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Cambodia: The Children of Angkor Wat is a long term project documenting the children that work around the Angkor Wat Temple Complex. Over the last few years the appearance of Khmer beggars, land-mine victims and hoards of children has been greatly reduced as the numbers of tourists visiting the temples has dramatically increased. Additional trustees and “temple police” have been employed to keep beggars out and children at the edges of the boundaries of the temples. The children will sell guide books, cold drinks, postcards and cheap trinkets to tourists as a form of income to support the rest of the family. Often they will forgo school lessons in the high season when the tourist numbers reach a peak. Many of the families have semi permanent stalls set up by the temples to sell food and souvenirs and the children present an opportunity for extra potential income by approaching the tourists directly within the temples. The older teenagers will offer themselves as guides but the chances are often slim as many of the visitors arrive with their own guides recommended by travel agencies and hotels back in Siem Reap. Sadly as the growth of tourists visiting Angkor Wat and surrounding temples increases each year, there is increasing pressure to remove the children from the temples. This results in even larger groups of children who run surround tourists as they try to return to their coach, tuk-tuk or private taxi and the chances of actually making any money for their family becomes more and more remote.

Simon Larbalestier 2007.

The images were shot with Leica M, Hasselblad Xpan and Holga cameras.

© Simon Larbalestier All Rights Reserved.