Kamping Pouy Lake
This gigantic civil-engineering project was central to the Khmer Rouge plan to irrigate the countryside around Battambang.
During the rainy season the basin can hold 110 million cubic metere of water, which is used primarily for agriculture. Kamping Pouy basin is vital to this area. It is now a popular picnic site for residents of Pailin and Battambang because of its fresh air. Lotus flowers grow in the water and nearby you can buy lotus seeds to eat (they are delicious and taste a bit like sweet, uncooked peas). Takream Commune in Banan District is the nearest settlement.
During the rainy season the basin can hold 110 million cubic metere of water, which is used primarily for agriculture. Kamping Pouy basin is vital to this area. It is now a popular picnic site for residents of Pailin and Battambang because of its fresh air. Lotus flowers grow in the water and nearby you can buy lotus seeds to eat (they are delicious and taste a bit like sweet, uncooked peas). Takream Commune in Banan District is the nearest settlement.
Bamboo Train
The Bamboo train or "norry" is a rickety, open-air, bamboo train that rattles along on tracks laid in the 1930s. Passengers lounge on old rice mats and pillows while they enjoy the countryside. The norry, despite its unique practicality, is set to be discontinued very soon and is a must-see in Battambang.
Temples
Ba Set Temple was constructed sometime between 1002 and 1050 and is on a hill overlooking Ba Set village.
You get the best vantage point of Battambang from the top of Phnom Sampeau, a limestone hill eleven miles southwest from the town center. Wat Sampeau was used as a prison and interrogation center by the Khmer Rouge. Today, you can walk down a path from the pagoda to the bottom of the cave to view the shrine put up in the victims' memory.
Wat Ba Nan is conveniently located from Wat Phnom Sampeau is Battambang's miniature version of Angkor Wat.
Wat Ek Phnom 11th-century temple is surrounded by the remains of a laterite wall and an ancient baray (reservoir). A lintel showing the Churning of the Ocean of Milk can be seen above the east entrance to the central temple. This is a very popular picnic and pilgrimage destination for Khmers at festival times.
Getting to these many temples offers a great excuse to visit the many small communities and villages located around Battambang.
Temples
Ba Set Temple was constructed sometime between 1002 and 1050 and is on a hill overlooking Ba Set village.
You get the best vantage point of Battambang from the top of Phnom Sampeau, a limestone hill eleven miles southwest from the town center. Wat Sampeau was used as a prison and interrogation center by the Khmer Rouge. Today, you can walk down a path from the pagoda to the bottom of the cave to view the shrine put up in the victims' memory.
Wat Ba Nan is conveniently located from Wat Phnom Sampeau is Battambang's miniature version of Angkor Wat.
Wat Ek Phnom 11th-century temple is surrounded by the remains of a laterite wall and an ancient baray (reservoir). A lintel showing the Churning of the Ocean of Milk can be seen above the east entrance to the central temple. This is a very popular picnic and pilgrimage destination for Khmers at festival times.
Getting to these many temples offers a great excuse to visit the many small communities and villages located around Battambang.