Battambang Full Day Tour from Siem Reap - Bamboo Train, Killing Cave & Sunset
Description
Battambang is one of Cambodia’s most under rated destinations. Located 3 hours to the south of Siem Reap, this is a stunning countryside destination in an area known as the ‘rice bowl’ of the country. You will travel from Siem Reap to Battambang in a private air-conditioned car or van and then switch to a tuk tuk for your day tour. Your day tour will begin with a village visit, driving a little off-road to see the fishing village, local plantations and including a ride on the Bamboo Train. From here your guide will take you on to Wat Banan temple, climbing all 365 stairs to reach the temple plateau, followed by a stop at the infamous Killing Caves. Your last stop for the day is Phnom Sampeav, famed for its bat caves. Your guide will take you to his secret mountain spot where you will have a short climb to the top. As the sun sets, watch the millions of bats fly out for their evening meal before returning to Siem Reap.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Take a ride on the traditional Bamboo Train, a bamboo platform laid over 2 sets of wheels on a single track. In the old days this was used to transport goods between Battambang and Phnom Penh and was a typical mode of transport for farmers and villagers. Today, it takes you through the beautiful countryside to a little village you can explore on foot before returning to your starting point.
Climb the 365 stairs to marvel at Wat Banan, an Angkor era temple which sits on top of a hill close to the Sanker river. Banan is seldom frequented by tourists and outside of Cambodian holidays it is likely that you may be the only visitor.
The Killing Caves of Phnom Sampeau (also known as Phnom Sampov) are a place of beauty, turned tragedy, turned beauty once more. Take a truck up the steep incline to the starting point and descend into the cave with your guide, who will brings the tragic history of this place to life. Stop along the way to experience the stunning views across the valley below.
Scale the side of a mountain leading to the 'secret bat cave' just before sunset where you will sit atop the mountain waiting for the millions of bats located inside the cave to awake. Marvel as this seemingly never-ending stream of fruit bats fly out of the cave and off into the countryside for their evening meal.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
Pick up available from all Siem Reap Hotels
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Service animals allowed
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
Reviews(104)
Our tour in Battambang was simply exceptional. We started from Siem Reap with Piera, our driver, who was impeccable throughout the trip: punctual, attentive and always available to make the journey as comfortable as possible, really valuable qualities especially during the warmer months. Arriving in Battambang we met Kim, our guide and tuk-tuk driver. From the very first minutes he was a special presence: competent, kind and with an incredible ability to tell his country. Kim guided us through local villages, countryside, temples and viewpoints, always ready to stop when we wanted to take pictures or discover something closer. The real surprise, however, was the depth with which Kim shared the history of Cambodia in the twentieth century. His sincere and touching explanations allowed us to truly understand the complexity and resilience of the Cambodian people. An added value that we did not expect and that alone would be worth the trip. The tour of the bamboo train, the caves, nature and local life completed an experience we will remember for a long time. It’s true that the heat can make some parts of the day more challenging, but everything is amply rewarded by the authenticity and quality of the tour. We recommend this experience without hesitation. Thank you Piera and thank you Kim for showing us the real Cambodia.
This day trip, while long was a brilliant allowing us to see the Battambang countryside, temples, traditions & learn about the recent history. All this was make better because of our awesome guide David, who guided us with helpful information, humour & kindness.
What a brilliant day, Kim, the tour guide is excellent and I would ask for him by name. We started off in the local market which was incredible, nothing like I have seen before. We then went around the city and Kim used his local knowledge to show us very interesting places. Then the Bamboo train, what a highlight! The lunch was excellent in a very local place. The killing caves were very moving, with Kim adding his own personal story too. Kim took an amazing sunset photo, knowing just the right spot. Finally the visit to the bat cave was also just incredible. Overall an amazing day, and to also mention the transfer driver was also very nice and his car was very comfortable.
