Surrounding the ancient 16th-17th capital at Longvek is an earthen wall and moat easily visible from the present-day village road that intersects it. The wall would have been several meters high and several meters wide in its heyday with the soil likely coming from the excavation of the several-meter-wide moat that fronted it. During the … Read more
Prasat Andet, also recorded as Prasat Andaet, is an ancient 7th-century brick temple located on the grounds of a contemporary monastery and pagoda atop a large and high mound which is then surrounded by a moat. Several statues from here including a Harihara statue can be found at the Phnom Penh National Museum. This uniquely … Read more
The provincial Museum of Banteay Meanchey houses a collection of relics and artifacts across the province. It is also an important base for researching and cataloging Khmer ceramics. It features excellent displays and information on the pre-historic sites of Laang Spean, Kok Treas, and Phum Sophy along with a collection of artifacts from the Angkorian … Read more
Located in central Battambang at the southern end of Road no1 on the west bank of the Sangker River, the museum houses a fascinating collection. Remnants and artifacts here come from sites across the province dating back to the pre-angkorian era of the 1st-8th century, the Angkorian era from the 9th to 15th century and … Read more
Also known as the former Battambang Provincial Hall and Royal Residence, it was built during the era of Thai occupation and originally designed by an Italian architect in 1905 and later taken over by the French before it was opened, in 1907. It is very similar to the Chao Phya Abhaibhubejhr Building in Mueang Prachin Buri, … Read more
In central Kampong Cham, on the east side of the river and just south of the night market is the Department of Culture and Fine Arts(Khmer: មន្ទីរវប្បធម៌និងវិចិត្រសិល្បៈ) where they have a small storeroom packed with ancient remnants and artifacts discovered in the province. Whilst the collection is small, like many of the regional museums, the … Read more
Located in Pursat Province on the waters of the Tonle Sap Lake, Kampong Luong is another of Cambodia’s unique floating villages where the community lives their life in a water-centric world. The area features a large community that is part land-based with houses on stilts and the larger community in floating homes, making a living … Read more
Located just north of the RN5 in Kampong Luong Village, Kandal, the shrine features a golden statue of King Ang Duong (reign 1848–1860). He held his capital at Oudong with the palace at what is now Wat Veang Chas and his stupa sits among the many atop Oudong Mountain. He was the son of his … Read more
Located in central Pursat city, Koh Sampov Meas is a boat-shaped man-made island in the middle of the Pursat River. It features several shrines and a tree-lines facade making it a nice place to relax by the water. At one end is the Preah Ang Chao Sen temple. So legend has it, in days gone by … Read more
Located around 40km southwest of Battambang, Laang Spean is an ancient pre-historic site located in a scenic natural cave atop a small limestone mountain. It’s a fascinating site that, with archeological research that dates back to the 70’s, resumed in contemporary times and is ongoing. It has been occupied by humans for over 60,000 years. … Read more
Located about 6.5km west of Kralanh and just south of the NR6, atop a small mountain, there are two shrines, one retaining fragments of an ancient temple recorded under the same name as the mountain, Phnom Lieb. Interestingly, one of the colonette fragments appears to be from around the 8th century while another appears to … Read more
Located centrally, the local museum houses a collection of remnants from ancient temple sites in the province. While the collection is small, some of the pieces are not seen elsewhere, an example are the unique sema stones with 3-dimensional iconography that came from one of the more important sites in the area, Bakan Temple, and … Read more
Located 180m east of Tuol Bayok and a little over 1km east of Wat Tralaeng Kaeng, Toul Reachea is a Buddhist Terrace/vihara dating back to the Post-Angkorian era of the 15th-19th century and perhaps more precisely around the 16th-17th century of the Longvek-Oudong eras. Along with many other heritage sites, it sits within the ancient … Read more
