Battambang - A Cambodian adventure of bats, ruins and a bamboo train!
Battambang city or Krong Battambang will be, for many travellers, their first stop on their Cambodian adventure. Set a short two hour drive away from the border with Thailand, Battambang is the third largest city in Cambodia. Full of colonial style buildings, Khmer ruins and interesting days out, Battambang city still retains a sleepy, laid back and relaxed feel.
Battambang has recently become a hub for artists and performers with street art, community spaces, art galleries and pop-ups springing up all over the city.
Battambang is also full of fascinating and occasionally upsetting history. The city has loads to see and do and the surrounding countryside is studded with incredible sights and activities. From the cheesy fun of the Bamboo Train, to the amazing spectacle of millions of bats pouring out from the Phnom Sampov mountainside, Battambang has so much to offer!
In this Battambang travel guide:
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Where is Battambang?
Battambang is located two hours east by car from the Poipet / Aranyaprathet border between Cambodia and Thailand - for more information on crossing this border, check out our article here.
Battambang is south west of the city of Siem Reap and the historic ruins of Angkor Wat. Between the two cities lies the enormous lake of Tonle Sap (the largest freshwater lake in southeast Asia).
Battambang is a major transport hub with bus links to Siem Reap, Phnom Penh, the rest of Cambodia and beyond. The closest international airport to Battambang would be Siem Reap International Airport.
To book tickets in advance for getting around Cambodia, check out 12Go. We travelled to Battambang from Bangkok, Thailand and if you’re travelling internationally, you can get buses from Vietnam or even from Laos.
Book Bangkok to Battambang bus tickets here
There is a railway station in the city, the Battambang Royal Railway Station (located here) which has links to the Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh, however, there are very few trains that serve the station. Currently there is only one train departing Battambang to Phnom Penh at 15:00 pm in the afternoon. If you’re heading from Phnom Penh to Battambang, there is only one daily train which departs from the capital at 06:40 am. Both trains stop at the city of Pursat (gateway to the Cardamom Hills) .
Before the pandemic there used to be a rail service that linked Battambang with Poipet and the border with Thailand, but this has been temporarily suspended for now. To keep up to date with when the rail service is resumed, we’d recommend checking Seat 61. You can s
When booking tickets, if your next destination isn’t showing on 12Go, there will be tourist offices and agents to help book your onward transport. Just be aware they will add their commission to the cost of the ticket price!
If you are looking at planning a Cambodian adventure make sure you check out our suggested itineraries here.
What to do in Battambang?
So you’ve made it to Battambang, what next?
We spent nearly a week in Battambang, a good deal more than most travellers, and have found that there is plenty to see and do in this small city.
Street Art of Battambang
(Location)
All along Pub Street (more on this later) alleyways and walls are decorated with huge murals. Part of the S’art Urban Art Festival held in 2019, Battambang saw artists descend on Pub Street and create massive, vibrant pieces of street art. Each artist has their own style with everything from an abstract Cambodian tuk tuk to a beautifully painted multi-story lady from the Mekong. The street art spills out from window and side streets, just make sure to look down every alleyway!
We always love stumbling across street art (check out our Songkhla and Hat Yai articles for more examples) and the street art here was really impressive.
To learn more about the artists and their art, check out their Facebook page here.
Ticket price: Free
Opening times: Open 24 hours a day but you’ll want to see it in daylight!
National Museum of Battambang
(Location)
Set in an impressive building with beautiful blue and gold fretwork gables, the National Museum houses a treasure trove of artefacts from prehistoric times through to the Angkor period.
The museum is split into prehistoric, archaeology, Buddhist relics, Hindu and Khmer pieces.
We particularly loved the door lintels and frames intricately inscribed with old Khmer and Sanskrit writings. It was like looking at the ‘Rosetta Stone’ you’d have passages in ancient Khmer, followed by excerpts in old Sanskrit. If you ever needed a perfect example of two cultures coming together, these lintels were it!
The museum is not very large and you won’t need more than 45 minutes to see everything. Even so, it’s well worth popping in.
