Do Some Truly Cool Shit in Battambang

One of the Most Strange and Awesome Collections of Activities I’ve Experienced

Battambang is a slightly off-the-beaten-path city in western Cambodia that is sometimes called the cultural capital of Cambodia. While the city itself is a bit underwhelming, the destinations surrounding the city are truly incredible. You can Donkey-Kong-style ride a bamboo mat through the countryside along abandoned train tracks and watch over 5 million bats fly out of a cave at sunset. Spending a day or two in Battambang is sure to give you a varied, memorable experience.

This guide covers a one-day (expect 9 hour) roadtrip tour of the most common destinations of Battambang - which are south and west of the city. While you can hire a Tuk Tuk driver to take you to the main sites, I think the city really lends itself to renting a scooter or motorbike instead. The traffic isn’t bad, nor are the roads, and the countryside is just beautiful to drive through. Plus, you can hit more (and more off-the-beaten-path) sites if you drive yourself.

I recommend Time to Shine Scooter Rentals. You can message the number on their Google Maps listing via WhatsApp to make arrangements in advance. The owner, a charming young man with a British accent he acquired from watching Harry Potter, gives the best advice (which is largely reflected in this blog). If you’re staying more than one full day in Battambang, he will also talk you through how to explore north of the city or how to take a day trip to a durien farm.

Start at a Traditional Muslim Fishing Village

Make your first stop about 15 minutes south of the city at this suspension bridge - which offers some pretty river views and is fun to walk across. Cooler, though, is that you can watch motorbikes crossing this suspension bridge (a feat of driving I’d be too nervous to do). Just south of the suspension bridge, there’s a small traditional Muslim fishing village centered around this mosque. It’s not often traveled by tourists, so you’ll likely be alone with the locals - who are super friendly and sell some good fruit and street food. It’s a charming (also poor and dirty) area that feels like stepping into another time and way of life.

Ride the Bamboo Train

Perhaps the most famous tourist attraction of Battambang is the bamboo train - a bamboo mat placed across abandoned train tracks that moves up to thirty miles an hour through the beautiful countryside. There are a few in Battambang - but we were told by a local this one is the best. It’s about a 20 minute drive from the suspension bridge.

The bamboo train was one of the strangest, coolest, most fun gimmicky tourist attractions I’ve ever done. It was so enjoyable we even bought them souvenir t-shirts.

See the Fruit Bats

Along the river south of Battambang (about twenty minutes from the bamboo train), there are hundreds of enormous, mango-eating bats here. They populate a few of the trees alongside the river, so once you park just look over towards the river and up into the trees - and you’ll see them. So big, so cool.

Enjoy a Hilltop Khmer Temple

About fifteen minutes south of the bats, you will find an 11th century hilltop Khmer temple - Wat Banan. If you’re coming from Siem Reap, it will pail when compared to temples of Angkor - but amidst this day trip, it’s a really nice stop. It’s quiet, has some sweeping panoramic views, and the temple structures themselves are beautiful.

Explore the Mount Sampov Area

The last area you will stop in is Mount Sampov. At the base of the mountain, you can go to Phnom Sampov Pagoda - a really pretty temple. Then, you can work your way up Mount Sampov.

Stop at The Killing Cave - a temple that was used in the Cambodian Genocide as one of its killing locations, and which now has a collections of victims bones in a glass container. It’s quiet and haunting.

Then head to the top to see Phnom Sampov, which has some beautiful pagodas and sweeping panoramic views. There are also a lot of monkeys (and places that sell bananas should you want to feed them).

Watch the Bats at Sunset

Before sunset, you will want to head back to the base of the Mount Sampov to the bat cave. There will be a row of chairs in front of the cave here; I recommend taking a seat in front of the cave itself (whereas you will see most tourists take the first seats in the row closest to the road up Mount Sampov). This will give you the best viewpoint. The seats are restaurant associated, so you’ll have to buy some drinks or food. (Honestly, if you drink, this is a great spot to have a beer for what you’re about to see).

Around sunset, you will start to see an essentially endless stream of bats start to fly out of the cave and out toward the rice paddies in a swirling pattern. We watched it for over 45 minutes and it was still going when we left. Someone told me there are over 5 million bats in the cave who leave every night like this.

After the bat cave, you’ll head back into Battambang to enjoy a relaxing night your way.