Battambang is in the north about two hours by bus from Poi Pet/Aranjaprathet and within easy distance of both Phnom Penh and Siem Reap, a small but busy town.
Battambang is the rice bowl of western Cambodia, home to some spectacular rural scenery and within easy distance of both Phnom Penh and Siem Reap. Monks are part of the picture:
Big-ticket attractions aside, what often swings it for Battambang is the laid back, sleepy feel to the place. It's an attractive town in a rundown kind of way with a few colonial shopfronts and pretty tree-lined streets. Spend an evening by the riverfront munching away on fried bugs and other critters and no doubt you'll be sold.
You can also travel by boat from Battambang to Siem Reap — a stunningly beautiful (if occasionally very slow) way to cross the broad Tonle Sap.
What to do in Battambang?
Sightseeing by Motorbike Taxi or TukTuk
A fun way to see the Cambodian countryside is on the back of a motorbike taxi or by TukTuk. Compared to Thailands TukTuks they are more high and allow also tall people a great view from the TukTuk to the sourroundings. Puttering along the roads with the wind in your face, you’ll go past small villages, streams and farms. There are many places to stop and take a look around, such as Wat Sampeau which sits on top of a limestone hill 18 kilometers out of town. Another is Wat Banan, nicknamed “Mini-Angkor Wat”, which has a beautiful view once you’ve climbed the 359 steps to get to it.
Wat Baydamram is fascinating because of the large number of bats living in the trees inside the temple compound, and you should also visit Wat Ek Phnom, another “Mini-Angkor Wat”. Don’t expect to cover all these temples in one day. Take your time, take it slow and enjoy the scenery.
The Cultural Village of Watkor
Two kilometers south of the town, this village has half a dozen wooden houses dating from about 100 years ago, along with tools and other artifacts used in daily life at that time, such as a rice mill and an ox-cart.
Battambang Museum
This museum displays artifacts from Battambang and nearby. Next door is a small display about local agricultural and fishing practices, and local legends and folk tales.
Cooking Courses
The Smokin’ Pot restaurant offers courses to help you learn to cook traditional Khmer food at reasonable prices.
The Naga for Peace and Development Monument
On the road heading south out of town, this 6.5-metre-high monument was created by four Cambodian artists and completed in September 2007. It was built from weapons surrendered by residents of Battambang province; due to the years of war at the end of last century, thousands of weapons had found their way into the hands of Cambodian civilians. Continuing efforts are being been made by the government, in conjunction with international bodies, to collect and destroy these weapons. The monument was sponsored by the Japanese government to mark Cambodia’s commitment to peace after the 30 years of conflict going back to the Vietnam War.
Ride a Bamboo Train
These trains, known as “norry” in Khmer, consist of a wooden frame, bamboo decking, an engine and wheels that come from a bust-up wartime tank. They chug up and down the railway line between Battambang and the outskirts of Phnom Penh.
Naturally, they are illegal, but tolerated because they are so useful – and in any case there is only one real train a week up and down the line. Bamboo trains are used for carrying people as well as freight.
A trip on one of these can be booked through most hotels, or you can arrange it through your local motorbike taxi or tuk-tuk driver.
Spend one day and night with a local TukTuk driver. We checked out the location and slept there for one night. It was save, even if we had some money and creditcards with us. The guy is verified and didnt want any money for his service - of course i gave him a good tip:
This is available in the high season only. So only call him or send an email to him between December and early April.
His name is SOKHA YOM Tel:(+855) 92 13 93 0, the telephonnumber is his mobile number. In Laos you can get a Sim Card for your mobile in many shops, but you also can make your reservation with him via email:
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His house is clean and of course u get a fresh bed-coversheet. Including the transport to his home by his TukTuk i recommend to give a tip from around 5 US-$. You also can make a reservation for Sokha with me,
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or by my thai telephone +66806600684You also can book him for a sight seeing tour around Battambang, the rate is between 4 and 20$ depending on what u want to see and how far he has to go. Sokha, which mean happy is speaking English very well and has already some experience as a tour guide.
