SE-ASIA.COM   SOUTH-EAST ASIA HOTELS AND TRAVEL GUIDE

THAILAND • MYANMAR • LAOS • CAMBODIA • VIETNAM • MALAYSIA • SINGAPORE • INDONESIA • PHILIPPINES • AUSTRALIA
Untitled Travel information about Battambang Cambodia and Guide to Hotels and cheap Guesthouses.
BATTAMBANG
INFORMATION
HOTELS
TRAVEL AGENTS
RESTAURANTS
INTERNET
 Battambang Cambodia
Cambodia Hotels from Agoda. A new window opens.
Use BACK button to return to www.se-asia.com
  TIPS.   
Sitting on the Sangker River just south west of the Tonle Sap Lake, Battambang town is at the heart of Cambodia's 'rice bowl',
and even though it is the country's second biggest town, it still has a very local, untouristed, provincial atmosphere.
Much of the architecture is French colonial and traditional Cambodian.

Few buildings are over three stories, and the main streets are shared by cars and horse carts alike.
Unlike more touristed towns, the local economy is truly local - based firmly in rice, wood, sapphires and food crops - and is reflected in the character of the town.
Similarly, as you leave Battambang by road, the scene quickly becomes one of small villages, rice paddies, and farmland, offering an excellent opportunity for the visitor to see a bit of 'unspoiled' rural Cambodia.

The nearby countryside also harbors old pagodas, Angkorian era ruins, caves, waterfalls, and even Khmer Rouge period killing fields.
Battambang means ‘disappearing stick’, and is named after a powerful stick used by a legendary Khmer king to achieve and maintain power in the Battambang area.
Coming & Going:
Boat Daily ferry departs Siem Reap for Battambang at 7:00am. $12-$15/person. It's a picturesque, 3 - 4 hour journey across the Tonle Sap and up the Sangker River in the wet season, but can be considerably longer in the dry season due to low water. There is no direct Phnom Penh - Battambang boat.

Air At time of printing there are no flights to Battambang. President Airlines and Royal Phnom Penh Airways may offer flights later this year. The airport sits about 2km from town center, just off of Route #5. Airport departure tax from Battambang is $4.

Road: Bus Neak Krorhorm Travel (023-219496 in Phnom Penh), GST Bus Co., and Ho Wah Genting Bus Co., both near the southwest corner of Phsar Thmey (Central Market) in Phnom Penh, offer several daily buses between Battambang and Phnom Penh. All charge $4. Departing between 6:30AM and 8AM. In Battambang, buses depart from near Phsar Nath. Intermittently rough road conditions.

Road: Local Transport Prices for local transport are very nominal, but are also crowded and uncomfortable. Buy more than one place for the extra leg room. From Phnom Penh: Pickup truck (7,000 - 15,000 riel) or taxi. 6-9 hours. Taxis depart from Phsar Thmei. From Poipet: Pickup truck (50-100 baht). 3 hours.

Train From Phnom Penh: Departs 7:00am. 12 hours. 12,500 riel. Very rustic. Free for foreigners sometimes.

Getting Around:
Like most of Cambodia, the choice is motorcycle taxi (motodup), rent a car with driver, or rent a motorcycle. Your hotel can arrange a car or motorcycle rental. Cars are about $20/day and motorcycle rental runs $5-$8/day - a bit more expensive than other towns. Motodups are plentiful during the day. Just step onto the street and they will find you. They can be much more difficult to find at night. A ride in town should range 500 to 1500 riel.
Accomodation:
Cheaper Hotels/ Guesthouses available. Nothing fancy here yet.
Attractions:
Ray Zepp's Around Battambang is required reading for anybody who wants to explore the Battambang area. This 100 page book is an invaluable guide to the Battambang's pagodas, sights and tales, containing practical, descriptive and historical information presented in Mr. Zepp's inimitable 'just there yesterday' style. The book is available for $5 at hotels, restaurants and shops around Battambang. Proceeds go to the Monk's HIV Project.

Countryside Tour The rural countryside outside of Battambang is National Geographic picturesque. Within just a few kilometers of town the countryside turns into small villages filled with stilted houses and rice paddies that stretch to the horizon. You’ll see plenty of countryside on the way to any of the local sites. Check out some of the local products in the making - rice paper, noodles and the fishpaste market. It’s all very traditional if not a bit unhygienic and smelly. The roads are often rough and always exceptionally dusty. Bring a good hat and a krama to cover your nose and mouth.

Ek Phnom is an 11th century Angkorian ruin built as a Hindu temple under Suryavarman I. The temple consists of prasats on a platform with some carvings in pretty good condition. Wat Ek Phnom, a modern pagoda, sits next to the ruin. The river road drive to Ek Phnom from Battambang passes through some absolutely beautiful countryside.

Phnom Banan is a mountain top, 11th century Angkorian ruin consisting of five prasats. Peaceful location with a nice view of the area. Also L’Ang But Meas cave. Very old (150 years+) active pagoda at the base of the mountain.

Pagodas. Both Battambang town and the surrounding countryside are replete with pagodas, some of them very old and respected. See Around Battambang for complete information about visiting the local pagodas.

