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C A M B O D I A ’ S C O U N T R Y C H A R M
from the frenetic streets of Phnom
Penh, retaining much of its small
town appeal. For centuries, the
settlement was nothing more than rural
backwater, until the French protectorate
developed it into a lively marketplace
and administrative stronghold in the
mid-19th century. “Battambang is one
of the most authentic places in the
country, as the buildings have not been
modified or destroyed so heavily like
elsewhere,” explains Stephanie Irmer,
director of Khmer Architecture Tours.
“
Streets upon streets of homogenously
designed shophouses make this place
special.” The city center has over 800
heritage buildings from the French
protectorate up until the period right
after the country’s independence
in 1953. Elsewhere in the country,
heritage buildings have succumbed
to industrialization, neglect and the
communist Khmer Rouge.
After our rural rollercoaster ride,
we spent the rest of the day admiring
historic buildings by foot, exploring at
a leisurely pace. A standout landmark
of the townscape was Psar Nath, the
central public market. Built in 1936,
the Art Deco building was designed by
the same French engineers who built
the central markets in Phnom Penh
and Saigon. Not far away from the
market, colonial shophouses line the
It’s not all about
hurtling down
railways in
Battambang, which
can be reached
from Siem Reap via
a cruise down the
Tonle Sap lake.
Roll, then row
along the river
