About Battambang

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). Battambang is one of the nine provinces that is part of the Tonle Sap Biosphere Reserve. 

During the pre-Angkor and Angkor eras, the areas to the north and to the north west of the Tonle Sap Lake were known as the territories of Amogha Boreak and Bhima Boreak. During the Angkor period, the territory of Amogha Boreak was significantly prosperous because the land was so fertile that rice crops, fruit and vegetables produced excellent yields. Read more…

Direction to Battambang from: (texts & pictures quoted from canbypublications.com).

Siem Reap:

Daily ferry departs Siem Reap at 0700am. Price rank about USD 15.00per person. It is a 6-8 hour journey across the Tonle Sap and up the Sangker River in the wet season. We do not recommend traveling by boat since there is no safety standards set.

Bus: There are Bus Company operates between this 2 cities, price is rank about USD 5.00 per person which take about 4 hour drive. The bus will travel along the national road number 6 & number 5. The road condition is now smooth for traveling.

Phnom Penh:

Bus: The distance between Phnom Penh to Battambang is about 291km along the national road number 5 and it is in the good conditions. There are many bus company operate between these cities; price rank about USD 5.00per person. Bus schedule is in the morning (0600am) and noon time (1230hrs). More details please check with various bus companies.

Local Attractions:

Ek Phnom is an 11th century Angkorian-era 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 small villages and rice paddies and is an absolutely beautiful countryside drive.  

Phnom Banan is a mountain top, 11th century Angkorian-era 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 highly respected. See Ray Zepp's book 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. 

Provincial Museum: The Battambang Provincial Museum on the riverfront road in the center of town houses a large collection of Angkorian and pre-Angkorian artifacts - statues, carvings, bits of ancient temples, pottery, etc. If you find the Museum open, it is well worth a visit. Opening hours seem rather irregular, more likely to be open in the morning than the afternoon. If it is closed but you see a guard present, stop and tell him your are interested in the Museum and if they don’t open it for you then, they will have it open and ready for you the following morning.

Shopping in Battambang

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

Chea Heang Drink Shop on the west side of Phsar 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.