Ticket price: $3 per person - you can also pay in Cambodian Riel.
Opening times: Monday to Friday from 08:00am to 12:00 pm and from 14:00 pm to 17:30pm. The museum is closed on Saturday and Sunday.
Romcheik 5 Artspace & Cafe
(Location)
Located over the river from the main tourist area, past high-rise hotels and local bars, this art space and café is full to the brim with colourful paintings and sculptures created by local Battambang artists.
Upstairs above the gallery is a stylish coffee shop serving all manner of hot and iced coffees, as well as a selection of sweet treats and brunch options.
There are no cameras allowed inside so you’ll have to take our word, but the artwork was striking and unique and well worth a nose around.
Our favourite installations of the whole gallery were actually the first ones we stumbled upon at the entrance when we arrived. These were huge wind chimes made up of recycled beer and soda cans that swung slowly from the trees above.
The gallery was a little splash of colour against the grey skies of the rainy season.
Ticket price: $5 per ticket. A little pricey for Cambodia, but the money is used to support the local artists and their families.
If you just want to visit the rooftop café, there is no entry fee.
Opening times: Tuesday to Sunday from 09:00 am to 17.45 pm. The gallery is closed on Monday.
Markets of Battambang
There are two main markets in Battambang selling everything from fresh fruit and vegetables to knock-off designer clothes and toys.
Battambang Central Market
(Location)
Leading away west from the Sangker River, Battambang’s Central Market was a hub of activity throughout the day and well into the evening. The outside of the market is dominated by fruit stalls, their rainbow produce stacked into perfect pyramids. There is a small food court inside and plenty of stalls selling souvenirs and “designer” goods. There’s also a large selection of gold and jewellery dealers, being backpackers we weren’t even remotely tempted, but if you know your stuff it might be worth a look.
Boeung Chhouk Market
(Location)
The Boeung Chhouk Market is a much more local affair with fresh fruit, meat and fish being sold alongside toiletries and children’s toys. We really enjoyed wandering around here in the early evening and watching all the local youth having their hair and nails done in the many impromptu salons dotted inside the market. You’d be walking down a market alley selling live frogs and nappies by the crate load, when you’d suddenly have to dodge around a barbers chair from the 1960s that had been dragged out into the middle of the aisle. There were literally queues of youngsters dolled up, or waiting to be, all around the market!
If you’re after a SIM card there are plenty of mobile phone providers all around the market. If you’d prefer to arrange this in advance, check out the eSIMS available on Airalo here.
Battambang Riverfront
Anyone who has spent any time on this site knows that we like to just wander around a new city. Battambang is no exception. An interesting walk is to start at the Central Market and follow the Sanker River south taking in the National Museum, the Independence Monument, the Dragon Peace statue and the gardens along the riverfront. You can then cross the river and check out the Sangke Pagoda and monastery with its Angkor style gateway.
At night, on both banks of the riverfront, street vendors set up selling everything from rotis and noodles to salads and beer.
Take a cooking class
Taking a cooking class is a great way to spend a morning or afternoon in Battambang. There are loads of classes to choose from in the town including Nary Kitchen, Coconut Lyly and the Smokin’ Pot. Most lessons will include a trip around a local market followed by the chance to cook some Khmer favourites.
We had a fantastic afternoon with the Smokin’ Pot cooking class where we learnt to cook a citrussy stir-fried beef and lemongrass, a Khmer chicken curry and a creamy, coconutty fish amok. It was a great class and we got to learn so much. Plus the dishes at the end were delicious!
Read all about our afternoon of Khmer cooking here.
Day trips outside of Battambang
Outside of Battambang, there is plenty to do, with most of the famous ‘attractions’ of the area being found in the countryside surrounding the small city.
The easiest way to see all that the area around Battambang has to offer is by hiring a tuk tuk or remorque (traditional Cambodian trailer tuk tuk) driver for the day. Everyone in town will offer this to you, just speak with your accommodation and shop around to get a good deal. If you are hiring a driver for an agreed price, you will still need to pay the entrance fees to the various sites.
