Visit Cambodia's Battambang Province

On the border between Cambodia and Thailand is the scenic province of Battambang. Perhaps due to its beauty, it has been an area of contention between Cambodia and Thailand until after the Second World War when the world community told Thailand that the community of nations recognized the province as part of Cambodia since its way of life was similar to that of the larger Cambodia. Thailand opted to give back the province to Cambodia rather than risk alienation by the community of nations.

In 1902 the French had helped get the province back to Cambodia but with the help of Japanese, Thailand grabbed the province back in 1941. In 1947, the issue was finally settled. Amazingly, this beautiful province connects Thailand to Phnom Penh, the capital of Vietnam. It is a major overland trading route.

Battambang has an array of temples, resorts, vegetation, and Buddhist culture that is a magnet to tourist. Battambang City is the provincial capital of the Battambang province and is also the second largest city in Cambodia. The city’s beauty is added by the Sangker River that gracefully winds around most of the city.

Ba Nam Temple, Ba Seat Temple, Wat Ek Temple, and Gold Buddha hill are all tourists’ attractions that are not more than 30 kilometers from the provincial city of Battambang. They all feature 11th century architecture and are either built on a mountain or on serene secluded places in line with the Buddhism religion.

Other attractions such as Prasat Snung in Snung Pagoda area, Phnom Sam Por Resort on National Road 57, Boeng Kam Pinh Puoy Resort in Nget Vilage and SEk Sak Resort in Treng commune provide guests to the Battambang Province with nice places to stay as they experience the old ways of Battambang people.

Getting to Battambang takes you back in time. There are no trains or airplanes in operations. The only way to get to the provincial city is by buses or taxis. You can take a bus from either Phnom Penh or Siem Reap. They offer hourly services. To get to Battambang city from Phnom Penh will take you about 5 hours while a ride from Siem Reap will take you 3-4 hours.