Boat Trip from Siem Reap to Battambang

A scenic snapshot of Cambodian life on the water.

Apr 14, 2009

From Tonle Sap to the river port of Battambang this water journey is full of contrasts as your speed of progress is dictated by the environment and local commerce needs.

While the popular tourist choice for water travel in Cambodia is a fast boat across Tonle Sap between Siem Reap and Phnom Penh, the undisputed best boat journey in terms of scenery and an insight into real life in Cambodia is the route between Siem Reap and Battambang. The journey is packed with the diversity both of scenery and of lifestyles as you encounter this water route crossing the vast expanse of Tonle Sap and entering the meandering narrow tracks of the Stung Sangker.

Tonle Sap

As the boat departs the shores of Tonle Sap and proceeds at a steady pace along the port tributary, glimmers of a floating community of expatriate Vietnamese includes a school, Police station, hospital, General store and even a basketball court and pool hall. Before long the boat turns right into a narrow (four metre wide) tributary. A sudden acceleration and soon the outer most passengers are being whipped by the vegetation of the beautiful wetland sanctuary which soon gives way to the vast expanse of an inland sea called Tonle Sap. This water mass expands to three times its dry season volume come the wet season and is an integral source of daily sustenance of the local communities who use a variety of methods to catch the abundant supply of fish.

Floating Villages

After crossing the north west quadrant of Tonle sap the boat navigates through an endless number of floating villages and the traveller feels almost voyeuristic as the intimacies of daily life are in plain sight on both sides of the mouth of the Stung Sangker. The process of the boat is halted time and again as smaller craft meet the boat to either take on board a departing passenger or offload a newcomer along with their luggage and in a lot of cases their produce to be sold in Battambang.

Sting Sangker

Beyond the floating villages the river narrows to a meandering canal often difficult to determine the waterway from the surrounding vegetation. Homes in this section consist of high set dwellings on rickety twenty foot high stilts, but all have television aerials. The progress of the boat in this section can be painfully slow as the water lily type vegetation through which the vessel carves a path tends to clog the propeller and this involves several stops to cut free the offending plant life. Here are also times when it is necessary to stop and give way to vessels navigating the river on route to Siem Reap. Finally disembarking at Battambang is a welcome sight even if does mean negotiating your way through the inevitable cacophony of Tuk Tuk (remorque moto) drivers.

Duration of this journey can be up to nine hours on a hard wooden seat in sometimes crowded conditions but some discomforts are worth it to capture unique experiences. From Siem Reap tickets for this journey can be purchased through your hotel or guesthouse accommodation for a cost of approximately USD$20 and includes a mini bus pick up.

The copyright of the article Boat Trip from Siem Reap to Battambang in Cambodia Travel is owned by Lynn Allen. Permission to republish Boat Trip from Siem Reap to Battambang in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.