Banteay Meanchey
Banteay Mean Chey is a Provinces of Cambodia. Banteay Mean Chey area is 6679 and the population about 638900 in 2005-07-01.
Introduction
The town of Sisophorn in Banteay Meanchey Province is today a charming, quiet place that only gives hints to its turbulent past upon closer examination. Like Siem Reap and Battambang Provinces, control of the province has changed hands many times between the Thais and the Khmers in the more distant past, ant the Khmer Rouge and central Phnom Penh government in recent decades.
With the final demise of the Khmer Rouge (locals, however, firmly believe the Present national reconciliation only the Khmer Rouge trick), the province and town are striving to rebuild their culture and economy.
It's very friendly place with the locals genuinely happy to see foreign faces and the stability that it implies. Normally just a passing-through spot on the way to the border, or between Battambang and Siem Reap, the area has a few sights that warrant a visit, such the Banteay Chhmar temple ruins, the only other Khmer temple ruins besides the Bayon (Angkor) and Preah Khan ( Preah Vihear Province ) that features the famous four-faced monuments.
How to get there
Not a lot of choices-you either have your own motorcycle or you are taking a share taxi. But wait; let’s not forget the train. Or maybe we should. It’s very slow-the railroad does not even want to quote you an arrival time because it’s never the same.
By Train
The train from Battambang arrives in Sisophan sometime between 10:00 – 11:00 am (usually). The trip takes around 3 ½ hours, which is about double the time that the share taxi takes, but unlike most things in life, it’s free! This won’t last for long as the poor Khmers are paying while we are not. The government just hasn’t organized the train service for tourists yet.
By Taxi
Share Taxi, per seat inside:
Sisophon to Siem Reap 120 baht
Sisophon to Battambong 50 baht
Sisophon to Poipet 30 baht
Sisophon to Phnom Penh 250 baht
Sisophon to Samrong 100 baht These rates should be the same in reverse.
Motorcycle Touring Into
As for your motorcycle tour, the Sisophon to Siem Reap road is a terrible bomb cratered road that you will need to go slowly on, unless you are a moto-cross maniac. The Sisophan to Battambang road is fairly decent in certain stretches, not so nice in others, but definitely the better of the two roads.
The Sisophon to Poipet stretch has some pretty fair stretches for a motorcycle, with other stretches having some humps in the road that are big enough to make any roller-coaster operator envious.
Eat
Mondial Restaurant.
This is the swank joint in town with good food and service. Friendly staff and live Khmer music while you have your dinner (this is thankfully one place that keeps the volume down a bit). The staff is fair in their English.
Penh Chet Restaurant.
A step down but it’s a clean, basic place with good food and the usual friendly beer girls. There is also live music here in the evening. There isn’t an English menu, but the beer girls will have a lot of fun trying to help you order.
The restaurant next to the Phnom Svay Hotel serves up the best food in Sisophan. It’s a very simple place but the menu is varied and features many Western faves.
Decent hamburgers, French fries, ice cream, among others are sure to satisfy your Cambodian road – weary appetite. The place draws a good crowd of foreign workers and locals alike.
There are restaurant stalls by the share taxi stand, along with loads of evening desert and fruit shake/drink stands all over town. Sisophan has a rather rowdy (and seedy) brothel area built almost on the RR tracks near the train station. With the train tooting it’s whistle and vibrating the shacks as it crawls by, it’s surely Sisophan’s version of the popular book, Off the Rails in Phnom Penh.
The ladies are out in full force in the late afternoon, beckoning you over, laughing and seemingly enjoying the festiveness of the area that time of the day. Drink and food stands dot the area, and with all the local males milling about it almost does seem like a carnival.
Accommodation:
Rong Roeung Hotel.
Fan rooms 200 baht, a/c rooms 300 baht. Western bath, sat. (Satellite) TV, clean; and the owner speak English.
Sourkear Hotel.
Fan US$ 5, a/c US$ 10. The rooms have a large and small bed, Western bath and are clean.
No Name Hotel.
The name was being changed when we stayed there-to what, they did not know. It’s a nice place. The manager speaks English and the staff is very friendly. Western bath, sat. TV, wrap-around terrace overlooking a small park. Fan room 200 baht, a/c room 250 baht.
Santapheap Hotel.
The name means peaceful and that it is. Located on the out skirts of town towards Battambang, the hotel is very clean with Western bath, single bed fan rooms for US $ 5, two beds for US $ 7 and a room with a/c and sat. TV goes for US$ 10.The owner speaks English.
Phnom Svay Hotel (and restaurant).
Nicely furnished clean rooms with a large bed, sat. TV and Western bath. Fan rooms are 200 baht, a/c rooms 300 baht. The restaurant is THE place for Western food in Sisophan.
Other destinations:
-Banteay Chhmar Temple
Is the historical site which was built between 12th and 13th centuries during the reign of King, Jar Varman VII. The temple is located at Thmar Puok District, along the National Road No 59ª. Nowadays, the temple is damaged because of war and gangs of offendees who have stolen statues and the temple stone for selling them to Thailand. In addition, there are some other temples in Ban Teay Mean Chey province such as Pra Sat Preah Chhor and Pra Sat Pram as well that have mostly been abandoned and not arranged. At Present, Ban Teay Chhmar temple is the main tourist attractive site of the province in Luring foreign tourists to visit.
-Banteay Neang
11 km (20mn) From Provincial Town. Location: Description: Historical Sites and Buildings, Location: Road No. 69A, Banteay Chhmar Village, Banteay Chhmar Commune, Tmar Puok District.