Getting on the Battambang Bamboo Train
- Oct 10, 2018
- 2 min read
Battambang is a quaint little town situated just 3 hours away from the travellers' hub of Siem Reap, Cambodia. Despite its size, I would consider Battambang a destination every travellers shouldn't miss when they are travelling through Cambodia! Even if it is only for a transit in between travels from Siem Reap to Phnom Penh (like what I did), Battambang will always be worth the stop.
One of Battambang's must-do tourist attraction is the bamboo train. What are the bamboo trains? Well, these are tiny 'trains' located on actual tracks once used on trains. Because much of Cambodia was left underdeveloped for a long time, many places and districts still fall short on infrastructure and accessible roads, hence the Khmer people have invented the ingenious bamboo trains that makes great transport alternative.
As you can tell from the image, the bamboo train is made up of a small platform made out of bamboo (rough size of a Queen sized bed, enough for approx. 5-6 people on the average), steel wheels and a lawn mower/boat machine used as the power generator of the train. The Battambang bamboo trains may have once been used as an important mode of transportation for the Khmer people, but nowadays it is mainly used as the tourist attraction of Battambang. But that really doesn't mean that you should miss out on riding the bamboo trains! The experience itself was affordable and relaxing, particularly on a clear sunny day, where you can enjoy a leisurely 30-40 minutes ride through the countryside of Battambang.
How to get on Battambang's Bamboo Trains?
Well, easier than you expect! All you need to do is to get to Battambang and practically ask any tuk-tuk drivers around the city if they can transfer you to the site of the Battambang bamboo trains. Because I was travelling solo and neither of the nice girls I befriended on the bus from Siem Reap to Battambang were particularly interested on riding the bamboo trains on the same day as I was, I had no choice but to go alone. But it really was not a big deal for me, and I paid the tuk-tuk driver around USD 8 for a returns transfer to and fro the Battambang bamboo train location. Because I was not sharing the bamboo train with anyone else either, I had to pay more than what the average people have to pay (one bamboo train can be shared between 2-4 people). Regardless, it was a fun and relaxing experience which I would recommend to anyone visiting Battambang!
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