Situated about 292km from Phnom Penh
Battambang is Cambodia’s second largest city an elegant
riverside town, with a population of perhaps 80,000.
Quiet and serene, it was founded on the bank of the
Stung Sangker river in the 11th century
This province has changed hands
between Thailand and Cambodia on several occasions in
the past few centuries. It was only returned to
Cambodian control in 1907 and as recently as WWII the
Thais cut a deal with the Japanses to take control again
for several years. Before Cambodia's civil war
Battambang was the largest and richest province in
Cambodia, but ceded a large chunk of its territory to
Banteay Meanchey for the creation of the new province.
It sheares a long
border with Thailand and a short border with the Tonle
Sap lake and is the fifth-largest province in the
country.
Battembang was untouched for much of
the early 1970s, as fighting raged elsewhere around the
country. For this reason the whole area was viewed with
much suspicion by Khmer Rouge leaders and was the victim
of successive central purges. Life was little better
after the war, as the ongoing guerrilla war and the
proliferation of thousands of land mines devastated the
agricultural industry that had built the economy.
However, the province
is slowly recovering as demining groups free up land for
agriculture and the many refugees who returned here
during the 1990s are permanently settled.
Tourism has a lot of potential, as
not only is the provincial capital a popular stop, but
there are extensive examples of Angkorian heritage in
the surrounding countryside.
Travel around the
province has traditionally been slow due to disastrous
roads, but both NH5, passing through the heart of the
province, and NH57 tp Pailin are undergoing
comprehensive renovations.
It is home to interesting historical sited like Wat
Ek Phnom, a temple built by Suryarvanam I (1002-1050) in
the 11th Century, Wat Toul Baset which dates back to 7th
century and Wat Poveal Museums which displays Khmer
arts.
And also home of the
best-preserved colonial architecture in the country and
some of the most hospitable Khmers you expect to meet.
Due to its position near the Thai border the town has
profited from large-scale black market trading. Fishing
is secondary. There are three flights a week from Phnom
Penh. You can ride the train from Phnom Penh to
Battambang and some time even further up to Sisophon. If
the track is blown up, the train runs only as far as
Pursat. It can get pretty hot in summer. The train
leaves from Phnom Penh at 6.30 every few days and
arrives at Battambang at sunset.
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