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Battambang
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And you'll also get to know Smokin' Pot and their cooking classes! ;)
Click here to find cheap Cambodian food in Battambang!
Otherwise there are only a few shops around town. In the center of Battambang, I saw mostly tailor shops if I remember right.
The day trip to Wat Banan and Phnom Sampeau is exciting and inexpensive. You can either rent your own bike for 2 USD dollars or rent a bike with a driver for 8 dollars. 99 % of all the roads are bumpy, so watch out. And along the road, stop by cock fights and take the Bamboo train.
Admission: USD 2 dollars
Climb 350 steps and watch the stunning view of Battambang area!
At the top, you`ll find the temple version of
Angkor Wat. Notice that the heads of the holy statues/carvings are removed.
Sneaky people removed the heads so they could sell it abroad.
They apparantly got a lot of money... So much for respect of their cultural heritage..
Read about the Killing Caves -- where 100s of Cambodians were murdered during Pol Pot!
I`m against this, but I still had to see what it was all about. There were Khmer men, young and old, standing around in a circle shouting
while eagerly waving riel in their hands.
In the middle of the circle, there were
two roosters trying to strangle each other by wrapping the necks. It was too awful to watch, so we left after two minutes.
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Bamboo train is explained in the Lonely Planet: a bamboo platform on steel wheels. You have to go on and off the platform at least 2 times along the road.
Apart from the on-and-off ride, it was fun to ride on it and my adrenaline pumped. But it wasn`t comfortable to sit on the bamboo. The rails were broken at certain places, and our asses could feel the bumps. Ouch!
A bottle of water, sunglasses, sunscreen, good walking sandals and a good map if you`re driving by yourself.
There`s no need to bring your own food cause there are several local restaurants by the entrance to Phnom Sapeau and Wat Banan. If you`re using a bike, bring a scarf to cover your mouth while driving. There are loads of dusty roads.
Khmer Circus -- performed by the Troup of the Cambodian NGO of circus school Phare Ponleu Selpak.
If you want a real Khmer experience, you should try the Khmer Circus!
Khmer Circus is not an ordinary circus like the ones you`re usually familiar with. Like, with clowns, elephants and jugglers. They do the juggling too, but the acts are completely different when you have the Khmer dancing, Khmer costumes and Khmer music in Khmer surroundings.
The circus played by a funny love story, I think. (Don`t understand Khmer, but their body language said so). You`ll watch impressive chair pyramids, trapeze, fire shows, bike stunts and juggling performed by young, athletic and handsome Khmer locals.
And it`s heart-warming to watch the audience. Most of them are adorable Khmer children, laughing loud while they`re sucking their candies. It's just great to see the happy side of Cambodia... especially after you`ve visited the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum and Killing Fields. So, contribute to the local economy and enjoy!
Check out their agenda in Battambang.
You`re done with Battambang, where do you want to go next?
Click here to read about the Angkor Temples.
Are you crossing the border to get to Koh Chang in Thailand?
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