Traveling tips around Cambodia part II (visiting Battambang city)

 

Battambang has the most popular rice in Cambodia. Most people called it the rice planet. Battambang means (lost stick). Population are 150,444 people. If you want to see the real local life of the Cambodians, then Battambang is the right place for you to visit. It has really beautiful landscape around the countryside. In the rainy season, everywhere is green and you can get the sweet fresh smell from rice plantations. People in Battambang very friendly with open mind. The most thing they like is smile. Do not forget to smile to people, when you get there.

There are many nice old french buildings a long the riverside. When the french came to colonized Cambodia almost 100 years, there were a lot of them living in Battambang.  You can spend three days of longer to visit round Battambang. The first day just relax and get to know around the city and the next two days start with the tour. You can taste Cambodian traditional food called Amok in the Smoking Pot restaurant in Battambang.
Aright lets start the trip around Battambang together !

 Going around Battambang
Possibility to go around Battambang: Motorbike, Tuk Tuk, Taxi, mini bus.

The first day tour:

Bamboo train

You can go to visit bamboo train or to ride on it. It is very nice experience to get on the Bamboo train. The rail way made by the french colonies about 110 years ago. There is no more train running on this rail way. That's right, it is the time for the farmer to make their own transportation. The road in the countryside very bad in the rain season, people use the bamboo train to go work on the field and to transport the rice. 

 Bannan temple

After the fun of the Bamoo train, you can ask your driver to take you through the fruit plantations to Bannan temple. A long the riverside has very nice scenery and stop on the way to see the fruit bats in a Buddhist temple.
In Khmer we called Pnhom Bannan (praying mountain). Most people in Battambang, they believe in spiritual. When they go to Phnom Bannan, they always bring some in sins sticks to pray for good luck. Bannan temple built by the king Ut Tak Yea Tit Tya varman II (1050-1066). 

It is in the middle of 11 centuries and it finished by the king javarman VII (1181-1921) in the beginning of 12 centuries.The temple is on the hill, you need to do some exercise to go up to this temple. When you get up to the hill, you can get very nice green view of rice fields. 

 Pnhom Sampov (Killing caves)

Phnom Sampov means big boat mountain, because the shape of the mountain look like a big boat. It has a story about that, you can ask your own driver of a tour guide.
Cambodia had been in the war for a long time from 1975-1989. Almost 2,5 millions people were kill in 2 years 8 months 20 days.Before the war, Phnom Sampov was a holy place for monk and non to do the meditation. In the war is become the killing field.

Nowadays is holy place again for the monks. There are a few temples up there and it is allowed visiting. It is a good idea to take a guide with you. They can show you the way and tell you about the war history of Cambodia. Most of the guides are students of temple boys.
Up there you can visit the killing cave, the Buddhist temple, the big canon made in Russia and Of course you will get incredible view.
Down stair, there are many nice restaurants. You can get very nice hot fried rice of Beef Lok Lak, that was my favorite food ever ! 

In the evening there are  millions of bats fly out the caves if you want to see them, then you might have to wait until 6 pm. This was the first day trip.  Price for Tuk Tuk driver 30 dollars to 40 dollars. You can pay in USD in Cambodia of in Khmer rails.  

The second day tour:

Countryside tour 

You can go to see the real life living of the Khmer people in the village. You can tell the driver to take you through the village to have a look, How they make Bamboo sticky rice, fish paste, rice noodles, rice papers for to make spring rolls. They made all kind of these things by hand. If you can taste some sticky rice and bring it with you for lunch. On the way there many beautiful tiny road through the fruit plantations.

Ek Phnom Temple

Ek Phnom is a hindu temple built by the king Suryavarman I, It is 13 centuries and has really amazing carvings. In during the Khmer Rouge regime, this temple was destroyed by the bomb. There is a very big Buddha statue and a nice colorful Buddhist temple close to each other. I would recommend you to have a look inside of this new temple. It has very nice paintings of the Buddha stories.

The Komping Poy Lake

Komping poy lake is 35 kilometers from Battamabng city. It built by the Khmer Rouge in during the war and it cost a lot of life.
The Khmer Rouge had a big plan to make a big irrigation for the rice plantations in Battambang. Komping Poy Basin is 1,900 meters wide and 6 meters long. During the rainy season, the basin can hold the 110 millions cubic meters of water.
Nowadays, Komping Poy lake become very popular for the local people. In the weekend, they like to go there for relaxing, picnic and swimming. There are many nice good local restaurants and you can use their lovely hammock for a nap.

I would like to recommend you to meet a friend of mine, he can offer you the best tour around Battambang. He is a good Tuk Tuk driver and a great tour guide.

Mr Ola San

To contacts him : (+855 962010229)

I hope you have a nice trip in Battambang.

For the next post is about going around Phom Penh, the capital of Cambodia. 

Thanks for reading !

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