Taking a ride in a remorque - Cambodia’s form of a tuk tuk!
Passenger princesses!
If you can ride a scooter, you can easily rent a bike from the city and explore the area yourself, just speak to your accommodation or one of the travel agents in town. Just be aware that some of the roads are not in the best condition, and that’s putting it mildly! If it has been raining, be extra careful as the puddles will mask just how deep some of the potholes are.
Another option, especially for those with limited time, is to arrange all your sightseeing in advance by booking a tour with Get Your Guide. Check out the many Battambang tours they offer below:
Take a ride on the famous ‘Bamboo Train’
Any search of social media for the town of Battambang will quickly bring you to the ‘Bamboo Train’.
This backpacker favourite has been going for years and we ourselves first took a ride on this train nearly a decade ago, when a fresh faced Jellie first set foot in southeast Asia!
A very young Jellie!
What a difference a decade makes!
Nowadays the bamboo train looks a little less ramshackle than we remembered it being. The tracks have been cleared and cleaned up and you’re no longer ducking the foliage and large spiders that used to line the rails.
For $5 USD per person, you get to sit on a small, square bamboo platform that’s strapped to some tiny train wheels and powered by what looks like a lawn mower engine. It shouldn’t be fun, but it really is!
You spend around half an hour zooming down the track at unexpectedly high speeds, passing paddy fields, buffalos, cows, bridges and children. If you meet another bamboo train coming the other way, you politely slow down and one of you disassembles their train, lets the other pass and then reassembles the train and continues on their way!
Today it is just for tourists, but originally the abandoned train line was used by the local farmers to speed up the transport of their crops. Nowadays it is quite cheesy and there is a disappointing number of children selling bracelets (please don’t buy them), but it’s still definitely worth a visit.
Throughout Cambodia you will find countless numbers of children begging / selling trinkets on the streets. It sounds heartless, but please do not buy from them or give them money. The parents of these children have taken them out of school as they think tourists will give them money. By supporting this, you will reaffirm the parents beliefs and will keep the children out of education. If you want to help, have a look at donating to a charity such as The Cambodian Children’s Charity.
Where is the bamboo train?
Located half an hour's drive to the southeast of Battambang city. You can find the Bamboo train here.
Bamboo train tickets
You will pull up to what can only be described as a large shed and pay someone $5 USD per person for your ride on the bamboo train. Each “train” can seat 4 people. It being the low season when we went, we had our very own private locomotive.
How long does the bamboo train ride last?
The whole bamboo train experience lasts around an hour. You ride the tracks for around twenty to twenty-five minutes to a stop, you then have ten to twenty minutes of high-pressure sales for drinks, t-shirts etc and then climb back on and come back down the line.
When is the bamboo train open?
The opening times are listed as open between 7am and 6pm everyday. Festivals and public holidays may affect this.
We visited the Bamboo Train in the calm of the wet season. There was hardly anyone else there and we only met two other “trains” whilst riding. If this was the height of the high season, it may have been a very different experience. As we mentioned if you meet someone going the other way your train has to stop and be disassembled to let them pass. The more trains, the more frequent these stops would be and the less time you’d spend cruising at top speed!
Is the bamboo train worth it?
It’s cheesy, it’s touristy but it is also good fun! If you’re in Battambang it's only $5 per person and we’d say just go for it. It’s not going to be a life-changing travel experience but it is a good laugh. Also, if you’re travelling with children this would make an excellent trip, and probably a welcome break from culture and ruins!
Banan Temple
The ruins of this beautiful hilltop temple sit right at the top of a very steep set of stone stairs. To reach the wat, you’ll need to climb the 300 hundred plus steps of this naga-lined staircase.
We visited on a swelteringly hot day in the wet season and by the top, you could have wrung us out - top tip, take plenty of water!
At the top, the temple is absolutely gorgeous with its five towers in various states of collapse and restoration. Dotted around there are active Buddhist shrines and statues with the scent of incense hanging everywhere. If you’re lucky, the local grey striped temple kitty will be photo-genetically posed in front of one of the shrines!
