Surroundings of Battambang - what I've done and advise you to do

1. The Bamboo Train

The Bamboo train, also called a nori, is a vehicle made out of wood and which rides up to 50 km/h through an amazing landscape.

Quite frightening at first, after 5 minutes the only word which comes to your mind is : INCREDIBLE! During the 1 hour tour, you're obsessed by few questions, the main one is obviously "How the fuck can it actually work ?" (the wheels are not really fixed to where you sit, the rail are everything but straight or parallel...).

The second main question is about "What if we cross another one ?". As you can see on the pictures, there's just one way. We cross some others on our tour, and the answer is the easiest : they take one of the two trains to pieces, and let the other passing.

I think this is one of the best activities we ever did. Don't miss it !

2. Observing flying foxes at Wat Baydamram

Our driver brings us in a street, right in front of a temple. He explains us that the monks from this temple (Baydamram) have a uncommon role, as they protect thousands of mega-bats, also called flying foxes.

All these big bats live in three huge trees, at the temple entrance.

It's an impressive show to see them flying from a tree to another just above your head.

I hope for you you're not too afraid !

3. Wat Banan

We arrive then at an old temple, Wat Banan, from the 11th century. To reach the monument itself, you have to climb painfully (and under a strong rain for us) around 350 stone steps.

You can finally explore this spiritual sight, where some people still come for praying.

4. Phnom Sampeau

The hill of Phnom Sampeau has several things you have to see.

The first one is not really happy as it's the killing caves, which are the holes where Khmer Rouge were throwing their dead victims, only few years ago, as this massacre ended in 1979.

Going down in the caves, you don't feel so fine, especially when your look crosses the box where the skulls and bones are conserved.

As a homage for the victims, a reclining Buddha lays inside with some offerings.

After the caves, you reach a temple which stands on the top of the hill. From there you have a spectacular view.

On your right when you face the temple entrance, some stairs lead you to a kind of canyon. We are so happy that we find it (it's a bit hidden). It seems like another world.

A little bit before 6 pm, it's time to go down the hill to see thousands of small bats this time leaving their cave to hunt in the night. Suddenly a streamer of bats goes out of a hole in the hill side. And it's like that everyday at the same time, so 6 or 6:30 pm, for almost 1 hour.