Wat Ek Phnom is an 11th-century Angkorian temple north of Battambang, built under Suryavarman I and now standing in partial ruin beside a modern Buddhist pagoda. The sanctuary is smaller and rougher than Cambodia's headline temple sites, but its lintels, laterite walls, and surviving towers make it a worthwhile half-day circuit from the city.
The contrast is part of the visit: old sandstone ruins, a large white seated Buddha, village roads, and a local picnic atmosphere all share the same compound. It is usually combined with other countryside stops around Battambang, and it rewards travellers who enjoy temples that are still embedded in everyday religious life.