As the temple is set on top of a large hill, you also get fantastic views wherever there is a break in the trees.
If this is your first Khmer ruin in Cambodia, savour it. It is so much less busy and feels more like a discovery than the much larger, more popular ruins of Angkor Wat.
At the bottom of the hill before you climb to the temple, there are lots of food and drink stands and a couple of larger restaurants.
Where is the Banan Temple?
Banan Temple is 22 km south of Battambang city, about half an hour's drive away. You can find it on a map here.
Entrance fee for Banan Temple
Tickets cost 8000 riel each ($2 USD).
Banan Temple opening hours
The temple is listed as being open between 6am and 6pm daily. During religious festivals and holidays this may change, however the temple did not have any gates or anything, so it may just be unattended.
Ek Phnom Pagoda
To the north of Battambang lies another incredible Khmer ruin, the Ek Phnom Pagoda.
As we pulled into the carpark on our remorque, all we could see was a modern, beautiful, golden temple. Its walls and roof covered in colourful illustrations of scenes from the Buddha’s life and gold pillars and fretwork gleamed everywhere. Loud speakers were playing out the chanting service from within. The Buddhist temple was beautiful, but there was a greater treasure hidden behind it.
The ruins of the Ek Phnom temple are surrounded by lily ponds, with the ruins rising up in the centre. This small site was nearly deserted when we arrived with just one other pair of backpackers and a Cambodian family.
The whole temple had a magical feel to it. Simultaneously abandoned and in use, ruined and restored, Ek Phnom was just what you pictured when you think of Cambodia. Something that is both preserved and still somehow lost to time.
You can walk, clamber and explore the whole site by yourself and it really does feel like you’ve stumbled upon something special. Inside the half ruined walls there is a small shrine, surrounded by incense and offerings.
When you leave, make sure you check out the seated giant buddha in the lake near the car park. Judging by the amount of fairy lights covering him it would be quite the sight at night!
Where is the Ek Phnom temple?
The Ek Phnom temple is located 8 km northwest of Battambang and will take just over fifteen minutes to drive there. You can find the temple here.
Entrance fee for Ek Phnom?
There is a small counter on the side of the new temple as you approach the ruins. Tickets cost 8000 riel each ($1 USD).
Opening times for Ek Phnom temple?
The temple should be open from 7am to 6pm everyday.
Wat Samrong Knong and the Samrong Knong Killing Fields / Torture House museum
The beautiful grounds of Wat Samrong Knong hold a terrible past. The temple grounds were taken over by the Khmer Rouge in early 1976, and turned into a prison and interrogation camp. This quickly became one of the infamous Killing Fields of Cambodia.
Today, the temple has been restored and the grounds were full of school children and monks cycling around on bicycles. Just outside however, was the grim monument to the horrific history the site held, the Well of Shadows.
The Killing Fields memorial started life as a wooden platform with an awning to shelter the bones that were dug or washed up from the ground. Nowadays, it is a peaceful, white tower known as the Well of Shadows. At the bottom, is a garden surrounded by billboards explaining its history. The bones and skulls of the victims still stare at visitors from the glass centre of the monument. Like lots of places in Cambodia it is very shocking and the inscriptions and paintings of what happened on the site are truly horrific. Not one for small children, but as a visitor to Cambodia you cannot and should not ignore its recent history.
As well as the monument there are plaques around the temple and its grounds explaining what happened and where. There is also a small exhibition from survivors set on the lake over the road from the monument and the torture house museum which gives further information about the crimes committed in the fields and camp.
Where are the Samrong Knong Killing Fields?
A short ten to fifteen ride from Battambang city, the Samrong Knong Killing Fields are 5 km north of town. You can find them on a map here.
Entry costs and opening times
There is no cost to enter the Samrong Knong Killing Fields or temple, but there is a donation box.
The Well of Shadows is open to the public 24 hours a day.
Craft villages - Rice paper making, sticky rice, fish sauce and rice wine distilleries
Surrounding Battambang are sets of villages each specialising in a particular craft or product. You can take tours from the city and stop off to see how different local goods are produced.
