Battambang is Cambodia's second city, a relaxed place on the Sangkae River with crumbling French colonial architecture and a pace that feels decades behind Phnom Penh. It sits on the main route between the capital and Bangkok, and many travellers stop here for a day or two on their way through.
The city itself is pleasant to wander — the riverside promenade, the old market, and the streets of shophouses around the centre have more charm than you might expect. The real draws are outside town: Phnom Sampeau with its killing caves and spectacular bat colony, the hilltop temples of Wat Banan, and the bamboo railway (norry), a makeshift rail cart that bounces along remnants of the old French-built tracks.
The boat from Battambang to Siem Reap via the Tonle Sap lake is one of the classic journeys in Southeast Asia, winding through flooded forest and floating villages. It runs during the wet season when water levels are high enough. In the evenings, the Phare Ponleu Selpak circus school puts on performances that are among the best things to do in any Cambodian city.