Things to do in Battambang
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bamboo train
The bamboo train is one of the world's all-time classic rail journeys. From O Dambong, on the east bank 3.7km south of Battambang's Old Stone Bridge, the train runs southeast to O Sra Lav, via half an hour of clicks and clacks along warped, misaligned rails and vertiginous bridges left by the French.
Each bamboo train - known in Khmer as a norry (nori) - consists of a 3m-long wood frame, covered lengthwise with slats made of ultra-light bamboo, that rests on two barbell-like bogies, the aft one connected by fan belts to a 6HP gasoline engine. Pile on 10 or 15 people or up to three tonnes of rice, crank it up and you can cruise along at about 15km/h.
The genius of the syst…
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Sunrise Coffee House
Caffeine is blended into a variety of delicious forms here and can be enjoyed with fresh-baked goodies, California-style snacks, pancakes, sandwiches and salads.
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old train station
In the area around the old train station - where the time is always 8.02, according to the clock - and along the tracks just south of there, you can explore a treasure trove of crumbling, French-era repair sheds, warehouses and rolling stock, evocative of times long gone. Check out the wagons' constructor's plates: some read '1930 Köln' (Cologne, Germany).
German reparations from WWI, perhaps? Or maybe the wagons were confiscated after WWII and shipped out here in the last days of French Indochina?
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temples
Battambang's many temples, which survived the Khmer Rouge period relatively unscathed thanks to a local commander who ignored orders, include Wat Phiphétaram, a long block north of Psar Nat, built in 1888; Wat Damrey Sar, west of the Battambang Museum; and Wat Kandal on the East Bank, once famed for its library. A number of the monks at all three wats speak English and are glad for a chance to practise; they're often around in the late afternoon.
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Governor's Residence
The two-storey Governor's Residence, with its balconies and wooden shutters, is another handsome legacy of very early 1900s. The interior is closed but it should be possible to stroll the grounds. Except for the neo-Khmer laterite gate, the intersection out front looks much as it did in the 1930s - check out the French-only distance marker, the neat lawns and the New Iron Bridge, now reserved for pedestrians and motorbikes.
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aerobics
In New York or London they may be achieving inner harmony with tai chi, but here in Battambang they're burning off the rice carbs doing classic Western aerobics, held each evening from about 17:30 to 19:00 on the East Bank north of the Old Stone Bridge. Led by a local hunk with a portable sound system, just five minutes of working out should be enough to teach you how to count in Khmer - at least up to four.
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Battambang Museum
Two elegant - though as yet nameless - avenues, with parkland down the middle, grace the city centre. One goes by the Centre Culturel Français (one block north of NH5), while the other stretches west from the worthwhile Battambang Museum . Highlights include fine Angkorian lintels and statuary from all over Battambang Province, including Phnom Banan and Sneng. Signs are in Khmer, English and French.
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colonial buildings
Much of Battambang's special charm lies in its early-20th-century French architecture. Some of the finest colonial buildings are along the waterfront, especially along the two blocks of St 1 south of Psar Nat, itself an architectural monument, albeit a modernist one. The four-faced clock tower is worth a look. There are also some old French shop houses along St 3, eg just east of the train station.
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Phare Ponleu Selpak
Phare Ponleu Selpak, a multi-arts centre for disadvantaged children, puts on circus shows and dance performances. From Monday to Friday, it's often possible to observe the drawing, music, dance and circus students practising and see an exhibition of students' art. To get there from the Vishnu Roundabout on NH5, head west for 900m and then turn right (north) and go 600m.
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Green House Café
Serves coffee, shakes, Khmer-style rice and noodle favourites, salads and exotic dishes - the menu has photographs so clients know what they're getting - such as pizza, hamburgers and doughnuts. Popular with students from the nearby colleges.
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Agricultural Development Action
If you'd like to see rural development projects in action, contact Agricultural Development Action a day or two ahead to arrange an all-day (07:00 to 19:00) tour by 4WD (around US$150 for up to three people, including translator and meals).
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Fresh Eats Café
Run by an NGO that helps children whose families have been affected by HIV/AIDS, this little place serves Western breakfasts, including bagels, and holds dance performances (USaround US$3) from 19:00 to 21:00 on Friday and Saturday.
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Psar Nat
Cheap dining is available in and around Psar Nat (eg in the space between the two market buildings), but be aware that some places specialise in what can only be described as 'unusable bits' soup. Psar Nat has oodles of food stalls.
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Vegetarian Foods Restaurant
Run by an ideologically vegetarian ethnic-Chinese family, this informal eatery serves home-made soy milk and delicious noodle soup breakfasts and brunches made with tofu or mushrooms. Recipes are Khmer, Chinese and Vietnamese.
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Victory Club
You can swim and use the fitness machines at the Victory Club, a sports club popular with Battambang's jeunesse dorée (golden youth). The lockers are lockable but not secure enough for valuables.
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Cold Night Restaurant
With 175 menu items, there are plenty of Asian and Western options, including sandwiches (tuna salad, club), burgers and pasta, plus a local version of pizzas. The name refers to the cold beer on offer.
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Tourism Photo Shop
For as little as around US$2, you can pose in traditional Khmer costume and have your photo taken at Tourism Photo Shop along the waterfront. Prices include makeup and a suitably kitschy background.
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Nikon Photo Studio
For as little as around US$2, you can pose in traditional Khmer costume and have your photo taken at Nikon Photo Studio along the waterfront. Prices include makeup and a suitably kitschy background.
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Smokin' Pot
Popular with the younger NGO crowd, this cheery, laid-back restaurant serves good Khmer, Thai and Western food - burgers and fried beef with ginger are favourites. Doubles as a cooking school .
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Riverside Balcony Bar
Set in a gorgeous wooden house high above the riverfront, this is the most atmospheric bar in town. Renowned for its burgers but also serves pasta, burritos and enchiladas
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Mercy House
Serves Western breakfasts, noodle dishes, fruit-based beverages and even veggie hamburgers (2800r) amid flowery tablecloths and struggling potted plants.
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Sky Disco
Just north of the Khemara Battambang Hotel, this is Battambang's hottest dance venue. The DJs play everything from traditional Khmer melodies to hip-hop.
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Rachana Handicrafts
This NGO-run sewing workshop trains disadvantaged women and sells purses, stuffed toys, kramas and cotton and silk accessories.
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Seeing Hands Massage
At Seeing Hands Massage, trained blind masseurs and masseuses offer Japanese-style therapeutic massage and other soothing work-overs.
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Boeung Chhouk Market
Boeung Chhouk Market has a whole section selling pre-worn clothes from Thailand. Quality varies, but finds are always a possibility.
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