We didn’t visit them this time around as we had visited the villages as part of a tour last time we were in Battambang (a very long time ago).
We don’t know if this has devolved into the depressing “tourist villages” seen elsewhere, where the actual production is now an after thought compared to the pantomime put on for visiting tourists. We can say that when we visited, way back when, they were still very much working villages, and the goods being produced were still made by hand in the traditional way.
We are hopeful that the process hasn’t changed to much. When we passed through the rice paper village this time, we could still see the rice paper being dried on the bamboo racks in the gardens lining the road.
Let us know in the comments if you take a tour and visit the villages as we would love to know if it's still the same now.
Fruit Bats of Baydamram
Battambang is famous for its bats and the amazing nightly displays at Phnom Sampov, but there are other sky-borne critters to discover.
During the morning, if you head south (around 15 km away) from Battambang to the small riverside village of Baydamram (located here), you can witness hundreds and hundreds of Fruit Bats sleeping in the trees.
Head past the market and walk to the trees opposite the Buddhist temple and look up to see the sleeping sky puppies. These Fruit Bats shelter here to sleep before flying off around lunch time to feast.
It takes a while for your eyes to adjust, but when they do, you’ll suddenly see that the trees are chock full of hanging bats!
We visited just before their lunchtime departure and a few eager beavers were already flying around, but the majority of the bats were still hanging upside down, fast asleep.
The Rickety Bridge
(Location)
Stretching the width of the Sangker River, this wooden suspension bridge has been aptly coined the ‘Rickety Bridge’. We took a quick stop off here and it certainly lived up to its name. You could feel the bridge move and sway underneath you, especially when a local would drive past on their bike. It gave us serious Indianna Jones vibes!
It’s not worth an expedition just to find the bridge, but if you’re passing on the way to the Bamboo Train its certainly worth a quick stop.
Phnom Sampov
To the south of Battambang rises a rocky hill amidst the flat rice paddy plains. This is the hill of Phnom Sampov located here.
Phnom Sampov is home perhaps to Battambang’s most famous attraction as well as to some of its most shocking history. Starting with the positives, the Phnom Sampov is home to millions and millions of the Asian Wrinkled Lipped Bats and their evening displays draw crowds from across the world. On top of the hill there is also a beautiful set of Buddhist temples and shrines that you can explore as well as some fantastic views out across the flat plains of Battambang province. On the darker side of things, Phnom Sampov hill is the location of the ‘Killing Cave’, a cave used by the Khmer Rouge for interrogation and the killing of prisoners.
To reach the top of the hill to visit the temples and the Killing Cave, you have four options:
The first is to walk up and down the mountain yourself. There are steep sets of stairs that wind through the forest all the way to the temple from which you can make your way across the hillside to the cave. We were told this option would take around three hours but we feel you could definitely do this in much less. Just beware of the monkeys and the heat!
The second option is to hire a bike driver for $10 per person who will take you up to the cave, wait for you, then take you onto the temple before driving you back down the mountain.
The third option and the one we went with, was to get a car up the mountain to the caves, then onto the temple. This would mean we had to walk back down the hill ourselves but would only cost $8 USD for the car ($4 per person).
The fourth option would be to rent a scooter from Battambang and drive yourself up and down the twist and turns of the hill to both the temples and the cave. This option is only for the most confident of drivers as the ride is steep and the mountain roads are barricade-less throughout!
Honestly we would recommend the first or the third option as the bike seemed a little pricey and the walking route down wasn’t as steep as we were led to believe. However, Cambodia is extremely hot and in the wet season very, very humid! The motorbike option (either driving yourself or hiring a driver) would make sense if you arrived a little later and wanted to fit everything in before the bats put on their aerobatic show.
The view from the top of Phnom Sampov!
The Killing Cave at Phnom Sampov
(Location)
You know from the name that this isn’t going to be a happy place. The Killing Cave at Phnom Sampov was another example of the brutality, cruelty and violence exhibited by the Khmer Rouge to anyone they saw as a threat. During the 1970s, political prisoners were marched up the hill, bludgeoned to death and then pushed through an opening in the roof of the cave, their bodies landing far below.
