Bus times from Koh Chang to Battambang

By joint ferry and bus service the journey from Koh Chang to Battambang is scheduled to take 6 hours 00 minutes.

Bus Timetable from Koh Chang to Battambang

Click on the Koh Chang – Battambang link in the timetable below for more information and to buy tickets.

Departure from Koh Chang

Boonsiri High Speed Ferries services from Koh Chang to Battambang commence with a hotel pick up in Koh Chang.

Arrival in Siem Reap

Boonsiri High Speed Ferries services from Koh Chang to Siem Reap include a transfer to any hotel in Battambang City.

About Travel to Battambang

Battambang is a lesser visited Cambodian city located approximately one third of the distance between the border with Thailand (at Poipet) and Phnom Penh, and 163 km by road from Siem Reap. Battambang is a good location from which to start travelling around Cambodia and also an interesting and enjoyable destination in it’s own right.

Why Visit Battambang?

The major point of interest for leisure visitors to Battambang is the city’s European style buildings and cuisine.

Battambang was part of France’s Indo-China Empire from 1907 to 1953, and before that was controlled by Thailand from 1795 to 1907. The French in particular had a lasting influence on the city, and even though the colonial era has long ended Battambang remains a popular destination for French people to stay long term. The city has lots of restaurants serving French style food and many inexpensive bakeries.

European Style Architecture in Battambang

French colonial authorities were very active in relation to developing Battambang City, much more so than in some other cities under their control at the time, such as Luang Prabang in Laos. The layout of the city was altered with a grid pattern of streets introduced in the city centre. A covered market in the centre of the city was completed in the 1930s, and a series of European style buildings were constructed in the central part of the city around the market.

Ironically, however, the most distinctively European style building in the city, the Governor’s Residence, was built during the Thai period of rule. The Governor’s Residence in Battambang is now open as a museum and it’s a beautiful building well worth visiting which was designed by the same Italian architecture responsible for Hua Lamphong Railway Station.

Attractions near Battambang

Whilst overall a pleasant and interesting place to visit, Battambang City itself has no famous tourist attractions. The major attractions in Battambang Province are located outside of Battambang City.

The best known visitor attraction in Battambang Province is Wat Ek Phnom, which is located 9 km by road to the north of Battambang City. Wat Ek Phnom was completed in 1,027 AD and is the largest temple built by the Angkor Regime outside of the area now covered by the Angkor Archaeological Park. This temple is heavily dilapidated with little restoration work having undertaken since the time the temple was abandoned.

Another well known visitor attraction in Battambang Province is Phnom Sampeau, located 15 km to the south west of Battambang City. Phnom Sampeau (Sampeau Hill) has three large caves and a beautiful modern temple built on the highest point. One of the caves was used by the Khmer Rouge in the late 1970s to execute other Cambodian people and there are bones on display. Another cave is home to a large number of bats which you can see leaving the cave in vast numbers at sunset every day. There are several cafes with outdoor seating set up to view this nightly natural phenomenon.

To visit either Wat Ek Phnom or Phnom Sampeau we recommend that you hire a taxi or tuk-tuk in Battambang City to wait whilst you visit each attraction and then drive you back to the city. Public transport, including taxis and tuk-tuks, is scarce outside of the city centre.