Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Bambu
East of the river
T
053 953900,
W
bambuhotel
.com.
This neat boutique resort is the swankiest option in
town, with pretty little two-storey garden villas in pseudo-
Khmer village style set behind a small pool. The cool and
spacious rooms come with plenty of mod cons - iPod dock,
rain shower and minibar - and t
here'
s a small in-house
restaurant. Rates include breakfast.
$80
★
littered with chunky wooden furniture. Rooms (all with hot
water, plus optional a/c for $5 extra) are bland but
comfortable (although some lack windows), while facilities
include a handy little
café
, a gym (weirdly, in the lobby),
and a third-floor pool.
$10
Star Hotel
Just north of the centre
T
053 953522,
W
asrhotel.com.kh.
Not quite as nice as the nearby
Asia
,
but still more than adequate, with a wide range of fan and
a/c rooms of various shapes, sizes and prices (the more
expensive options have hot water and frid
ge)
- y
ou m
ight
want to look at a few before choosing. Fan
$8
; a/c
$13
Stung Sangke Hotel
North of the centre
T
053
953495,
W
stungsangkehotel.com.
This big, modern
130-room hotel looks like it's been airlifted straight out of
Phnom Penh or Siem Reap - not much character, but good
mid-range accommodation at a very reasonable price, with
spacious, nicely appointed rooms with TV, minibar, bathtub
and tea-/coffee-making facilities, plus secure par
king
, gym
and a decent-sized pool. Rates include breakfast.
$30
Tomato
West of Psar Nat
T
012 853439.
The cheapest
option in town, in an attractive shophouse-style building
with a pretty ground-floor terrace shaded by enormous
potted plants. Rooms themselves are not much more than
spartan boxes but reasonably clean
an
d quiet - and given
the price you really can't complain.
$3
La Villa
East of the river
T
053 730151,
W
lavilla
-battambang.com.
Seven-room boutique retreat in a
renovated 1930s merchant's house. Rooms (all a/c) have
plenty of colonial ambience (albeit not much furniture) and
come with TV, DVD player, and tea- and coffee-making
facilities. The restaurant serves the best French food in
Battambang and there'
s a n
ice little garden pool. Advance
booking recommended.
$65
Battambang Resort
Wat Ko Village, 5km south of the
centre
T
012 510100,
W
battambangresort.com.
Idyllic
resort a short drive south of the city, with spacious rooms set
among gorgeous gardens dotted with coconut palms and
mango trees. Facilities include a big pool and an attractive
pavilion-style restaurant, and there's a good range of tours on
offer (plus free bikes). You could also just lounge on a h
amm
ock
or cruise the lake on a pedalo. Rates include breakfast.
$60
Phka Villa
East of the river
T
053 953255,
W
phkavilla
.com.
Attractive little hotel with bijou bungalows arranged
around pleasant gardens and a good-sized (albeit rather
shallow) pool. The ten rooms are on the small side but
nicely furnished in vaguely colonial style with four-poster
beds, well-appointed bathrooms and
litt
le verandas for
idle lounging. Rates include breakfast.
$55
Royal Hotel
100m west of Psar Nat
T
053 952522,
W
asrhotel.com.kh.
Long-running travellers' favourite
with a wide range of rooms, from super-cheap fan rooms
with shared bath to plush a/c en-suite doubles, all clean
and good value. There's also a rooftop restaurant with town
views, and it's a good place to sort out tri
ps,
tour
s an
d
onward transport. Fan with shared bathroom
$4
; a/c
$12
Seng Hout
50m north of Psar Nat
T
053 952900,
W
senghouthotel.com
. Comfortable modern hotel - a
slight cut above the town's other cheapies both in price and
quality - with a facade festooned with flags and a lobby
2
EATING
Battambang is famed for its abundant
natural produce
, including rice, pomelos and oranges - sweet, juicy and green-
skinned even when ripe. Have a look around
Psar Nat
to see what's new and fresh. There are also inexpensive
food stalls
around Psar Nat, while in late afternoons a busy
night market
sets up on the street south of Wat Piphithearam - lift the
lids on the pots and see what's on offer. More stalls set up at about 4pm on the riverfront near the post o
ce.
Bamboo Train
East of the river
T
012 517125.
Cheery
little café in a shady garden pavilion under a big thatched
roof. Food (mains $2.50-5) includes a good Western
selection ranging from tofu burger to spag bol and Greek
salad, plus cheap Khmer options. Service can be slow, but
it's a nice place to linger, with a pool table to keep you
entertained.
Daily 6.30am-10pm.
Battambang Vegetarian Restaurant
Just north of
the Asia Hotel
T
012 642234.
Simple café dishing up
various Khmer/Chinese noodle, rice and soup dishes given a
meat-free twist (although no Western options). Don't be put
off by the quantity of “beef ” on the menu - it's actually tofu
and mushroom. Mains around $4.50.
Daily 11am-8pm.
Flavours of India
Street 2.5
T
053 731553.
This
functional tiled café lacks any kind of atmosphere but is the
only place in town to get Indian food, with a decent
selection of veg and non-veg North Indian standards. Food
is overpriced (mains $6-7) and strictly average, but if
you're looking for something different it might do the trick.
Just.
Daily 10am-10.30pm.
Gecko
Street 3
T
017 712428,
W
geckocafe.net.
Attractive first-floor café in a nice corner spot overlooking
Street 3 - staff are recruited from underprivileged
backgrounds and given the chance to train here and earn
some money. The menu covers the standards - salads,
sandwiches, burgers, pasta and pizza, plus assorted Asian
and Mexican mains ($5-8).
Daily 9am-10pm.
Jaan Bai
Street 2, junction with Street 1.5