Today, the site has been reborn into a memorial. The cave itself is quite beautiful with a shrine and a golden reclining buddha statue. Outside there are plaques explaining the brutal history of the place as well as statues showing Buddhist hell and a lookout point with a seated buddha. To the left of the cave is another viewpoint with sweeping vistas across the paddy fields.
Like so many places in Cambodia, the Killing Cave is both sad and beautiful. A testament to the resilience and recovery of the Cambodians.
Entry fee:
Free but donations welcome.
Opening times:
Open 24 hours everyday.
Phnom Sampov Temple and viewpoint
(Location)
A short drive or walk away from the Killing Cave are the serene temples and stupas of Phnom Sampov Temple.
The temple itself is gold roofed and beautiful. With several stupas, outbuildings and statues. We found loads of different viewpoints that gave great views all over the surrounding landscapes. On a clear day you would be able to see for miles. We visited during the wet season on a far from clear day and spent a good half hour watching the rains sweep across the plains and paddy fields towards us.
Behind the temple, there is a set of stone stairs that seem to disappear into the midst of the mountain. Do not miss these! The stairs lead down to what feels like a lost world. Stone cliffs rise up on all sides with the sky only breaking through directly overhead. We came to the bottom of the steps into what felt like a green crater. Two stone statues stood as silent sentinels scrutinising our every move. Behind them a thriving forest had sprung up in this craterous light well. There is a small cave shrine set into the bottom of the cliff-face. The lights inside the cave weren’t working but as we shone our phone torches inside, the gleam of gold sparkled back at us.
We took shelter in this crater as the rains blew over us and it was one of those times where you really feel like you’re the only people in the world.
There is another set of stairs that wind you back up to the rear of the temple. To head back down the mountain, take the stairs from near to the shop in the temple grounds. If you’re not sure which path to take, the friendly owners will point you in the right direction. Especially if you buy a drink from them!
If you do buy drinks, snacks or walk up or down to the temple, be aware of the troop of monkeys that live in and around the temple grounds. They are particularly hungry monkeys and are not afraid to approach you for a snack!
What…
did…
he find?
Entry cost to Phnom Sampov Temple:
Completely free although the temple accepts donations.
Opening times of Phnom Sampov Temple:
The temple is open all hours.
The Bats of Phnom Sampov Cave
This is almost certainly why you’re here. Most of the tours organised in Battambang will get you here in time for the nightly displays of the bats of Phnom Sampov Cave.
When you approach the bat cave, you’ll have to pay a small fee (4000 riel each) and it will instantly become obvious that this whole area has been set aside for bat watching.
As the light begins to fade, the streets fill up with plastic chairs and tables and the smell of grilling meat. People start to pour into the area as hostels, minivans, tuk tuks and motorbikes disgorge backpackers and travellers ready for the nightly display.
The side of the mountain has been carved out into large scale artworks including a seated and a reclining buddha. It is still being carved now. When we visited we got to watch a duo consisting of a saffron clad monk and a man with an axle grinder drawing on the designs and carving the stone.
To the right of these carvings is the famous Phnom Sampov Bat Cave.
All along the road, chairs and tables are set up right in front of the bat cave. To sit on these seats you will be expected to order food or drink from one of the stall holders. As soon as your bum has hit plastic you will be given a menu. The food and drink options were surprisingly reasonable, obviously slightly more expensive than you’d pay in town but it didn’t feel exploitatively expensive.
As the sun goes down, people take their seats, order their beers and food and wait for the aerial show. You’ll know it's nearly time when the air is suddenly filled with high pitched squeaking as the cave comes alive.
It starts off slowly with a few wispy streams of bats floating out of the cave. Before long though, it is a torrent, a literal river of bats cascading in an undulating ribbon out of the cave mouth. Literally, millions of bats (around 2.5 million) pour out of the small cave entrance, in an unbroken, scintillating line that stretches past the horizon.
