Battambang
The town of Battambang in western Cambodia is traditionally considered the country’s second city after Phnom Penh although, by now, the construction explosion in Sihanoukville and Siem Reap’s extensive tourist infrastructure and influx of migrant workers probably challenge this status. Today the town sees a steady, albeit limited, number of visitors and while lacking Angkor Wat, or the capital’s nightlife and museums, there’s an admirable and varied selection of options to see and do in Battambang.
Getting there
When we first added Battambang to our Cambodia tours – nearly 25 years ago – it was well off-the-beaten-track, the accommodation situation was, to say the least, uninspired and the number of decent eateries could be counted on one hand. The best part about the town, and the main reason for including it, was getting there and while facilities have improved enormously, to a large extent, that is still true today. The spectacular boat journey from Siem Reap, across the Tonle Sap and up the Sangkar River with its floating villages is, to our minds, possibly the best boat trip in Southeast Asia and definitely one of Cambodia’s highlights.
On the Sangkar River between Siem Reap and Battambang See and do in Battambang City
The central part of town consists of a grid of narrow lanes, quaintly named Street 1, Street 1 and 1/2, Street 2, Street 2 and 1/2 and so on. The area is chocker with period architecture, coffee shops, restaurants and galleries and makes a great spot for a wander. It possesses Cambodia’s best-remaining stock of Chinese-style shophouses – replete with a few French twists – and while not all have been as well looked after as they could have been, efforts are now being made to preserve and restore this valuable resource.
The area is bordered to the north by the town’s main market – the vibrant Phsa Nat – and to the east by the riverside promenade. This has also received a welcome makeover with certain sections now featuring simple but well-placed riverbank cafes.
These Chinese shophouses in Battambang are reminiscent of Malacca or George Town See and do in Around Battambang
Many visitors to Battambang invariably arrive from Siem Reap (and Angkor) with claims of ‘temple fatigue’ and stated intentions to ‘see something different’. Battambang’s ideal for the latter but it does have a couple of well-preserved and attractive ancient temple sites of its own.
A short distance northeast of town lies Prasat Ek Phnom, a medium-sized, early 12th-century, sandstone temple containing a number of intact lintels while Prasat Phnom Banan is a late 12th-century, Jayavarman VII sanctuary situated on a wooded hilltop some 20 kilometres south of Battambang. It’s a pleasant riverside drive to the latter and can be combined with a couple of minor sites en route; a large colony of giant fruit bats and the unusual Battambang Winery. (The wine’s undrinkable but the tour is fun.)
Wat Ek Phnom or Prasat Ek Phnom, Battambang The Bamboo Train
The rickety, motorised bamboo carts hurtling through the paddy fields are still going after all these years and still unsurpassed as Battambang’s most iconic sight. A local businessman set up a new, purpose-built and rather tacky railway at the foot of Phnom Banan – which it’s safe to ignore – while the original has been relocated to a site south of town, beyond the new ring road. ‘Trains’ carry a maximum of 4 foreigners, charge $5 per ‘ticket’ and take you on a 15-minute ride up the line. At that point, there’s a collection of drink and souvenir stalls so you can buy a t-shirt, grab a coconut and the driver turns the train around and takes you back. (Some of the vendors – and particularly their kids – can be a bit insistent but the trains do stop outside their homes, they’re poor families and they’re just trying to scrape a buck, so please be patient.
Sunset is the popular time, although we aim for early morning rides as it’s cooler on the roofless trains, there are far fewer people and far more birdlife around.
Rice harvest seen from the bamboo train Tours
Half-day tours, by tuk-tuk or bicycle, are also up the top of any see and do in Battambang list and great fun they are too. These are usually organised by students which provides them with a bit of pocket money and the chance to practice their English. Several itineraries are offered with our favourite being the local livelihoods, village tour, which shows you some of the area’s cottage industries such as rice paper making, sun-dried bananas and a traditional style blacksmith as well as including a tour of a local market and the famous Phsa Prahok – fish paste market. Fascinating and again a great responsible tourism initiative as you’re meeting local people in their homes and providing additional revenue for several poor families.
Phnom Sampeu and the Bats
Another popular trip out of town is Phnom Sampeu – a stupa-topped hill located approximately 12 kilometres southwest of town. The summit offers spectacular views while caves in the limestone outcrop are home to large bat colonies. (On a more sombre note, Sampeu was also a notorious killing field site during the Khmer Rouge era so deserves to be treated with respect, which leads to our main gripe.) The much-touted, sunset visit to watch the clouds of bats exit the caves can be something of a circus, particularly during high season, with large crowds of beer-swilling and local herb-puffing tourists lining the foot of the hill.
It’s a 12 km return after sunset by tuk-tuk so this does tend to eat into your early evening a bit, (by the time you’ve got back and showered), so there may be better spots in Battambang for a relaxing sundowner.
The above are the best-known sites and while there are various other options, it all depends on how much time you devote to Cambodia’s second city. Although everything on our see and do in Battambang list can comfortably be fitted into 2 days, the best bits also neatly fit a day tour. Our suggested 1-day, 2-night Battambang programme, featured on our Highlights of Cambodia, Vietnam and Cambodia Overland small group tours as well as our Cambodia and Thailand family tour, includes the excellent morning tuk-tuk (or cycling) cottage industries tour with the afternoon at leisure. If you’re feeling energetic, we can book you a tuk-tuk for the bats or temples, although our recommendation is a gentle stroll around town, meeting up for a pre-dinner cold one in one of the town’s numerous cafes. (Following on from a few busy days exploring Angkor, we confess that relaxing by the pool in the extremely pleasant hotel garden is often a very popular choice.)
We then do the bamboo train early the following morning as it’s conveniently located close to the Battambang – Phnom Penh Highway.
That covers most of the Battambang bases and while, as we mentioned, there’s enough to keep one occupied for several days, on a 2 or 3-week Cambodia (or Cambodia and Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam tour), you can’t see everything.