Phnom Sampeou Mountain, steeped in legend, and topped by Wat Sampeou and a group of caves used as ‘killing caves’ by the Khmer Rouge, containing the skeletal remains of their victims. The wat is unexceptional but the view is spectacular. Ask about the legend of Neang Rumsay Sok.

Psah Nath in the center of town is the main psah (traditional market) and is geared to the locals, sporting the usual variety of fruits, vegetables, meat, cloths, sundries, food stalls, etc. Gem dealers, a couple of banks, photo shops and moneychangers line the streets that ring the psah. Psah Leu, just south of town, seems to be the place to buy the local specialties, oranges and pomelos from Pursat province. They are said to be the best oranges in the country.

DaNine Market. New market near Psah Nath specializing in imported goods for travelers and expats. Canned foods, cold drinks, ice cream, spirits, sundries, etc. Promising a snack bar with burgers and sandwiches.

Chea Heang Drink Shop on the west side of Psah Nath offers ice cream bars, cheeses, yogurt, wines, and other imported items.

Local goods. Marble sculpture from Pursat province, woodcarvings from Battambang and sapphires from Pailin dominate the souvenir market in Battambang. Many of the hotels as well as the small souvenir/art/curios shops on Road #1 on the river in the center of town offer a selection of wood and marble products. The art shops have a better selection than the hotels and a couple have very interesting collections of curios, old trinkets, coins, antiques and oddities - well worth a look.

Cambodian sapphires and rubies mined in Pailin near the Thai border are brought to Battambang to be graded, cut and polished. There are some good deals on stones in Battambang but be very careful when buying. Fake and low quality jewel scams are common so you need to know gemology or know your gem dealer very well. Gem and gold dealers are located in the center of Psah Nath, in little shops surrounding the psah, and in a few shops on Road #1.

  FACTS.   
Communications:
Most hotels and Internet shops offer international telephone. Most internet shops offer very inexpensive internet phone.
Money:
Riel and US$ but Thai baht is in common use as well being nearer to Thailand.

Banks All banks exchange encash travelers checks and change money. Canadia Bank takes MasterCard and CCB accepts Visa and MasterCard. Acleda Bank on the east side of the river has Western Union. Moneychanger/goldsellers are concentrated around the market with a few along Road #1.

lostinasia.net
Online Travel Diary for Asian travelers. Free!!
Thailand and South-East Asia Expats and Travelers Forum
lostinasia.net/forum Thailand and South-East Asia Expats and Travelers Forum
Looking for Love Thailand dating singles man lady
LFL Thailand Dating
Find your soulmate online.
Free Membership.
video production,photography,web prpgramming
vidcapmedia.com
Video production.
Web Site programming.





HOME •
Myanmar (Burma) INTRODUCTION • YANGON (Rangoon) • BAGAN • CHAUNGTHA BEACH • INLE LAKE • KYAIKTIYO • MANDALAY • MAYMYO (Pyin Oo Lwin) • NGAPALI BEACH • MAWLAMYAING • BURMESE LANGUAGE • MYANMAR MAP •
THAILAND INTRODUCTION • BANGKOK • CHIANG MAI • CHIANG RAI • HUA HIN / CHA-AM • KANCHANABURI • KOH CHANG • KOH PHI PHI • KOH SAMUI • KRABI • MAE HONG SON • NONG KHAI • PATTAYA • PHUKET • TRAT • THAI LANGUAGE • THAILAND MAP •
LAOS INTRODUCTION • VIENTIANE • LUANG PRABANG • LUANG NAMTHA • NORTH LAOS • SOUTH LAOS • VANG VIENG • LAO LANGUAGE • LAOS MAP •
CAMBODIA INTRODUCTION • PHNOM PENH • ANGKOR • BANLUNG • BATTAMBANG • KAMPOT • KEP • SIEM REAP • SIHANOUKVILLE • KHMER LANGUAGE • CAMBODIA MAP •
VIETNAM INTRODUCTION • HANOI • SAIGON (HCM city_name) • CENTRAL COAST • CENTRAL HIGHLANDS • NORTH VIETNAM • SOUTH COAST • MEKONG DELTA • VIETNAMESE LANGUAGE • VIETNAM MAP •
MALAYSIA INTRODUCTION • KUALA LUMPUR • PENANG • PENINSULA EAST • PENINSULA WEST • SABAH • SARAWAK • MALAYSIA MAP •
SINGAPORE SINGAPORE •
INDONESIA INTRODUCTION • JAKARTA • BALI • LOMBOK • JAVA • SUMATRA • INDONESIA MAP •
PHILIPPINES INTRODUCTION • MANILA • CEBU • MINDORO • NORTH LUZON • PUERTO GALERA • SOUTH LUZON • OTHER PLACES • AIR ROUTES • PHILIPPINES MAP •
AUSTRALIA INTRODUCTION • SYDNEY • MELBOURNE • GREAT OCEAN ROAD • AUSTRALIA MAP •
SEARCH • MAPS • PHOTOS • MONEY • CONTACT • ADD ME • ALL HOTELS/PLACES • HOTEL REVIEWS • SITE INDEX • LINKS •