Hopes are high that the temple complex, recently revitalized from repair work, will spearhead a recovery in tourism after the Southeast Asian nation began reopening its borders to travelers last November.

A handful of foreign visitors are once again roaming the sacred site, with many calling it a unique opportunity.

"I think it's a once-in-a-lifetime experience to really see it with such few tourists," Belgian holidaymaker Marjan Colombie told AFP. "It's so different."

On previous visits to the 12th-century ruins, she had been forced to jostle with others and endure long queues, she said.

Despite the huge economic cost for Cambodia, the pandemic has been a boon for renovations and conservation work at Angkor Wat.

The government agency that manages the site says the shutdown allowed extra time and space for repairs, maintenance and gardening. Workers fixed crumbling towers and installed a water system to keep the grass green during the dry season.

"Our temples could rest too," said APSARA Authority spokesman Long Kosal.

Local businesses in Siem Reap are now seeing an uptick in bookings after COVID-19 decimated tourism.

Chea Sokhon, general manager of Sarai Resort and Spa, which closed in April 2020 and laid off its 100 employees, is rehiring as foreign tourists return.

"It's like we are starting from zero," he said, laying out the challenges he faces.

The businessman, who also sits on Siem Reap’s tourism board, said around 20 percent of the city’s hotels had reopened this year and around 30 percent were preparing to reopen.

But he cautioned it would take at least another year for full recovery.

'Overwhelming'

"Our tour guides have hope again," said local guide Meth Savutha, back on the job after spending the past two years teaching English online to support his family.

Border closures and travel restrictions knocked Cambodia's tourism income down to just US$184 million last year, a far cry from the nearly $5 billion in 2019.

Foreign visitors nosedived to below 200,000 people in 2021 from roughly 6.6 million pre-pandemic.

But a comprehensive vaccine rollout and a retreat of the virus have enabled Phnom Penh to resume issuing visas on arrival. Numbers are now slowly climbing again, but remain a long way from pre-COVID figures.

Officials expect 700,000 international visitors this year, fueled by new daily flights to Siem Reap from Singapore.

For German tourist Hanna, visiting Cambodia for the first time this month, the renovations to Angkor Wat and the lack of crowds made it an "overwhelming" experience.

"It's absolutely beautiful and stunning," she told AFP as the sun rose over the historic complex.