Battambang

Battambang, long Cambodia's second city and now its third, is its most likeable, a low-rise place on the Sangkae river with the country's best-preserved run of French colonial shophouses, shuttered and ochre and slowly being restored into cafés and galleries. It sits in the middle of the rice bowl, so the countryside around is flat, green and full of villages making rice paper, fish paste and palm sugar, easily toured by bicycle or tuk-tuk. Two things draw visitors in particular. Phare Ponleu Selpak is an arts school founded to give young people from difficult backgrounds a training, and its circus performances, acrobatic, funny and often moving, are among the best things to do in the country. And the bamboo train, a flat bamboo platform on wheels driven by a small motor along a stretch of track, is pure novelty but hard to resist.

History

Battambang began as a fishing village on the Sangkae in the 11th century, and in 1795 Siam annexed much of north-western Cambodia, ruling Battambang as a provincial capital through the Abhaiwongse family; by 1880 it was an important trading town of about 2,500 people, linked by river to Phnom Penh and Saigon. In 1907 the province was returned to Cambodia within French Indochina, and the French laid out a grid of streets, canals and bridges, now the heritage area, linked the two banks with two bridges in 1917 and in 1926 brought a railway from Phnom Penh, with villas, the central market and public buildings (Wikipedia, Battambang).

What to look for

• The colonial shophouses - the riverfront streets of shuttered French-era buildings.
• Phare Ponleu Selpak - the arts school's circus, performed most evenings in season.
• The bamboo train - the improvised railcar running along a stretch of track.
• The countryside - rice paper, palm sugar and fish paste villages by bicycle.

When to go

November to March is the dry, cooler season; the boat trip from Siem Reap only runs when water levels allow, generally in and after the wet months, and it is slow but memorable. Circus performances run to a schedule, usually several evenings a week, and should be booked ahead in high season.

Before you go

The original bamboo train was moved from its old track to a purpose-built tourist line, which locals will tell you is far less charming than the version that used to dodge oncoming carts. The town is quiet and has few conventional sights, so it suits travellers who like wandering and cycling over ticking off monuments. The boat from Siem Reap can take the best part of a day and is uncomfortable.

Nearby

Wat Banan and Phnom Sampeau hills are just outside town; Siem Reap is three hours east.

Key facts