From start to finish this tour was exceptional. Our driver Ro was ready & waiting to pick us up at 7am and made the very smooth journey to Battambang while we rested. Then we met Kim who was our guide for the day. He went above and beyond to make the day unforgettable for us. Stopping at so many planned and unplanned spots to share his knowledge. We loved the bamboo railway, local lunch spot and sunset with the monkeys. The bat cave was truly unforgettable too. Kim is so passionate about Cambodia, knows all the history and answered so many of our questions - having a good guide makes all the difference. He even stopped to show us fruit trees we had never seen before, spotted a live scorpion!!! And got us helping the locals plant cauliflower. He knows all the spots away from tourists at sunset and took the best photos. We were sad for the day to end but a nice air conditioned drive made the 2.5 hours go fast and the day really didn’t seem that long. We would highly recommend this tour to anyone coming to Siem Reap who wants to escape to a quieter, more local area where your money really benefits the local people. Thank you Ro & Kim!!
Excellent tour from start to finish. Drive from siem reap to battambang took around 3 hours. Once we got there, our tour guide Vannak brought us around with his tuktuk. Please ask for Vannak if you choose to go for this tour as he will go out of his way to make your experience worth it. Went to many places not even mentioned in the itinerary that was worth it such as the hanging bridge and the fruit bats. Very unique experience and not to be missed. Vannak was also very informative and knowledgeable on all topics related to battambang which gave us a better insight to the culture and history
A wonderful way to end my week in Cambodia. This trip was extremely well curated and executed, from the ride to Siem Reap, the tuk tuk ride, the excellent driver and tour guide, the bamboo train experience, the temples, country side, city tour, the caves, the history and the bats. All of it was a great experience. Highly recommend!
If you want a comfortable tour this is not for you, we were picked up by our driver in Siem Reap and transported to meet Kim our Tuk tuk driver and I have to admit it wasn’t what I was expecting but thankfully it turned out to be an experience I wouldn’t have missed for the world. After a tour of Battambang we headed to the famous bamboo train ( hurry as if rumours are correct this will be another thing resigned to the countries history) it was a pleasure to experience the real Cambodia as we drove through the local villages, Kim took the time to stop whenever we wanted including learning up close about the rice fields, first time seen it before the packaging. Kim is a bit of a Dr Doolittle who talks to all the animals on the way (cockerel is his speciality ) when we witnessed the bats coming from the bat cave , he taught us how to make snake sounds and get the bats to “Jump” killing caves shouldn’t be explained but experienced by everyone to learn how cruel humans can be, however on a cheerier not alway smile and wave to the kids .they love it
Absolutely amazing was so happy to have been able to book this tour. The driver who picked me up was on time and my tour guide Kim was amazing and super nice and very knowledgeable about Battambang and its history. Got to see a lot and do a lot and nothing was rushed.
Wow! Ok, where do I begin? This tour started off with a relaxing personal car ride from Siem Reap to Battambang. My driver was polite and made sure I was comfortable. Shared a coffe together, and he even showed me a picture that he had seen of me online in Siem Reap news at the water festival which he shared with me immediatly over whatsapp! Sooo cool!! Upon arrival at Battambang, I was greeter by Mr. Kim and his tuk tuk... this man, MADE my day AND my trip! As a local to Battambang he was able to take me all around introducing me to locals and showing me their daily lives in the city, the market, and the farms. He showed me all the cool hidden jems of the area including a secluded tree that is packed with fruit bats... which he snuck off to shake for me so I could see them all fly!!! Wow!! Mr. Kim was knowledgable on the culture and lore of the area and provided so much insight on the beliefs and culture of the people living in Battambang. He shared the entire history of modern Cambodia and even divulged his direct family inpact of the war while at the killing caves and gave me such an appreciation for the Cambodians who lived thru that era. All I have to say in the end. Is that, if you truly want to experience Battambang & truly understand the history and life of the Cambodian people. This tour & Mr. Kim is the way! Thank you Mr. Kim & Driver, this was truly the highlight of my trip to Cambodia. 🙏
I really enjoyed this tour! We toured the temples earlier, and this tour was very different. It was a relaxing day in the countryside. We got to see everyday life in a Cambodian village. Kim was personable and very knowledgeable. His English was clear and understandable. He explained the unfortunate history of this town and others nearby. We rode the bamboo train, climbed the steps to the temple, and visited the cave. The entire tour is via tuk tuk with the exception of the transfer back and forth from Siem Reap. This was approximately 2.5 hours in a clean, air-conditioned vehicle. I would recommend this tour!
