Monday, February 7, 2011


For tourists there is no dearth of places for Sightseeing in Battambang. A small province of Cambodia, Battambang has many tourist attractions. Apart from the ancient temples, Sightseeing in Battambang also includes the captivating natural landscapes. You can reach Battambang for seeing the sightseeing places by boarding a bus from Phnom Penh or Siem Reap.

The town of Battambang is known for its statues that can be seen in every public place. Most are of these statues are of animals mythical and real and divinities. But the most famous of these statues is on the main road in from Phnom Penh and is of an ancient Khmer King holding a stick which he used to quell rebellions in the Battambang area. The name of the town is also derived from this legend. These can be seen in an afternoon. It is possible to stop off in Battambang for a few hours on the way from Phnom Penh to Sisophon.

Sightseeing in Battambang also includes a number of fine colonial buildings set along the river including a very grand French era governor’s residence.

Mentioned below are some of the popular places for sightseeing in Battambang:
  • Wat Baydamram is the bat temple, where hundreds of fruit bats live under the protection of the monks.
  • You can also go to Wat Ek, to explore small villages that exist just south of town. The Cultural village of Watkor is just a few kilometer south of the town center and has several ancient wooden houses from the early 20th Century.
  • The Phnom Sompoen is a hill with the killing caves of the Khmer rouges. Here you can see a series of Buddhist caves and a monastery with two Stupas on the hilltop. The trip will also include Wat Banan.
  • Wat Banan or the so called mini Angkor wat is an impressive flight of stairs, which leads up to a dilapidated Angkor type temple which is still in use as a Buddhist shrine.
  • The Wat Ek Phnom is another Angkor-type temple ruin, which is about 15 kilometers North West of Battambang. During the journey to Wat Ek Phnom, you can enjoy wonderful sight of small rivers bordered by trees and small villages. After reaching Wat Ek Phnom you will see a giant Buddha statue in the wat. The grounds of the Wat also have an Angkorian era temple which is in relatively good shape and with some interesting carvings. This temple is about thirty to forty-five minutes ride from the city center.