What a fun place! We had a nice guesthouse with a pool just outside the city of Battambang. It was lovely and we got a free upgrade to a nicer room. Our place had a budget friendly restaurant and free bicycles that we took to town everyday. There are many temples in the city centre and many things to do around town.
The first thing we visited was the Bamboo train since it was recommended eventhough described as lethal by our british friends. It was a blast! What an interesting way of transportation. Too bad this might be discontinued in the future but glad we still got to see it.
The same day we went in the early evening to the Phare Ponleu Selpak which is a wonderful project and you can watch a circus show there. It was one of the best acrobatic and humourous shows I have ever seen. I would compare it to a show at the Chamäleon Theatre in Berlin.
Traditional dance before the main show
The Museum in Battambang is just 1$ and comes across a little sad. It is very small and the explanations either fell down or were never put up on the wall. They just give you a brief outline of the history of Cambodia and hide behind some sculptures. I am sure this place could be very nice with a little bit of effort.
One of the highlights of Battambang is probably Phnom Sampeou. It combines a Hindu temple with a historic site from the Pol Pot regime and a natiral spectacle. On our way there by tuktuk we stopped by some rice fields and to take a picture of the mountain where the temple is located.
When we arrived we decided to walk rather than taking a scooter uphill and eventhough it was very hot and humid we enjoyed the small hike. The first site you come across is a buddhist temple and the killing caves that where used by the Khmer rouge to silence people forever.
Afterwards you continue your way uphill to the temple Wat Sampeou. There you will see a pretty temple and some monkeys hanging around. You will have a fantastic view over the region. From there you take the „stairs“ downhill to see the last astonishing view of the day.
Around 6pm or when it gets dark you should already have a good spot to watch the bat cave. The noise coming from the cave increases and then the bats start their daily hunting trip alltogether meaning you see thousands of bats flying out of the cave for a long time. After about 20 minutes we decided to head back to town to habe dinner. It was a spectacular sight.
Battambang is a really enjoyable town on the way to Siem Reap and definately worth checking out.