It starts off with just a few bats but soon becomes….
… thousands and thousands of bats!
The bats leave their cave at Phnom Sampov and fly up to 50km each night towards Tonle Sap Lake to eat their nightly insect buffet. These bats are more than just a tourist attraction in the area. They help Cambodian farmers by eating up pests and parasites. These bats save hundreds of tonnes of Cambodian crops every year. It is believed that the bats at Phnom Sampov save over 2000 tonnes of rice each year alone!
How much does it cost to see the bats of Battambang?
There is a general entry fee to the bat watching area of 4000 riel ($1 USD) per person.
If you don’t want to sit down then this is all you will have to pay. If you want to be a bit more comfy or fancy a drink, take a seat and order from one of the market stalls. The cost of the seat is covered by eating and drinking anything from one of the stalls.
We treated ourselves to a couple of beers which were $1.25 each.
What time do the bats take flight?
The bats take off as soon as the sun has gone down.
During the wet season (when we visited) this could be anytime from 6pm to 7pm. Accurate time is difficult after all, they are bats!
How long does it last?
Usually around 45 minutes from the first bats emerging to the last bats leaving the cave.
Facilities at Phnom Sampov
There’s plenty of street food vendors immediately around the bat cave. There are also toilets set back from the main square and a night market just outside the gate to the bat cave.
The main road runs up and down just outside the gate and has lots of restaurants, a good coffee shop and ATMs.
Where to eat and drink in Battambang?
Pub Street
(Location)
Nestled amongst colonial buildings and street art in the heart of Battambang old town is the backpacker hub of ‘Pub Street’.
Let’s get this straight out there, this is not Khao San Road, it’s not Pub Street Siem Reap either, but if you’re after a couple of beers, food and chats with other travellers, it’s a great place to head to when the sun goes down.
When we visited in the wet season, Pub Street housed a collection of bars and restaurants serving Khmer and Western food, beer, wine and spirits late into the evening.
As we always do we chose a bar and remained loyal throughout our Battambang visit. Our watering hole of choice was Pomme Hostel Bar and Restaurant.
This friendly bar was usually the busiest on Pub Street and had cheap beer, happy hour promotions and plenty of events throughout the week to bring people together. For those on a looser budget it also served craft beer brewed in its sister location in Siem Reap.
Everywhere on Pub Street offered a similar menu and similar prices. We also enjoyed delicious meals at Woodhouse Bar and Restaurant and the Lonely Tree Cafe. The ginger chicken was especially yummy at the Woodhouse restaurant.
The only place that stood out as being very different was the neon nightclub opposite Pomme’s that blasted out different music from each of its floors and seemed to be mainly patronised by Battambang teenagers.
Khmer Delight
(Location)
Just off Pub Street, Khmer Delight specialises in traditional Khmer cuisine. Decked out with paintings, statues and artwork from local artists, Khmer Delight more than lived up to its name.
We had an absolute delicious beef lok lak, The beef peppery and lime sharp as well as a creamy, coconutty amok fish curry.
The restaurant was very quiet but we were visiting in the low season. Prices in Cambodia for sit down meals do seem to be higher than neighbouring countries but the portions were generous and the food lovely.
Chinese Noodle Dumpling Restaurant - 兰州牛肉拉面馆
(Location)
This was just what we love to find. A smouldering pot in a steel trolley set outside a nondescript shopfront on a road otherwise only populated with sewing machine shops.
Hand pulled noodles and homemade dumplings are always a winning combination. We ate here twice, the first time we had a delicious dumpling noodle soup and the second time we had fried noodles with a side of fried dumplings.
All the dishes were amazing and you could really taste the difference in the homemade noodles and dumpling wrappers. The filling of pork and chives tasted fresh and light and the noodle soups were hearty yet balanced. Add to this a fantastic smokey chilli oil and you have some very happy diners.
If you like your dumplings do not miss this!
Kuy Teav - Pork and seafood noodle soup - គុយទាវប្រហិតត្រី
(Location)
If you are up for a slightly different breakfast and down for eating with the locals, make sure to check out this morning noodle joint.
