Ta Dumbong Kro Aung Statue ( Black man Statue ) Founded in the 11th century by the Khmer Empire, Battambang is the leading rice-producing province of the country. For nearly 100 years it was a major commercial hub and provincial capital of Siamese province of Inner Cambodia (1795-1907), though it was always populated by Khmer, with some ethnic Vietnamese, Lao, Thai and Chinese. Battambang remains the hub of Cambodia’s northwest, connecting the region with Phnom Penh and Thailand.

Battambang displays an interesting collection of French colonial Architecture, mostly decadent shophouses and apartment buildings, dating back to the French colonial era of the 19th and early 20th century. The Colonial Architecture heritage is a main characteristic of the city center, located on the West riverbank.
This part of the city, featuring more than 800 colonial buildings including apartment buildings, administrative buildings and shophouses, is considered a Heritage Protection Area, and has recently applied to become a Unesco World Heritage Site.

Cambodia’s bamboo train”. The trains ran at speeds of up to 50 km/h (31 mph) on the metre gauge tracks around Battambang and Poipet. A scheduled service ran by the Government also operates, but is slower at 30 km/h around 18 mph. The rest of the network, originally built by the French colonial government, is largely abandoned, after the Khmer Rouge regime effectively shut it down. In 2006 the BBC reported that there was only one scheduled service a week and it ran at not much more than walking pace.

That special place to visit in the city is different wooden ancient houses made from wood aged over 100 years (built in 1920), located just 5km south of Battambang City, along Stung Sangke river. ​The house is surrounded by big trees, fruit tress and flowers. In the present day, there are ancient houses around Cambodia, such as in provinces that lie along the Mekong river, Battambang province, and Siem Reap province and the ones in Siem Reap has best conditions. These houses are living proof for the next generation. 

EK PHNOM

Wat Ek Phnom is 11km from Battambang?s ferry landing by the shortest route and 21km if you go via the Pepsi plant and Pheam Ek. Combining both makes for a nice 32km circuit.This is an older Hindu temple next to a more modern one and a mostly finished Buddha. This is a unique opportunity to see, touch and feel an old 10th century temple. Beautiful more contemporary temple on the same grounds is worth a look too for the intricate craftsmanship of carvings and paintings.

Wat Banan temple away from Battambang city about 25km. It’s a 358-stone-step climb up Phnom Banan to reach Prasat Banan, but the incredible views across surrounding countryside from the top are worth it. Udayadityavarman II, son of Suryavarman I, built Prasat Banan in the 11th century; some locals claim the five-tower layout here was the inspiration for Angkor Wat, although this seems optimistic.

Phnom Sampov is a natural site located along National Road 57 in Sampeou Commune, Battambang district, about 12Kilometers of Battambang city. Atop a 100-meter-high mountain stands a pagoda and threee natural caves: Pkasla, Lakhaon and Aksopheak. Pkasla cave is full of uprooted stones and is considered important because it is where Phnom Sampeou residents come to celebrate after a marriage. 

Next to Phnom Sampeou are several important mountain clusters, including Phnom Kdaong, Phnom Krapeu(The Crocodile Mountain), Phnom Trung Moan, Phnom Trung Teat and Phnom Neang Romsay Sok. All are related to the Khmer Folktale titled Reachkol Neang Romsay Sok.

The Bat Cave shows an amazing spectacle at around 5 pm each day – thousands of bats leave their cave as dusk falls, begining their nocturnal hunting. A black streak stretched among the sky, vibrating with sound waves, before dispersing on the horizon illuminated by starlight. A steady stream flying out for around 45 minutes then back to their caves.

Visitors usually combine the Bat Cave’s observation to climbing to the top of Phnom Sampeau where houses a temple, thr trip seems as backing to the past to understand and feel the loss of Cambodians under Khmer Rouge army.