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It was one of those times in our travels. We all have them, whether you’re a long term traveller or only away for a couple of weeks, independent travel has its times when things don’t go to plan. We were in Battambang, Cambodia and were both feeling retched. Veronika had been battling with a stomach bug for some time and I had just come down with something else that had drained all of my energy, leaving me lethargic and with aching muscles. Neither of us wanted to get out of bed, let alone go out and explore.
I had originally planned to rent a bike or tuk tuk to go out and explore the beautiful countryside that surrounds Battambang – it’s what most people go there to do – but there was no way that either of us could muster up the energy. It was frustrating.
Central Market
A local guy waits next to his motorbike at the Central Market
Eventually, when we were finally feeling half decent at least, we did manage to go out for a walk around town to see what Battambang itself has to offer. We walked past the central market to the river, where we walked along the riverfront and admired the old colonial buildings that are still standing.
The riverfront in Battambang
Walking along the main street along the riverfront
Old colonial architecture
The old Governor’s Residence
Battambang isn’t much of a tourist town as there isn’t much in the way of tourist attractions. It’s a place to just be in, and perhaps that is what I liked about it. It’s not a clean place or a pretty place, but it does have charm and character. There is a certain atmosphere and roughness to the town that makes it attractive to me.
A tuk tuk full of school kids
A temple in Battambang
Our walk took us through lots of the streets in the centre of town before we had to get back to our guesthouse for a rest. We were hoping that we would be feeling better the next day for our onward journey.
A lady buys some fruit from a cart on the street
We didn’t get to do much in Battambang – It was just one of those times – but from what we saw, Battambang is worth a stop for a couple of days if you have the time.
There is indeed a point where we get sick during our travels. But luckily the worst condition I’ve had in Cambodia was being bitten by bedbugs. By the way, Battambang looks like an interesting small town with some well-preserved French colonial buildings.
Hi Bama. Luckily, I managed to avoid bed bugs for my entire trip, and this was the only time I got sick. Battambang is worth checking out if you have time.
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