​Battambang province shows off attractive tourism destinations

Tourists watch bats fly out of a cave in Phnom Sampov mountain, Battambang province.

Well-known as an agricultural land, Battambang province has lured tourists both from Cambodia and overseas with its unique attractive spots – from ancient temples and other buildings to ecotourism.

Located some 300 kilometres north of Phnom Penh, the province is hosting this year’s annual river festival next month at which tourism products and services as well as locally made-products will be promoted widely.

More and more foreign tourists, particularly those from Western countries, have visited the province, viewinging the old buildings from the French colonial era, local people said.

As mentioned, ancient temples including Ek Phnom and Banan, as well as Phnom Sampov mountain, famed for its bat cave, are the most attractive spots for tourists, they said.

Soeun Ratha, owner of Holiday Guesthouse, located in Battambang town, said: “The number of foreign tourists visiting Battambang province has increased in recent years. Foreign tourists, mostly French, Spanish and Russian… like sightseeing the old buildings from French colonial era and their numbers keep increasing.”

Leaflets from the provincial tourism department of Battambang province show that among the tourism spots in the province is Prek Toal bird sanctuary on Tonle Sap lake.

Phoeung Than, a tourism police officer at Ek Phnom temple, said the number of foreign tourists is still not too many, but there are daily visitors from Cambodia and beyond, not in tour groups but as individuals.

He also said foreign tourists mostly stay in the province for a short while for an individual tour to explore the architecture styles of French-colony buildings and also to experience local people’s way of life, including agricultural practices.

Holiday Guesthouse owner Ratha expects more tourists both local people and foreign tourists will see  the tourism potential of the province in the upcoming sixth river festival, which is annually organised in provinces with rivers.

Last year, Cambodia had 6.7 million foreign tourists, up 8 percent compared with 2018.(This news came from Khmertimes.com)