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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
street fronting the Sangker River. The
lower levels have been converted into
modern commercial establishments
but the upper stories retain the original
architectural elements of pilastered
arcades, louvered windows and cast-
iron balconies. Along this riverfront
one can also find an inconspicuous
150-
year-old Chinese temple, the
oldest structure in the conservation
area, and an exquisitely preserved
corner French-style villa converted into
a bank.
The last stop on our walk was an
architectural jewel: Sala Khaet, or the
Lord Governor’s Palace, built during
the final years of the Thai occupation
Past meets
present on every
corner of the city
from 1795 to 1907, when Battambang
was ruled by six generations of a
prominent family appointed by the
Thai King. The last governor had the
residence built within the fort, hiring
Italian architects from Bangkok. The
residence was never used, however,
and was eventually sold to the French
protectorate.
Besides its bamboo trains and
architectural heritage, Battambang
is, most interestingly, an attractive
jumping-off point to or from Siem
Reap, the gateway to Angkor, aboard
ferryboats that traverse Tonlé Sap.
The next morning, we boarded
the ferryboat along a river slowly
flooding with vermillion glow. While
a bus conveniently connects both
cities, the water crossing rewards the
unhurried with incomparable views
of riverside temples, floating villages,
cantilevered fishing nets and boathouse
communities living around the
gargantuan lake-river system.
In between shutterbugging and
waving hellos to effervescent children
along the banks, we catnapped on
the roof as the boat drifted across the
largest freshwater lake in South-East
Asia, oblivious to the sultry weather.
“
Unlike other touristy destinations,
Battambang is warm, pleasant and
unpretentious,” my travel buddy Ryan
Dayrit mused, “If you need to slow
things down, this is the place to be.” A
trip that lasted well over eight hours,
our unhurried departure was indeed —
in stark contrast to the previous day’s
norry run — a most fitting deliverance,
the paragon of such irresistible
languidness a traveler craves every so
often.
How to get there
Battambang is best reached by a
scenic ferryboat ride from Siem Reap
across Tonlé Sap lake. The trip is four
to 12 hours long, depending on the
water level. Boat rides can be arranged
through guesthouses and travel
agencies. The city can also be reached
by bus in three hours.
Cebu Pacific flies to Siem Reap from
Manila.
