It’s 170 kilometres away from Siem Reap, of which 105 kilometres brings you to Sisophon,
the provincial capital of Banteay Meanchey, and a further 65 kilometres
gets you from there straight north up to the temple on a brand new
road. Getting there is much easier than it used to be and is doable by
taxi from Siem Reap, or public bus to Sisophon and taxi from there. Tour
companies also run dedicated trips with a guide, which may also include
an overnight stay and tour of the nearby area. If you want to stay
overnight under your own steam, there are several homestays run by by
the Banteay Chhmar Community Based Tourism group (which we seriously
recommend).
The site consists of the main temple complex, surrounded by a huge moat
and flanked by roads lined with typical Cambodian wooden houses and
local shops and restaurants. These are all pretty indistinguishable,
although we ate at one of the restaurants just on the northeastern
corner, just south of the market and under the shade of a huge albizia
tree, where we enjoyed a more than passable plate of fried noodles with
pork (“mee cha sayk chrouk”). Around that nucleus there are several
smaller temple or shrines, and a baray (reservoir) to the east.
Following the road around the corner and carrying on for about 300
metres will bring you to the Community Based Tourism Centre — just
before the turn-off for the baray. If you show up on the fly, there may
or may not be people here, but if you contact them in advance they will
make arrangements to ensure that someone is there to greet you. Through
the CBT, you can arrange your homestay and/or a guide to take you around
the temples.
On your left, the giant moat and huge enclosed temple can be seen. Other sights definitely worth a visit include Prasat Samnang Tasok,
a hidden jungle temple nearby located within such thick forest that you
won’t even know it’s there until you’re only a few metres away — look
up and realise you’re stumbling around under a Bayon-style tower.
There’s also Banteay Top, tucked away behind a nearby village passing a beautiful landscape on the way.
When you’re through with the temples, the countryside is worth some
exploration. Hire a bicycle or scooter and spend hours enjoying the
rural scenery. We encountered golden rice fields, friendly locals and an
intriguing way of life, with stops on the road from time to time to
allow herds of cattle to cross the bumpy dirt roads.
There is also a silk centre, Soieries du Mekong, which was set up by a couple of French NGOs in 2001 and now provides jobs to about 100 local men and women
A number of interesting initiatives are taking place here. Heritage Watch
is running English classes and will most likely have been responsible
for the training of your guide to Banteay Chhmar, while the Community
Based Tourism programme is supported by Global Heritage Fund,
the organisation working to restore the temples of Banteay Chhmar. They
set up the homestay programme at Banteay Chhmar to ensure that the
local community reaps the benefits of the emerging tourism industry
while preserving the community. Currently nine houses participate. You
don’t get to choose which house you stay in, as they take turns strictly
to ensure that each family involved benefits equally.
A new initiative set up by Phnom Penh-based tour company Khiri Travel,
in coordination with the Community Based Tourism group and the Ministry
of Fine Arts & Culture, means you can now go glamping at Banteay
Chhmar in beautiful tents with tonnes of space and proper beds with
mattresses and mosquito nets. Set up in cooperation with the CBT, meals
are cooked by members of the local community, while you can also wind
down a hot, hard day’s exploring with a lovely cool glass of wine (or
bubbles). The trip needs to be booked in advance through Khiri Travel.