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Bats
Hundreds of large bats (in Khmer, chreoun), with 40cm wingspans, live in three old mahogany trees next to Kompong Thoms old French Governors Residence. They spend their days suspended upside down like winged fruit, fanning themselves with their wings to keep cool. Head here around
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Tonlé Bati
Tonlé Bati is the collective name for a pair of old Angkorian-era temples and a popular lakeside picnic area. Its worth a detour if you are on the way to Phnom Tamao and Phnom Chisor. You can eat at one of many picnic restaurants here and hire an innertube to float around the lake
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The Circus Comes to Town
At the western corner of the northern wall is a Khmer circus. A strongman holds three dwarfs, and a man on his back is spinning a wheel with his feet; above is a group of tightrope walkers. To the right of the circus, the royal court watches from a terrace, below which is a process
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Angkor Borei Archaeological Museum
This modest archaeological museum occupies a Khmer-style building a bit east of Angkor Boreis road bridge. Featured inside are locally discovered Funan- and Chenla-era artefacts, including human bones, pottery, jewellery and stone carvings. The dark-red statues are copies of import
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Prasat Sambor
The principle temple group, Prasat Sambor (7th and 10th centuries) is dedicated to Gambhireshvara, one of Shiva’s many incarnations (the other groups are dedicated to Shiva himself). Several of Prasat Sambor’s towers retain brick carvings in fairly good condition, and there is a se
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Pheam Ek
About 5km north of Battambang is the village of Pheam Ek, whose speciality industry is making rice paper for spring rolls. All along the road, in family workshops, you’ll see rice paste being steamed and then placed on a bamboo frame for drying in the sun. Plus the coconuts grown i
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Dak Dam Waterfall
Dak Dam is similar to the Monorom Falls , albeit with a greater volume of water. The waterfall is 25km southeast of Sen Monorom, several kilometres beyond the Bunong village of Dak Dam. Its very difficult to find without assistance, so it’s best to take a moto driver or local guide
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Naval Battle
The Naval Battle panel has some of the best-carved reliefs. The scenes depict a naval battle between the Khmers and the Chams (the latter with head coverings), and everyday life around Tonlé Sap lake, where the battle was fought. Look for images of people picking lice from each oth
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The Chams Vanquished
In the Chams Vanquished, scenes from daily life are featured while the battle between the Khmers and the Chams takes place on the shore of Tonlé Sap lake, where the Chams are soundly thrashed. Scenes include two people playing chess, a cockfight and women selling fish in the market
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Khmer Rouge–era Statues
About 2km before the Choam frontier the road splits to avoid a house-sized boulder. A group of statues hewn entirely from the boulder by the Khmer Rouge can be seen and have now been preserved as a shrine. The statues depict a woman carrying bundles of bamboo sticks on her head and
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The Sacking of Angkor
This panel shows the war of 1177, when the Khmers were defeated by the Chams, and Angkor was pillaged. The wounded Khmer king is being lowered from the back of an elephant and a wounded Khmer general is being carried on a hammock suspended from a pole. Directly above, despairing Kh
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Battambang Museum
This small and rather dusty museum displays a trove of fine Angkorian lintels and statuary from all over Battambang Province, including pieces from Prasat Banan and Sneng. Signs are in Khmer, English and French.A mammoth museum enlargement and modernisation project was in the plann
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Old French Lighthouse
Looming over the Mekong River opposite town is an old French lighthouse (ប៉មបារាំងចាស). For years it was an abandoned shell, but its been renovated – and features an incredibly steep and precarious staircase (more like a series of ladders). Don’t attempt the climb if youre scared o
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Bei Srok
Bei Srok is a popular waterfall with seven gentle tiers. It’s about 20km east of Lumphat. You can also get here on a rough road that leads south/southwest from Boeng Yeak Lom. Many Ban Lung tour companies offer Bei Srok as a day tour combined with some abandoned gem mines nearby an
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Olympic Stadium
Known collectively as the National Sports Complex, the Olympic Stadium is a striking example of 1960s New Khmer architecture and includes a sports arena and facilities for boxing, gymnastics, volleyball and other sports. Turn up after 5pm to see countless football matches, pétanque
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Pol Pots House
About 4km east along the dirt track after Peuy Ta Mok (when the trail forks at the water-lily lake, take the left-hand track) youll arrive at Pol Pot’s house. Surrounded by a cinderblock wall, the jungle hideout was comprehensively looted, though you can still see a low brick build
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Wat Neang Kok
This rocky promontory on the right (western) bank of the Koh Poi River is decorated with life-size statues demonstrating the violent punishments that await sinners in the Buddhist hell. This graphic tableau belongs to Wat Neang Kok, a Buddhist temple. To get there, cross the bridge
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Prasat Ta Prohm
Prasat Ta Prohm is the easiest of Banteay Chhmars nine satellite temples to visit. This small ruined temple is topped by a well-preserved example of a Bayan-style four-faced Avalokiteshvaras. To get here, exit Banteay Chhmar by its south gate, cross the main road (NH56) and take th
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Banteay Chhmar Satellite Temples
Along with Prasat Ta Prohm, there are nine fascinating satellite temples in the vicinity of Banteay Chhmar, all in a ruinous state and some accessible only if you chop through the jungle. These include Prasat Samnang Tasok , Prasat Mebon , Prasat Prom Muk Buon , Prasat Yeay Choun ,
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Wat Khaong Kang
At the base of Phnom Yat hill, an impressive gate from 1968 leads to Wat Khaong Kang, an important centre for Buddhist teaching before the Khmer Rouge madness. The exterior wall is decorated with an especially long bas-relief of the Churning of the Ocean of Milk. The last time we p
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