Boating it to Battambang

Trip Start Sep 13, 2006

178

Trip End May 08, 2008

Loading Map

Map your own trip!

Map Options

Show trip route

Hide lines

Flag of Cambodia Battambang, Cambodia
Wednesday, November 8, 2006

So as the story goes, the road from Siem Reap to Bangkok is Shit, well the Cambodian bit anyway. When i say road i should say that a lot of it was or is a dirt track. Anyway rumour has it that the airline companies have been paying the government off the last few years to delay building or finishing the road properly. Reason being lots of tourists going to temples means lots of flights and more business cos people want to avoid the crap road. So i still wanted to see a few more bits in the counrty anyway and Battambang had caught me eye. So i took a boat there through lakes, swamps and rivers, took about 6 hours and me and about 10 others sat on the roof of the boat cos downstairs was too crowded. Got a load of sun doing that so all good. Anyway this way of travel was really scenic and was well impressed although me arse was killing me from sitting on a metal roof for 6 hours straight and as the sun heats the metal up a lot it kinda burns you also. Anyway arrived in Battambang and found meself a hotel had been reading up about so happy days

Floating houses on way to Battambang

. Wasnt sure how long i was going to spend there anyway so i headed straight out to see the city. This is supposed to be Cambodias second largest city. But it aint too big and you can walk everywhere. i headed straight for the museum.. closed.. oh well.. post office..closed as well.. some temple.. also closed.. already not impressed and the river bit stinks, right i need some more dollars better find a bank with an ATM machine. Poxy banks all closed which is fair enough as it is the weekend but not one of the fuckers has an ATM on a wall outside. Eventually i stumble upon an ATM in another part of town and get some dollars.. Oh yeah all the ATM's in Cambodia give out dollars and not the local currency which is called Riel. Weird. To be fair its not a bad little city but just aint a lot going on, so thats when im thinking yep i will head on back to Thailand the next day.. Sunday November 5th pack up again and get dropped off at the local bus station. Jumped on a bus heading for the Thai border a town called Poipet, most of the journey was fine but parts i just cant even begin to describe how shite the road was... Kinda reminded me of home and the bit about the back handers for not buliding roads as well...lol. Next stop Bangkok again.