Tourist Places To Visit In Battambang

Battambang's apt placement along the highway that connects Phnom Penh and Siem Reap to Thailand makes it a perfect tourist site. This city provides tourists with a rich blend of architectural masterpieces from the colonial times. Along with this, Battambang also offers visitors with beautiful tourist spots such as museums with ancient ruins, lakeside terrains with stunning landscapes, wildlife reserves with colorful bird species, and wineries with excellent wine reserves. Let us take a look at the remarkable collection of tourist places that should be visited when in Battambang.

Kamping Puoy Lake is a vast recreational lake nestled between two towering hillocks. Tourists and locals visit the lake area during weekends to relish splendid sceneries, swim through tranquil waters, or glide through the lake water in a boat. The lake is home to the colossal Kamping Puoy Dam, spanning 8 km across the lake and feeding nearby rice fields. Several bird species such as egrets, herons, whistling ducks, lily trotters, and pygmy cotton geese; this adds to the lake's status as a birdwatcher's paradise. Tourists who visit the Kamping Puoy Lake can also learn about the local culture by interacting with the inhabitants.

Battambang Museum comprises two avenues built right across the heart of Battambang. Some of the artifacts that this museum showcases include ancient sculptures such as Sneng and Phnom Banan and magnificent Angkorian lintels. One of these intriguing antique pieces is a sculpture belonging to the 13th century, which has several Buddhas tattooed over it. Apart from this, a famous portrait of Yama on a buffalo also draws in the crowds. An exhibition center in the vicinity also provides insights into the fishing culture, agricultural practices, and age-old fables of Battambang.

Prek Toal Bird Sanctuary forms one of the three remarkable enclosed ecosystems that grace the area surrounding Tonle Sap Lake. The fact that several unusual species of birds thrive within this biosphere makes it an ornithologist's paradise. Some of the magnificent bird species that throng the Prek Toal Bird Sanctuary include the spot-billed pelican, rare adjutant storks, and the milky stork. During the dry season, birdwatchers would be thrilled to find an increase in bird population at the sanctuary. The best time to catch a glimpse of these beautiful creatures is during the wee hours and the afternoons.

Wat Ek Phnom is a remarkable holy shrine that existed in Battambang as far back as the 11th century. Situated on the far side of a bright-colored pagoda and an imposing Buddha sculpture, this temple forms a 52 m by 49 m area. A lintel depicting Churning of the Ocean of Milk is visible across the eastern gate of the temple's central vicinity. On the other hand, the upper backside showcases some impressive bas-reliefs. Wat Ek Phnom is also considered as an apt shrine to visit for women looking to conceive, as the deity is believed to shower them with his precious blessings.

Prasat Phnom Banon Winery is nestled in a region famous for its chili pepper produce, located between Prasat Banon and Battambang. This winery thrives upon stellar red wine produced from the Shiraz grapes it nurtures within its vicinity. The wine produced here has a rare taste owing to its soil-like and complex odor. Prasat Phnom Banon Winery has gained accolades from the Ministry of Industry, Mines & Energy for its remarkable collection of vintage wines too. The Banon Brandy produced here also offers tourists with sumptuous wine tasting prospects. Visitors can indulge in sampling activities at the garden shelter.

Earlier forming a bonafide gallery, Romcheik 5 Artspace later developed into a remarkable art center. The museum comprises incredible artistic masterpieces prepared by the four founders. The great contemporaneous artwork of these people depicts happenings from all over Battambang. The founders interestingly nurtured their skills at an NGO that rescued them from bonded labor. The museum houses unusual artwork including passionate and unembellished paintings and subtle and straightforward portraits.

Constructed in the 19th century, Wat Somrong Knong is a memorial built atop a former temple complex from a pre-Angkorian era. This temple vicinity was used as a prison by the tyrannic Khmer Rogue regime. At present, Wat Somrong Knong harbors the stunning central pagoda and a beautiful blend of silvery modern beams, ancient remnants, and memorial to brave prisoners. Named after the massive Somrong trees that thrive within the temple complex, Wat Somrong Knong forms a home for scholars and monks. Devotees believe that prayers made at this temple never go unanswered.