Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
BATTAMBANG PROVINCE
Battambang Province (Bat Dambang), said by proud locals to produce Cambodia's finest
rice, sweetest coconuts and tastiest oranges (don't bring this up in Pursat), has a long bor-
der with Thailand and a short stretch of the Tonlé Sap shoreline.
Battambang has passed from Cambodia to Thailand and back again several times over
the past few centuries. Thailand ruled the area from 1794 to 1907 and again during WWII
(1941 to 1946), when the Thais cut a deal with the Japanese and the Vichy French.
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Battambang
053 / POP 140,000
There's something about Battambang that visitors love. Forget the fact that there's really
not all that much to do in the city proper. The colonial architecture, the riverside setting, the
laid-back cafes - they all make up for it. It's the perfect blend of relatively urban modernity
and small-town friendliness.
Outside the city's confines, meanwhile, timeless hilltop temples and bucolic villages
await. The most scenic river trip in the country links Battambang with Siem Reap.
That Cambodia's best-known circus (the magnificent Phare Ponleu Selpak) is here is no
coincidence: the city has an enduring tradition of producing many of Cambodia's best-
loved singers, actors and artists.
