Places of Interest - Cambodia

"battambang" a.a.

introduction

Battambang is located in the northwest of the country and is the second largest city in the country. The city is located along the "Sangkor" river and is known for its beautiful French colonial architecture. Perhaps the best and most interesting thing you can do with a visit to Battambang is to make a (day) trip to the many sights around the city. A beautiful landscape with temples, small villages, caves with atrocities of the Khmer Rouge regime and the possibility to take a trip on the train tracks with the bamboo train.

highlights

Downtown "Battambang":

The center of Battambang is largely "made" up by beautiful numerous former French Colonial buildings. Peeled off, covered with a layer of moss and surrounded by palm trees give the buildings a charm and atmosphere that makes you think back to the so called Golden times. Take a look at Street 3 where there is a row of old French shop houses or at the old Governor's house. The French colonial train station is still there.

Battambang tour:

A visit to Battambang is not complete without a tour (preferably on the back of a motorcycle) through the area around the city. You can put a tour together with a local guide to, among others, (Holy) temples (including Phnom Sampeau, Wat Ek Phnom or Phnom Banan). You can also chose to visit the dead caves where the remains of the victims lay from the Khmer Rouge regime but also see a number of artillery pieces of the struggle that occurred until the late 1990s. Buddha statues but also a ride on the (in)famous bamboo train is a must. Finally you can take a look at the bat trees that are full, you guessed it, with bats. See TOUR.

history

Large parts of the region around Battambang have changed hands many times in the past - from Cambodia to Thailand and vice versa. The last time was in WWII when the Thai signed a treaty with the collabbing French "Vichy regime and with approval from Japan Cambodia had to give up the (north) eastern provinces of their country to Thailand. After the war the Colonial French took over the regions again. In the 80s and 90s when the Khmer Rouge was expelled by the Vietnamese from the East and central Cambodia, they settled near the Thai border to escape quickly enough to be caught. By the help of high ranked Thai soldiers, jewelry and wood were sold and in this way the Khmer Rouge could survive. But in 1996 Ieng Sary (brother no.3) surrendered to the Cambodian army in the region "Battambang" with 3000 remaining warriors and the battle finally ended here. Not much later the last Khmer Rouge fighters were arrested and the tragedy stopped.

tips & advice (2009)

An airport or train station is lacking in Battambang. Buses leave (including direction of Pnomh Penh) from their (bus)office; most are situated west of the river. You can also come to "Siem Raep" by boat over the "Tonle Sap" lake. Finally, you can also travel to the border of Thailand (by bus).

Battambang - Pailin (border THAILAND): you can take a taxi to the border to Thailand at the taxipark near "Psar Leu" (at the end of Street 3). Costs are about 8 dollars (200 Riel) and it takes about 2.5 hours.

TIP: if you want to go to the border with Thailand, start your journey early so that you do not get into trouble. In the morning there are more candidates who want to go to the border.

Restaurant "Smokin 'Pot" is conveniently located in the center, near the hostel (see below) and has affordable and delicious local meals. Many volunteers from the West come here to eat as well as backpackers. There is an English menu and you can sit on the terrace. It is also a cooking school.

Name: Hotel "Chhaya"

Address: 118 Street 3

Price: $ 4

Phone nr. : 952170

Email: chhayahotel-bb@hotmail.com

Content:

This is a real hotel - no common room with a TV, travel books or a game of chess. Also no cozy kitchen or something of that. A lobby with some chairs, a reception and 84 good rooms. An anonymous large static hotel in a busy street; the rooms have their own toilet and shower and are not very large. There are even rooms with air conditioning. It is in the center and you can walk easily (almost) everywhere.

TOUR in- and around BATTAMBANG:

Its definitely worth it to book a (day) tour in- and around “Battambang”, for example through your hotel, on the back of a motorcycle to the various attractions around the city.

PRICE: 7 dollars

INCLUDING:

- Guide (= driver), transport (= motorbike)

EXCLUSIVE:

Lunch
Admission tickets
Drinks etc.

DURATION: 5 hours

CONTENT:

A ride through the small alleys in Battambang and a visit of a "rice wine factory";
"Phnom Banan" (entrance fee: $ 2) - this temple consists of five towers and premises claiming that this temple was the reason for building "Angkor Wat". By means of a long staircase you arrive on top of a magical plateau with a beautiful view. Through a long winding road past temples and old "Khmer" houses you get back to the parking lot
Lunch;
"Phnom Sampeau" (entrance fee: $ 2) - on the plateau of the mountain there are two artillery pieces aimed at the so-called "crocodile mountain", one of the last places where the Khmer Rouge was hiding. You have a beautiful view over "Phnom Banan". You can also pay an honorable visit to the death caves. A cage full of skulls from victims of the Khmer Rouge who threw their opponents from the edge. There are numerous Buddha statues;
Bat tree (full of fruit bats);
"Bamboo train" ($ 3) - you make a ride with the famous bamboo-train which is no more than a piece of bamboo (wood) which they put on a traintrack. With a bit of luck you will encounter an oncoming vehicle and (if your load is less than your oncoming vehicle) you will have to take the whole lot apart and then put it back on track.

ADVICE:

Make sure you choose a good motorcyclist driver before you sit down for a day (for a day trip). Safe, sober and English speaking because you do not get a helmet. The roads are often not good so be prepared.