Join us on a walking tour of Battambang city!
Battambang is home to some of the best preserved colonial architecture in Indochina. On this walking tour, along with a knowledgeable student guide, you will explore Battambang’s fascinating architecture, history, and culture, which has been shaped by Khmer, French, and Chinese influences. We will also take you to numerous places of interest and explain the historical and cultural significance of each spot to the development of Battambang.
This walking tour bears sentimental value for many of us at Butterfly Tours, as it is one our oldest and most beloved tours. Many of our guides have grown up or lived in Battambang for a long time, so they know the city extremely well and love it like only a local can. Rest assured you will be in great, knowledgeable hands while on this walking tour!
Meet: 4pm. Finish: 6.30pm. Distance: 4-5km.
- Our walking tour begins at the famous Phsar Nath, Battambang’s Central Market, located in the centre of the town. Phsar Nath is a local market selling a variety of food, clothes, household goods etc. housed in a French modernist building designed in the 1930s. Soak up the atmosphere here in the market and maybe buy a few tasty local snacks as your guide explains the history of the building.
- After the market, we will then walk towards some of Battambang’s most well-known architectural structures, including the National Bank, the Governer’s House and the French shop-houses along roads 1 and 1.5, which are all in varying states of decline.
- Your guide will highlight the interesting mix of Khmer and French architecture – a reflection of Battambang’s rich, eclectic history.
- As we walk past Battambang’s famous ‘Ta Dumbong’ statue of a giant man holding a black stick. You’ll learn the story of how Battambang got its name.
- We’ll then visit the old stone bridge, and then your guide will lead you to a pagoda, where you will be able to observe locals going about their day to day lives.
What's Excluded
- Hotel pick up/drop off*
- Personal expenses
- Ticketings*
- Beverage
- Travel insurance
Note: The meeting point is in front of Battambag central market(Psar Nat), opposite the river. This tour has variety options for the visitor to go around the city including purchasing ticket to get in which you will need to ensure you can cover these expense by your own.
Operator
Butterfly Tours
Butterfly Tours is a leading bike tour company in Cambodia operated and owned by a group of university students. Visitors taking our tours are guaranteed an experience like no other; besides viewing truly local and stunning sights, you will simultaneously be supporting an eco-friendly and sustainable effort that directly benefits rural Cambodian communities.
Butterfly Tours goes beyond being an ordinary tour company. As advocates of young Cambodian leadership, we believe in the power of education and the development of entrepreneurship. Our stance reflects the ultimate aim of our company: To create local, empowered, and independent Cambodian employers and employees who will ultimately contribute to the development of Cambodia’s local economy and the environment.
Our tours are specially designed for you to:
- Take a relaxing bike ride through local Cambodian villages in Battambang, Siem Reap, and Kampot—away from the usual tourist hotspots
- View and photograph magnificent scenery of the Cambodian countryside
- Observe Cambodia’s rural ways of life—visit local temples and learn about the variety of cottage industries, as well as our rich agricultural livelihoods
- Immerse yourself in “the local”—sample authentic Cambodian cuisine and learn about our unique Khmer customs and culture!
- Meet friendly Cambodian children and villagers!
Our tours benefit local Cambodian communities:
- We train local students and youths to be your guides, in turn offering them employment and leadership opportunities
- We personally nurture and develop leadership and managerial skills of our Butterfly team members, who are made up of Cambodian youths from the countryside
- Within villages, we engage local Cambodians to share their knowledge and skills with us, who in turn share them with you when you take our tours!
On a larger scale, our tours seek to:
- Educate visitors on the socio-cultural and economic landscape of Cambodia
- Deepen visitors’ knowledge on local Cambodian cultures and customs
- Support the integrity of local cultures by favouring businesses and local goods that conserve the cultural heritage and traditional values of Cambodia
- Support the local economy through the purchase of local goods from small Cambodian businesses
- Conserve the local environment by engaging businesses that are eco-friendly and sustainable
- Develop sustainable forms of tourism that create more jobs and support local Cambodian trade and investment
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