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  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.  Battambang is the second-largest city in Cambodia with a population of over 250,000. Founded in the 11th century by the Khmer Empire, Battambang is well known for being the leading rice-producing province of the country. For over 500 years, it was the main commercial hub of Siam's Eastern Provinces, though it was always populated by a mix of ethnic Thai, Lao, Chinese and Cambodians.  Battambang (also Batdambang) is a province of Cambodia. It is in the northwest of the country, and its capital is Battambang. The name literally means loss of stick referring to a legend of Preah Bat Dambang Kranhoung (Kranhoung Stick King).  Battambang [1] is Cambodia's second most populous city, and a popular tourist destination due to the many nearby ancient temples, Buddhist shrines and the infamous bamboo railway. It is also the capital city of the Battambang province. There are many reasons to visit Battambang the train from Phnom Penh goes there, it's on the way to Pailin (casinos! rubies!), it's an excuse to take a cramped speedboat ride from Siem Reap, or more seriously, it's one of the best places in the country to observe the rural Cambodian way of life. Cambodia's second largest city lies in the heart of the Northwest and until the war years was the leading rice-producing province of the country. Battambang did not give way to the Khmer Rouge movement until after the fall of Phnom Penh, but it's been in the center of the ongoing government Khmer Rouge conflict ever since the Vietnamese invasion in 1979 pushed the genocidal regime out of Phnom Penh and to the Northwest. Battambang is the rice bowl of western Cambodia, home to some spectacular rural scenery and within easy distance of both Phnom Penh and Siem Reap. This sprawling province has a range of tourist sites including Angkor-period temples, mountain viewpoints, wetlands and typical day-to-day rural scenery. Battambang is the heart of the Cambodian rice bowl. It is located around Tonle Sap Lake, blessed with many harvests of nature. Although the people of Battambang have had to endure many difficulties over the past, the province luckily has many cultural heritages to offer for tourists. Less well known than the killing fields, the killing caves near Battambang are even more impressive, showing the cruelties of the Khmer Rouge regime. Battambang itself is the second largest city of Cambodia, but it feels more like a big village. It's a pleasant city to walk around, while it has no major places of interest.  There are two ways to get to Battambang from Siem Reap: 1) bus on reliable roads, 5 to 6 hours or 2) boat on less than reliable waterways, 5 to 10 hours. We chose the boat option, having read that the journey along Tonle Sap Lake is the best water trip in Cambodia, where beautiful scenery and active floating villages accompany you most of the way. Battambang is a province of Cambodia. It is in the northwest of the country, and its capital is Battambang. The name literally means loss of stick referring to a legend of Preah Bat Dambang Kranhoung (Kranhoung Stick King).  Picture gallery with 45 travel pictures from Battambang, Cambodia. 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.  Leaving Siem Reap is always a wrench but after a week's exploration, I was keen to discover in person what Battambang had to offer, aware that only a trickle of tourists had so far bothered with Cambodia's second city. Description : A relaxed little town by the river with lots of colonial buildings and a few outside attractions. Comments : The place is charming enough for a quick break on the way to / from Siem Reap but if you are urged by time... Cambodia's second largest city is Battambang. Located midway between Phnom Penh and Thailand, it has a very different atmosphere and lifestyle compared to the other tourist cities of Cambodia. Battambang has really only opened up to the tourist market in the last couple of years. What you will find in Battambang is a beautiful, French Colonial city almost untouched by modern, western influences. My friend, Lance who spends 1-2 months a year in Cambodia said we should go to Battambang 1st - the heart of Cambodia he calls it. A great suggestion. Laid back, friendly, very Khmer & non-commercial. Banan Temple: - Description: Adapts the architecture of mid 11th century and the end of 12th century the temple was first built by king, Ut Tak Yea Tit Tya Varman II (1050-1066) and then was finally built by the king, Jarvarman VII (1181-1219). Battambang(pronounced battam-bon) is one of the major town created by France on the Saigon - Phnom Penh - Thailand route. There are a few colonial buildings. The Sangker river runs N to S. The major part of the town is laid on E side of the river. The center of the town is a market where you can find the budget hotels on the W side of the market. Nin was not in school the day that I met him; he was busy working as the engineer on the “Bamboo Train” from Battambang. When I asked him just exactly what he had been up to, he said that he had been spending his day hauling lumber from a trackside mill, but that was now finished and he would be just as happy hauling me, too. Battambang is the largest rice grange of Cambodia; it is located to the west of Tonle Sap Lake and in the Northeastern side of Cambodia. It is the second city with the best preserve of French period constructions. The Markets, Museum, pagodas and houses of Battambang are ancient. It's a misconception that roosters crow at dawn. Actually, they get cock-a-doodle-dooing much earlier, at 2:37 a.m. to be precise. I know this because last night at this time, the damn chickens living in the backyard woke me up. Not that it was hard to do. The humidity of a Cambodian March night had me tossing and turning; the generator powering the grotty fan in our room had given up hours ago. Battambang is Cambodia's second city by a wide margin. A provincial town of 80,000 Khmers, divided by the Sangker River, it is much smaller than the capital Phnom Penh, with over one million residents. It is in the heart of Cambodia's rice bowl and thanks to fertile alluvial soil, grows enough to supply the entire country. Somehow, despite being the second-largest city in Cambodia and the capital of a busy province, Battambang is still described by many who visit as being "chill" and "relaxed". Perhaps the peaceful Sangker River winding through town or the colonial-era French architecture contribute to the easy-going vibe that woos so many travelers into staying longer than expected. |
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