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Banteay
Meanchey
Situated on the Thai
border in northwestern Cambodia, Banteay Meanchey (Fortress of
Victory) has had a turbulent past. Control of the province changed
hands many times, finally falling into the hands of the Cambodian
government in the late 1990s. The province is poor and still has
many unexploded mines in its fields and forests. Nearly all the
residents are farmers, though the improving economy has led to
investment in the provincial capital of Sisophaon and Poipet on the
Thai border.
Sisophaon has tended to be a lunch stopover for tourists on their
way to Siem Reap or Thailand and does not have much to offer except
being a base for exploring the Angkorian temples of Banteay Chmar
and Banteay Top, located some 50 km north of the town.
Accommodations in Sisophaon are not luxurious, but there are clean
and comfortable hotels available. Check first whether there is a
karaoke or disco in the compound.
The Banteay Chmar temple was built in the 12th century and has been
looted over the years, but the government has clamped down and many
items have been returned. Despite the removal of many of the trees,
Banteay Chmar still has a lost-in-the-jungle feel to it, with fallen
towers and trees encroaching on the walls. In 2007, a community
tourism project was established to support local incomes. Local
guides lead visitors around the complex, which they often have to
themselves. Locally arranged packages sometimes also include a
post-sunset traditional dinner on the temple grounds, a stay with a
local family, basking in the solitude of a lonely temple sunrise,
and a visit to a silk weaving center.
 Poipet
is the Las Vegas of Cambodia as it is home to many casino resorts.
With the emerging wealth from the gambling industry comes a
get-rich-quick attitude, and Poipet has its fair share of scam
artists. Many hotels are full of casino employees and the casino
hotels may only let out rooms to those willing to put down a minimum
stake at the tables.
Banteay Meanchey can be reached from either Phnom Penh or Siem Reap,
but also Thailand through the Aranyaprathet/Poipet international
border crossing. The road from Phnom Penh is good, but the same can
not be said for the roads from Siem Reap and Poipet.
The Poipet border crossing is notorious for immigration staff
rip-offs. A Cambodian e-visa can help avoid such problems and is
available from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at
www.evisa.mfaic.gov.kh. It
allows entry through Poipet but not other land borders. |
