Located on the Sangker River just south west of the Tonle Sap Lake, Battambang is known as Cambodia's 'rice bowl'. Even though it is the country's second biggest town, it still has a very local, untouristy, provincial atmosphere.

Much of the architecture is French colonial and traditional Cambodian. Unlike some of the more touristy towns, the local economy is truly local - rice, wood, sapphires, and food crops - and is reflected in the character of the town.

As you leave Battambang by road, the scene becomes one of small villages, rice paddies, and farmland, offering an excellent opportunity for the visitor to see a bit of 'unspoiled' rural Cambodia. The nearby countryside houses old pagodas, Angkorian-era ruins, caves, waterfalls, and even Khmer Rouge period killing fields.

Battambang means ‘disappearing stick’ and is named after a powerful stick used by a legendary Khmer king to achieve and maintain power in the Battambang area.