Battambang
Cambodia's Second City
Battambang
is a classically quaint provincial capital - old-world architecture
and even older pagodas set picturesquely along a river, and even
though the city is one of the country's largest, it is still lightly
touristed. In town, charming colonial-era buildings line narrow
lanes, including the ‘walking district’ near the market where
contemporary art galleries, local and foreign cafes, shops and bars
inhabit the old
shophouses.
Battambang is a place to explore the architecture and budding art
scene, check out the local cuisine, and to use as a base for
excursions into the nearby countryside.
Outside of town the scenery quickly becomes one of villages and rice paddies, offering an excellent opportunity to see a bit of rural Cambodia. The nearby countryside harbors several picturesque old pagodas, Angkorian era ruins, caves, mountains, waterfalls and the famous ‘bamboo train.’
shophouses.
Battambang is a place to explore the architecture and budding art
scene, check out the local cuisine, and to use as a base for
excursions into the nearby countryside. Outside of town the scenery quickly becomes one of villages and rice paddies, offering an excellent opportunity to see a bit of rural Cambodia. The nearby countryside harbors several picturesque old pagodas, Angkorian era ruins, caves, mountains, waterfalls and the famous ‘bamboo train.’
Kampot Cambodia
On the
River...
Kampot sits along the east side
of the Kampong Bay River near the base of the Elephant
Mountains and is of quite different character than the beach
town of Sihanoukville. Kampot City is an old provincial
capital of quiet lanes and colonial architecture, a bit worn
but radiating a quaint, welcoming, small town ambiance. A
partially destroyed bridge, bombed in the wars, sits city
center
over the river, its unique haphazard appearance now a bit of
an icon.
Kampot is a place to get a taste of provincial Cambodia, both urban and rural. Use the city as a base to explore and tour the surrounding countryside and as a stepping stone to the nearby beaches and islands of Kep, the Bokor Hill Station and the rest of southeastern Cambodia. Come the end of the day in Kampot, a little riverside cafe or pub is the place to be, relaxing curbside over a drink, watching the sun set behind the Elephant Mountains.
center
over the river, its unique haphazard appearance now a bit of
an icon. Kampot is a place to get a taste of provincial Cambodia, both urban and rural. Use the city as a base to explore and tour the surrounding countryside and as a stepping stone to the nearby beaches and islands of Kep, the Bokor Hill Station and the rest of southeastern Cambodia. Come the end of the day in Kampot, a little riverside cafe or pub is the place to be, relaxing curbside over a drink, watching the sun set behind the Elephant Mountains.
Kep Cambodia
Cambodia's
Oceanside Retreat
From
the turn of the century through the 1960s Kep was Cambodia's
premier beach town, drawing holiday-makers to its breezy
shores and nearby
Bokor Hill
Station. Back in the day, luxurious villas of the
privileged class dotted the seaside, but now remain as
ruined vestiges of an earlier era, slowly being cleared away
for new developments.
These days Kep is known more for
its
oceanfront crab shacks
and relaxed tropical atmosphere. A few
short,
picturesque slivers of sand dot the shore including
Kep Beach
where many of the
guesthouses
and
restaurants are clustered. Though probably on the cusp of
significant tourism development, Kep still has a rustic feel
to it - jungled mountains, quiet beaches, crab shacks and a
gradually growing number of hotels
and
restaurants.
Kep is a place to relax and dine by the seaside and use as a
base to visit
Rabbit
Island (Koh Tunsay,) to
explore
the
national park, to see the
nearby caves and
rural
countryside.
short,
picturesque slivers of sand dot the shore including
Kep Beach
where many of the
guesthouses
and
restaurants are clustered. Though probably on the cusp of
significant tourism development, Kep still has a rustic feel
to it - jungled mountains, quiet beaches, crab shacks and a
gradually growing number of hotels
and
restaurants.
Kep is a place to relax and dine by the seaside and use as a
base to visit
Rabbit
Island (Koh Tunsay,) to
explore
the
national park, to see the
nearby caves and
rural
countryside.Koh Kong Cambodia
Mountains,
Islands, Jungle and Border
Koh
Kong City is the capital of Koh Kong province, a comparatively small
provincial town sitting on the east side of the Koh Pao River about
10km from the Cham Yeam international border crossing with Thailand.
Many travelers see Koh Kong only briefly as they pass through on the
way to/from Thailand, but that is changing and the province is
becoming something of an eco
destination.
To the north and
east of the
city, the jungled
Cardamom Mountains
cover much of the province, offering trekking, dirt-biking and river
excursion possibilities. Heading the other direction, secluded
beaches line the nearby coastline and tropical island
of Koh Kong.
Base your adventures out of Koh Kong City where you can arrange
tours, rent boats, motorcycles, etc. There are a number of mid-range
guesthouses and hotels in Koh Kong and though there is not much to
see in the city there is an international casino and one of the
better zoos in Cambodia located near the border crossing.
To the north and
east of the
city, the jungled
Cardamom Mountains
cover much of the province, offering trekking, dirt-biking and river
excursion possibilities. Heading the other direction, secluded
beaches line the nearby coastline and tropical island
of Koh Kong.
Base your adventures out of Koh Kong City where you can arrange
tours, rent boats, motorcycles, etc. There are a number of mid-range
guesthouses and hotels in Koh Kong and though there is not much to
see in the city there is an international casino and one of the
better zoos in Cambodia located near the border crossing.
Banlung City is the provincial capital of
Ratanakiri Province in Cambodia's mountainous northeastern corner.
Heavily jungled and home to 12 different 'Khmer Loeu' ethnic minority
groups, Ratanakiri province has a real edge-of-the-world feel to it.
Most visitors to
Ratanakiri base themselves in Banlung City from where they
make excursions/treks to Khmer Loeu villages and jungle areas,
waterfalls, gem mines, and Ratanakiri's famous Yeak Laom volcanic lake.
The city of Banlung
is fairly small but offers some interesting shopping and a
few decent hotels.
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