Introduction
Khmer temples and colonial buildings are among the attractions of Cambodia's second city, Battambang, which can be reached via a scenic boat trip from Siem Reap.
The impressive Governor's Palace and colonial villas point to the French era, while a busy art deco market and a number of wats in the town and its environs reveal other influences.
A few kilometres downriver is one of these, Wat Ek, an 11th century sandstone temple, now abandoned and peaceful.
Other temples can be visited at Phnom Sampeu, a serene mountain that belies a brutal recent past - it was a former Khmer Rouge stronghold where mass torture and executions took place in the so-called Killing Caves.
The Bamboo Train
Bumping along on a bamboo train, or nori, has become one of the most popular - and fun - tourist activities in Battambang; it's also a lovely way of seeing the town and the nearby rural villages, which are connected by the 40-kilometre single-track line.
Designed as a cheap and effective way for local people to get around, the ‘trains' comprise a simple bamboo platform on a steel frame, powered by a small engine.
As well as transporting people, the bamboo trains are used to move produce and livestock. There are a couple of small ‘train stations' but elsewhere on the line lighter trains are quickly taken off the track and then reassembled once the line is clear again.
