Travel talk: Mark Bibby

KingdomCOME

After a recent visit to his beloved Cambodia, Mark Bibby Jackson explains why you should be heading there too, as soon as possible

I fell in love with Cambodia the first time I visited, in 2004. In fact, I ended up living there for the best part of a decade, travelling around and writing about it for various magazines. This January I visited for 18 days and I returned convinced there will never be a better time to visit. Let me tell you why…

Cambodia is open: The country is welcoming all vaccinated tourists who have proof of a negative PCR test taken 72 hours prior to their departure. On arrival you need to do a quick lateral flow test in the airport (I received my result in just 30 minutes) and then you are free to roam the country freely. You will have it to yourself: You will never find such optimum conditions for sightseeing as there are now. Even the iconic site of Angkor Wat is deserted. Despite the fact that I made the rookie error of visiting during Chinese New Year, I found most temples devoid of tourists, with just the occasional Khmer couple having their wedding photos taken. Even the tree-tangled temple of Ta Prohm was just as Angelina Jolie found it in Tomb Raider. There is room to breathe: There are still large swathes of Cambodia that are untouched. The Cardamom Mountains are one of the bestpreserved areas of rainforest in Southeast Asia, largely thanks to the Wildlife Alliance charity. Now you can stay here too, and in true eco-friendly style. Choose between a homestay, one of the many community-based ecotourism projects in the region; the upmarket Shinta Mani Wild resort; or the Cardamom Tented Camp, a remarkable place powered by solar panels and offering filtered water and locally-sourced food. Here you can enjoy peace and quiet because there is no noise pollution – apart from the jungle chatter that is. If it’s the beach you’re hankering after, you’ll find them blissfully quiet too. There is a buzz: There is a reason why so many expats choose to live in Phnom Penh, and tourists love Siem Reap. Both cities have a laid-back lifestyle, buzzing atmosphere and welcoming people. Now is a great time to immerse yourself in the local culture and really get to know the locals for an enriched experience. The people need you: You think that we had it bad during the pandemic, but tourism businesses in Cambodia have had virtually no income for two years. Places like the excellent Jaya House Hotel in Siem Reap have tried hard to keep staff on through rough times but people are suffering. As my tuk tuk driver, Samoueng to Svay Ran (who also runs a homestay), said, they desperately need your business. charitable.travel/travel-beginsat-40