News Update
Hello Friends – I hope you are all doing well. I have decided to start posting about countries and places I visited but didn’t get around to posting about. I’m starting with my trip to Cambodia in South-East Asia last year in October 2024, while being so recent is actually more a continuation from the previous posts earlier this year (and there might be a couple more).
I enjoyed this particular leg of the SAE trip so much, especially the mystical places, that I decided to publish about it now. I’m still dedicating much of my free time to the essay series I’ve been writing, but going through these Cambodia photos recently again and writing this post was a pleasant diversion as well as a good distraction from the generally unpleasant world news cycle …
It’s middle of the winter here in Cape Town where I’ve been for just over 6 months and the city has seen a lot of rain lately, so these photos bring back good memories of the perpetual summer I enjoyed for two years while I was based on the subtropical Indian Ocean island of Mauritius until the end of last year.
More Cambodia Highlights
Onward with the photo journey! All these pictures were taken in the sequence shown (with a couple of small adjustments). It might be necessary to allow a minute or two for the images to load.
1 – PHNOM PENH
I wanted to spend at least a couple of days in the capital to get a feel for it and I found Phnom Penh to be a modern and clean city with a blend of the old and new. I fortunately stayed near all the main sites in the center within walking distance from them. I joined a free walking tour which is a classic method for first impressions and orientation. The tour was remarkably good with the guide being a real local insider as he was a professional (registered) guide from Seam Reap who had moved to the capital and was doing walking tours in his free time to make people aware of his tour company in Siem Reap.
The following day (a Sunday) after walking around randomly for a while a tuk-tuk driver offered to take me to on a 3-wheeled fresh-air journey to see a number of temples and other locations a distance from the center (the drivers would typically show you a card with the main sites on the route and a couple of route options). It turned out to be a good decision and the tour took about 3 hours and included quite a diverse range of sites as well as a scenic trip through some neighborhoods and along the Mekong riverside. As is custom I had to take my shoes off to enter some of the temples but I could take photos in most and left some cash notes in the donation boxes made available.
I departed early on Day 3 from Phnom Penh central station on a slow train journey to Battambang through the stunning Cambodian countryside that would take about 6 and a half hours. The train was comfortable and not overcrowded and the constant (very green and beautiful) rolling reel experience of the scenery with changing landscapes, mountain ranges and small scale farming along the way really made my day (this is why I travel!).
There was a dramatic shift as one might expect while passing through the outskirts (where the living is really humble) and then eventually leaving the city behind since most of Cambodia is very rural and traditional. Families and traditional farmers could be seen along the way working the water-drenched fields and paddies. Long stretches were just countryside. People were friendly as we passed them and waved everywhere.
2 – PHNOM SAMPOV
The town of Battambang was rather dusty but I stayed at a good guest house with a great restaurant nextdoor that served traditional local dishes. The tuk-tuk driver that brought me from the train station also offered to take me on tours in the region. This is basically how it works in Cambodia in general when you are on a budget or backpacking trip. The first driver you meet would likely be your local guide too for further exploration. The information the drivers provide is not always comprehensive (related to the language barrier), but it’s sufficient and good tips are usually shared.
I visited three sites in the region during my time in Battambang and they were all quite a distance away from the town. Phnom Sampov was the first one at 12 km’s. Phnom Sampov is a limestone mountain featuring various caves, temples and statues and great panoramic landscape views. Just how much it rained in the weeks before my arrival can be seen in some of the pictures. There was much more to see here (than shown in the pictures), but the weather wasn’t all that great, so I just included the clearest shots. I enjoyed this location especially for the nature views and interesting walking paths that wind through several shrines and temples along the way towards the top.
3 – WAT BANAN
The next stop was Wat Banan (also known as Phnom Banan) which is around 25 km’s south of Battambang. It was built in the 11th century as were all 3 sites in this post, (which is sufficiently and impressively long ago if you love visiting ancient ruins and sites). The route taken on the roads to arrive there was interesting as we passed through many small villages and settlements (with some near misses with stray dogs and other animals) and I got some great glimpses of life in the countryside for the villagers.
The tuk-tuk driver dropped me off next to a small lake where the entrance was and told me to take my time while going up (he was going to grab a bite to eat and have a nap).
At Wat Banan there are 358 steps to climb to reach the top, which provides enough time to reflect on life and meditate on being in an off-the-beaten track in the Cambodian countryside and how great it is to actually have the experience of being there. There views of the lake below from the stairs assisted with the meditative thoughts while taking a breather. I did take my time to go up as recommended even though it was not exceptionally warm on that day like some of the others. I was appropriately dressed in a light white shirt (as were the other guests I saw there) as it’s expected of visitors when visiting important holy sites in the region.
Experiences may differ depending on the person but I have to say that for me Wat Banan was by far the site I enjoyed the most in the Battambang region. The atmosphere here was truly mystical and there was a tranquil sense of calm and spirituality. It’s a live pilgrimage site there so local visitors go up to pray and meditate, but it’s not crowded at all. There were maybe 5 or 6 other people there in total and not all at the same time while I was there and the staff were less than 10 from what I observed.
I wandered around quietly and just took it all in. This being such an ancient place means various parts of the crumbling buildings are supported with scaffolding of sorts, yet most of the structures can be entered into (the pictures should provide an idea). I took my time to really savor the moment and enjoy the green views of the surrounding countryside from above. I took the steps down after a while (somewhat reluctantly) and once back down at the lake I relaxed for 15 minutes before it was time for to head back.
4 – WAT EK PHNOM
Wat Ek Phnom was another site I really enjoyed. It’s actually two sites in that you first arrive at a contemporary pagoda and huge Buddha statue near it. Behind the large pagoda is the entrance to the original ancient Wat Ek Phnom. It’s was Angkorian Hindu temple also built during the 11th century. These ruins are larger than at Wat Banan and there are more structures and walls.
After appreciating the artwork in the pagoda I entered the city walls of the 11th century site and explored around and eventually end up in a scenic path at the back (which was actually the main entrance) that led me around the ruins next to a small lake area where a wedding procession was assembled for a photo shoot.
I thoroughly enjoyed being here and liked the contrasts between the modern, contemporary building and the ancient ruins. There weren’t that many people here either and the weather was really good, although I was there in the shoulder season so it might be much more busy in the middle of summer.
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In conclusion I’m very glad that I decided to do the Phnom Penh to Battambang train journey and to see selected sites while there as it was a detour well worth it for a real taste of Cambodia which I think one may not get if you only visit the capital and Siem Reap. After two and a half days in Battambang I headed to Siem Reap where I visited Angkor Wat and the surrounding sites.
I haven’t posted about travel for a while, so the length of this post hopefully goes some way to make up for that – thanks for reading 🙂 !!
Yours in Travel,
Jean-Jacques
Recommended next post: Beyond Angkor Wat – Siem Reap Temples and Nature
See also: Some of the Most Impressive Temples in South-East Asia
