Phnom Sam Pov or Sam Pov Mountain

It is a natural resort is located about 12 kilometers from provincial town along National Road No. 57. On the top of the mountain there are three natural wells, Pkar Slar, Lo Khoun, and Ak So Pheak.

Phnom Sampeu has an Angkor-era Baray-style pool; cave shrines with skulls and bones of Khmer Rouge victims and about seven hundred steps leading up to the main temple area, with its dynamite views. The temple on the top of the mountain is built in 1964 with old and modern technology.

What make this temple a shrine is that local people has brought skulls and bones of victim of civil war hoping that their spirits can rest in peace. This mountain is one of the most well known one in Cambodia.

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Prasat Snung

Prasat Snung, located 22 kilometers from provincial town in Ba Nan District, is very popular for the local people. Standing on a hill, this temple is much similar to the 12th century temple. Most parts of this temple is recentle rebuilt.

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Ba Nan Temple

Ba Nan Temple, located about 25 kilometers from provincial, adopts the architecture of the mid 11th century and was built doring the reign of King Uttakteatittyavarman II (1050-1066). Finally this temple was rebuilt by the Great King Jarvarman VII (1181-1219).

Standing on the top of 400-meter heighten mountain, Ba Nan Temple has two wells, Bit Meas and Chhung Achey.

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Wat Ek Temple

Wat Ek Temple, located about 12 kilometers from provincial, adapts the architecture of 11th centuries and built in 1027 doruing the reign of King Sorayakvarman I. It was built during the Bayon period and unfortunately is much worse for the wear than Phnom Banan.It’s an interesting place, however, because there is a freshly constructed working temple right in front of the ruins. This temple, along with the temple ruins, is the center of holiday festivities for the people of the nearby village. They dress up in their Sunday best and have a celebration between the old and the new temples and climb all around the ruins with their families.

The ruins are on a very small hill so there is no workout involved in viewing them much of the temple is in shambles and was heavily looted. There are still some sitting Buddha images intact higher up on the walls. On the inside is a carving of a tug-of-war with participants tugging away on a serpent. The participants on the left have lost their heads to looters (they lost face), with the guys on the right still having their heads intact.

Ek Phnom is also easy to get to-just head north on the River Road (Road 1) a bit over 10 km (the road north of the Cobra Bridge snakes around a bit, but goes back to the river). As you are getting close to the temple, you will pass over a small concrete bridge. The road beyond will veer off to the right, but the modern temple is there to the left. Enter the new temple grounds and the ruins are located to the rear. Again, a round-trip moto-taxi is about 120 baht from Battambang.

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Barsaet Temple

Basaet temple, located about 15 kilometers from provincial town, was built in 1036 during the reign of King Soriyakvarman I and rebuilt in 1942 with similar aspects of architecture of 11th century. Remarkably there is a big 20 meters pond next to the temple which never dry even in dry season.

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