Boat from Siem Reap to Battambang

Has anyone made the boat trip from Siem Reap to Battambang? Is that worthwhile? Or do you have any other suggestions for side trips out of Siem Reap?

Boat from Siem Reap to Battambang

When I was in battambang in early Nov 08, I met a guy who had just come down by boat from SR to there and he was raving about how great the trip had been by boat .

I read in the guide books as well that this was a really great trip to make , and was considering doing the leg from B to SR by boat, but my hotel was giving me different advice on length of time it would take - 5 hrs to 8 hrs depending on time of year.

I elected to do the B to SR leg by bus ( which turned out to be a very uncomfortable 5.5 hrs on a very bumpy road due to roadworks)

Boat from Siem Reap to Battambang

Any hotel or guesthouse you can recommend in Battambang?

What are the main attractions besides the best durians and mangoes in the world I%26#39;ve been hearing since childhood?

Cheers, charles

I cannot say Im an expert on Battambang as I arrived by bus about 1230 pm and left the next day at 7am from memory which didnt allow much time for exploring.

HOWEVER I did stay at Royal Hotel $20 US night which was fine ( may have had cheaper accomodation available).

I ended up hiring a bike and driver once at the hotel for about 4 hrs for about $12 US - he was very good, and had great english ( not that this is a pre-requsite but it does mean you get more out of trip) He took me around the local area ( in and out of villages ,along dirt roads, stopping whenever I wanted to take pics) He also took me to killing fields caves and Phnom Sampeau ( be prepared for the hike up the hill, which is worth it) and also to where the bamboo norries run. For an extra $5 I got to ride on a norry for about half hour.

I had to pay extra for a guide ( young kid) to go up to phnom sampeau, and there was quite a few spots along the way where monks were seated askingfor donations so take small change.

I ate at the hotel that night as I was pretty tired after bus trip then bike tour.

Theres probably enough to stay on for an extra day or two Im guessing

Hi,

I did the boat trip from Siem Reap-Battambang in 2007 when I was last there, and it was definitely one of the highlights of my trip. I live in the UK and the things I got to see on that trip were about as far from my daily life as possible! There are floating towns with floating schools and floating basketball courts, as well as floating pig pens, restaruants and houses, etc. The boat was basic, but it%26#39;s what the locals use to get from place to place. We had to pull over about 3 quarters of the way there as the river got too shallow, but we were transferred over to 4x4%26#39;s which drove off road the rest of the way through the rural farmland. An amazing day, and one that I%26#39;ll never forget!

Hope that helps!

Oh, also, if you do decide to go to Battambang, Mr Thoen who works out of the Chhaya hotel there gave me a tour on the back of his motorbike around the surrounding area. I%26#39;d definitely recommend it as there%26#39;s a lot of beautiful countryside, as well as a lot of history, and Mr Thoen definitely knows his stuff!

Thank you for your tips Noosa blue; and thank you to share the address of the hotel you have stayed.

Cheers, charles

Thank you Andy.

Cheers, charles

one thing about the boat trip.i arrived in siem reap at lunchtime and had missed the boat.it leaves in early morning.so i went by taxi (july 2008) to battambang for $40.it takes almost 3 hours and is a suspension-busting trip on dirt roads but interesting in that you do go through a view little village type areas that you won%26#39;t see any other way.coming back i got the boat (booked through the hotel for $20) and it left battambang at 7am.the hotel take you to the dock.the boat took 7 hours and is a 20-25 people capacity boat.i totally recommend this trip having done the road trip too.it is peaceful and relaxing and you get to see how the village people live near the water and the floating vietnamese village too.

Can anyone comment if the boat ride would also be interesting for kids (ages 11 and 13) or would they get too bored? or too hot (we are traveling in late June)? Or too wet (this is rainy season, right?)

I was on that boat with some kids about that age once and they had a blast. They will want to go up on the roof with the others.....slather them in sunscreen. Take snacks and drinks.