with own large spa in room breakfast included $1 tuk tuk to pub st.

crob wrote: ↑Wed Jul 08, 2020 6:13 pm

Electric Earth wrote: ↑Wed Jul 08, 2020 4:54 pm It'll be really interesting to keep an eye on SR and see where it's at in two years. That's my timeline to move back as long as things have returned to halfway normal in the world.

Tourism was Definitely suffering before covid hit. I worked for a school that taught English to hotel staff. We were struggling for business because none of the hotels could afford the extra expense for English classes after the 2018 tourist season died down. 2019-2020 never really ramped up in December like it should have....

SR has Angkor Wat, which always makes it a very attractive place to visit, but getting normal tourism back is going to take years... My questions are what caused the drop prior to COVID; and where was the drop coming from, was it and overall drop, or was it a drop only in western tourists.

The main factors I was given (some also mentioned by others here) by friends who have been in the tourism/Hotel trade in SR for years:

1. High numbers of Chinese crowding Angkor Wat put some people off
2. Strong USD - Hit the AUD, GBP and EURO - as Cambodia linked to USD it made it more expensive than say Vietnam and less of a budget option
3. Destruction of the coastline in SHV, a lot of bad stories about that removing one of the main draws for some travelers

I mean I love Cambodia but if you take Angkor Wat out of the equation then for a lot of tourists what is there? Phnom Penh, Kampot and the islands is most peoples routes (of course Battambang, mondulkiri, ratanakiri etc are great) - but compared to say Vietnam or Thailand which of those would most tourists consider to have better food, diverse scenery, beaches, islands etc. Cambodia has the most wonderful people but is that a choice for many travellers?
In 2018 a lot was made internationally about the election, a lot of negative press, I know of several folks who lived here who thought it might result in violence and left for their home countries, but that potentially had an impact on people coming. I am sure there are other reasons but consistently I have heard those three

angkorjohn2 wrote: ↑Wed Jul 08, 2020 8:17 pm
The main factors I was given (some also mentioned by others here) by friends who have been in the tourism/Hotel trade in SR for years:

1. High numbers of Chinese crowding Angkor Wat put some people off
2. Strong USD - Hit the AUD, GBP and EURO - as Cambodia linked to USD it made it more expensive than say Vietnam and less of a budget option
3. Destruction of the coastline in SHV, a lot of bad stories about that removing one of the main draws for some travelers

I'm going to guess and say No 1 and 2 are the same.. only different location

''high numbers of Chinese crowding...put some people off''

Yobbo wrote: ↑Wed Jul 08, 2020 5:59 pm

Electric Earth wrote: ↑Wed Jul 08, 2020 4:54 pm
Silver lining to it all, at least Temple Bar on Pub Street is closed and no one has to listen to their music rudely Blasting into the night, ruining the atmosphere for every business in a two block radius. They basically single handedly ruined Pub Street. I thought it was a pretty good time other than those obnoxious d-bags. Because of them, I rarely went any closer than Laundry. I think everyone I knew felt the same.

And the last time i was there they passed off a curry scrambled eggs as an Amok
That really pissed me off considering it's within the cultural heartland
A lot of tourists won't be having that again.

You mean that you ate some FOOD at Temple Bar ? Their best dish of the day was buckets of trafficked alcohol AFAIR.

Alex wrote: ↑Wed Jul 08, 2020 10:06 pm If they build a separate airport and city for Chinese tourists / gamblers, that could actually be a win-win. I didn't notice many Chinese when I visited Siem Reap last year, and liked it that way.

That's a great idea. What do you think would be a good name for that city. ?

Duncan wrote: ↑Thu Jul 09, 2020 6:22 am

Alex wrote: ↑Wed Jul 08, 2020 10:06 pm If they build a separate airport and city for Chinese tourists / gamblers, that could actually be a win-win. I didn't notice many Chinese when I visited Siem Reap last year, and liked it that way.

That's a great idea. What do you think would be a good name for that city. ?

Khmer Reap