A big bowl of steaming broth is full of thin rice noodles, spring onions and a plethora of meat and seafood, this is the quintessential Cambodian breakfast of Kuy Teav. This Asian surf and turf included pork cakes, pork sausage, squid, intestines, liver and maybe even the kitchen sink. The soup was complex, peppery and just the thing to set you up for a morning.
It was super popular with the locals, there was not a spare table inside and there were queues of delivery drivers waiting to pick up their orders.
This restaurant closes when they sell out and we never saw them open at lunch…
Battambang Night Market
(Location)
For budget friendly eats in the evening head on down to Battamnbang’s Night Market. Serving every kind of stir fry you can think of, you can grab a cheap plate of fried noodles, pad krapow or even a tom yum!
We ordered the confusingly named milky noodles (someone had a bad day with Google translate) and had a strange yet addictive plate of egg noodles, in a spicy, sweet, tomatoey, sauce. All for the princely sum of $1.25.
There are also smaller market stalls up and down both banks of the river in the evenings. The covered markets in town would make a good shout for breakfast but the food stalls close down early.
Where to stay in Battambang?
There are plenty of accommodation choices in and around Battambang city.
If you’re backpacking like us there are loads of hostels and cheap guesthouses to choose from. We stayed at Lucky Hostel for an absurdly cheap price of £6 a night for a large private double room and en-suite.
If you’d prefer to be somewhere a little more sociable, then the Pomme Hostel would be a great place to stay.
For those looking for a little more comfort in Battambang, have a look at some of our hotel suggestions here.
For all accommodation choices in Battambang, check out the map below:
How long should I stay in Battambang?
We’d recommend at least a two night stay, but if you’re lucky and time is on your side, then we’d honestly recommend staying for three nights.
Three nights would give you enough time to see everything without feeling rushed. We’d recommend spending one day in town to see all the sights in Battambang, and then spending the other two days out and about in the countryside.
Is Battambang worth a visit?
We hope that if you’ve made it this far through this article, then we’ve convinced you that Battambang is definitely worth a trip! We absolutely loved our time exploring the city.
If you’re in Cambodia, Battambang should be an essential stop on your Cambodian itinerary.
Where to go next?
As we’ve mentioned, Battambang has transport links to pretty much anywhere you’d want to go in Cambodia or even beyond. Make sure you have read our suggested Cambodia itineraries when planning your next move, you can find them here.
The most obvious next port of call, if you’ve entered Cambodia from Thailand and gone straight to Battambang, is Siem Reap and the temples of Angkor Wat. There are dozens of buses leaving the city everyday that will take you to Siem Reap or the capital Phnom Penh. For other destinations the services will be less frequent but still easily doable. Check out 12Go for all your options.
Tickets to the most popular traveller routes from Battambang
Battambang to Sihanoukville - gateway to the islands of Koh Rong and Koh Rong Sanloem
If you’re coming to the end of your time in Cambodia, Battambang is very close to the border with Thailand. Check out our border crossing article here or book your tickets here:
Final thoughts
Battambang is a great city and the perfect starting off point for any Cambodia itinerary. It has all the charm of a small town yet is stuffed full of things to do. Many travellers skip Battambang and head straight to the more famous Siem Reap, but they’re missing out on such a treat. Battambang’s friendly locals and laid back atmosphere are polar opposites from the busy, tourist streets of Siem Reap.
Battambang has all the mod-cons of a bustling city, but as you leave the air conditioned cafes of downtown and head out into the villages and towns surrounding the city, you really get the feel that you’re in the “real Cambodia”. Children play in the streets, buffalo wander the lanes and ancient temples lie peacefully without crowds amongst vibrant paddy fields and forests. It’s a beautiful place… even in the heat and humidity of the rainy season!
We loved our time in Battambang and feel it truly deserves a spot on any Cambodia travel itinerary.
Thanks for reading,
John & Ellie x
#adventuresofjellie
To plan your route around Cambodia check out our suggestions here:
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