The Royal Palace of Phnom Penh, Cambodia, is not only the Royal Residence but also one of the capital’s most popular attractions. The site was founded in the 1860s and served the monarchy ever since with continual development and restoration over time. It features grand pavilions, pagoda, gardens, small museums, art galleries, and more. The … Read more
Remains of a Buddhist Terrace from the Post-Angkorian era. In recent times some contemporary shrines have been added while the sites retain several sandstone (?) sema stones. Some of the sema *may* be reproductions, while one appears to be an original featuring a decorative band around its base and a decorated flange that would have … Read more
Also known as Toul Reachea, it is located about 1km east of Wat Tralaeng Kaeng. It is a Buddhist Terrace/vihara dating back to the Post-Angkorian era of the 15th-19th century and perhaps more precisely around the 16th-17th century of the Longvek-Oudong eras. Along with many other heritage sites, it sits within the ancient moated citadel … Read more
Remnants of Buddhist Terrace from the 16th-17th century Longvek era. The site was locked on our previous visits to the area in 2021, Aug 2023 and Feb 2024, there is a phone number to call, but we didn’t want to put any to the hassle. The site’s original sema stones can still be seen in … Read more
Located near the east bank of the Mekong River in lower Kampong Cham Province, it’s also recorded as Wat Svay Sach Phnom. It is one of the older pagodas in Cambodia and features some wonderful traditional art and decorative features. The pagoda was recently restored and usually is never open, luck would be with us … Read more
Contemporary monastery and pagoda located around 6km west of Battambang city. Immediately west of the pagoda is an interesting development that appears at first sight to be the trace of an old banteay, perhaps similar to Kampaeng Stoeng Preah Srok just west of Siem Reap along the ancient road. Or it could just be a … Read more
Contemporary monastery and pagoda in the northeast of Battambang city and on the west bank of the Sangker River. It features beautiful decorative wood reliefs in its pediments, I am not sure of the age, but perhaps around mid to late-1900s.
Located in central Pursat city, it’s an older pagoda retaining its original inner murals, decorative pediments, and features. I am not sure of its exact foundation date, perhaps what we see dates to around the mid-1900s. The pagoda also features a beautifully decorated balan (pedestal for the Buddha) and outside, an equally beautifully decorated stupa. … Read more
Contemporary monastery and pagoda located 7km south of Battambang city and to the east of the Sangker River.
Contemporary monastery and pagoda located near the Kampong Chhnang and Pursat border.
Contemporary monastery and pagoda located just south of the RN5 near the Kampong Chhnang/Pursat border. It features older style sema that may have belong to an earlier iteration of what we see today.
Contemporary monastery and pagoda located to the northeast of Oudong Mountain just south of the RN5. It features several remnants that appear to date to the late-post-Angkor period. At the time of visiting, Aug 2023, the pagoda was in the late stages of restoration.
Also recorded as Wat Moha Reach Than and Wat Kuk, it is a contemporary monastery and pagoda located on the eastern foothill of Oudong Mountain in Kandal Province. The site features a large collection of remnants that are possibly from the vihara (Buddhist Terrace) of the 16th-18th century that preceded the pagoda we see today, … Read more
Contemporary monastery and pagoda located in Thmor Koul District, Battambang Province. There are two pagodas here, one dating back to the mid-1900s, and immediately to its east, a larger modern pagoda. The older pagoda is of course quite special, featuring several unique elements. Sadly it wasn’t open on the last visit, so hopefully we’ll have … Read more
Contemporary monastery and pagoda in the heart of Battambang city, located just west of the Battambang Provincial Museum. According to the local government, the site had its foundations in 1793, becoming a hermitage for monks, and between 1895 and 1905, the pagoda was built and restored in recent times. It’s notable for extraordinary embossed art, … Read more
Also noted as Wat Ek Rungsey, is a contemporary monastery and pagoda located on the west bank of the Sangker River, about 8km north of central Battambang city. It houses a replica of the chaitya object seen at Wat Kdol Don Teav and also remnants from the vihara preceding the pagoda we see today, including … Read more
