Mouhot was fearless. He was trained in the natural sciences in France and Russia. At the age of 30, he travelled to Siam (now Thailand) after reading about its natural beauty. He wanted to collect zoological specimens.
Investors seeking Asia’s next frontier may find inspiration in a French traveller born in 1826. Alexandre Mouhot is famous for his discovery of Angkor Wat, the temple complex in northern Cambodia.
Almost 300,000 tourists thronged to the site in 2022. The ruins may be ancient, but the city of Angkor is a recent discovery. It had been overrun by the jungle by the 1700s. The locals had forgotten about it. There was scant record of its existence.
