Holiday in Battambang

About Battambang

Battambang is Cambodia's second-largest city and the cultural heart of the country — a place that offers everything Siem Reap has lost in authenticity. The colonial architecture from the French era, the Bamboo Train, the surrounding temples, and the emerging art scene make Battambang a hidden gem for travelers seeking the real Cambodia. The Bamboo Train (Norry) is Battambang's most famous attraction — and one of the craziest train rides in the world. On the abandoned tracks of the French colonial railway, a bamboo platform on metal wheels rattles through rice fields and villages. When two trains meet, the one with fewer passengers is quickly disassembled, the other passes by, and then everything is reassembled. The city itself surprises with well-preserved colonial architecture along the Sangke River. French villas, Art Deco buildings, and Cambodian wooden houses create a charming urban landscape that is unmatched in Southeast Asia. The art scene — street art, galleries, and Phare, the famous Cambodian circus — gives the city a creative energy. The surroundings offer fascinating temples and landscapes: Phnom Sampeau has a "Killing Cave" that reminds of the dark Khmer Rouge history and offers millions of bats swarming out of a cave at sunset. Wat Banan is a miniature Angkor Wat on a mountain peak. And the rice fields and villages between the temples showcase rural Cambodia in its timeless beauty. Phare, the Cambodian circus, is Battambang's cultural flagship. Former street children and youth from difficult backgrounds perform acrobatic shows that combine Cambodian stories with circus art — touching, impressive, and one of the best live experiences in all of Southeast Asia.