The Battambang bamboo train was the thing I was most excited about on my weekend trip from Siem Reap. I had seen the photos for weeks: a bamboo platform on a set of rail wheels, a lawnmower engine on the back, rice fields rushing by a foot below your seat. I pulled up on a rented scooter in high spirits. I left feeling like I had paid for a ride, a sales pitch and a tip request, in that order. Here is exactly what it costs, how long it lasts, and what nobody tells you before you climb on.
Which Battambang Bamboo Train I Rode (There Are Two)
Before anything else, know that there are two bamboo trains near Battambang, and most of the confusing reviews online come from people mixing them up.
The original runs on a section of the real railway line, about 5 km from the town centre. That is the one I rode. My friend and I came straight from Mrs. Bun Roeung’s Ancient House, and it was about a 7-minute scooter ride. Here is the exact location on Google Maps.
The second one is a newer, purpose-built track near Phnom Banan, more than 20 km out of town. Backpackers Wanderlust has a good breakdown of old versus new, and their verdict matches what I heard locally: the Banan version feels more like an amusement park ride. If a driver tells you the original is closed and offers to take you to Banan, check for yourself. The original was running the day I went.
Truth 1: The Price Is $5 Per Person, Whatever You Were Told
I went in expecting one price and paid another. Someone had told me a much lower per-person figure, and I had also read that $10 gets you a whole cart. So I assumed my friend and I would pay $10 and have the cart to ourselves.
Here is what actually happened. They charged us $5 each. Then a traveler from Japan named Jim and an older woman I took to be French joined our cart, and they paid $5 each too. That made $20 for one cart.
Looking back, I don’t think anyone lied about the price. The standard rate is $5 per person on a shared cart, or $10 if you take a cart alone. What bothered me is that we paid the private-cart total and still got two strangers added. Bottom line: if you want the cart to yourselves, say so clearly and confirm it before you hand over any money.
Truth 2: You Will Probably Share Your Cart
We got there early and grabbed the front of the cart, my friend on the left and me on the right, so I could film the track rushing toward us. That is the money shot on this ride, and the reason I sat where I did.
Then the older woman walked over and told me she was smaller, so she should sit in the front and I should move to the back. I was annoyed. My friend told me to just let it go, so I did. When we turned around for the return leg, she wanted to swap again so she would be at the front for that direction too.
That one is not on the bamboo train operators. It is just what happens when you put four strangers on a platform the size of a double bed. But it is worth knowing: on a shared cart, your seat and your video angle are up for negotiation.
Truth 3: The Ride Is Much Shorter Than You Expect
I was told to expect around an hour through rice fields. That is not what we got.
The driver took us maybe 10 minutes down the track, possibly less. We stopped where a group of other carts had bunched up, he shifted the engine, and we went back to the start. Then we went 5 to 10 minutes down the track in the other direction, stopped again, and came back. Add it all up and you are moving for maybe half an hour, with a long stop in the middle.
I didn’t time it to the second, so take my numbers as rough. But if you are planning your afternoon around a full hour of riding, plan for less. The good news is that it leaves plenty of time for something else nearby. We rode out to the bat caves at Phnom Sampov afterward and still had an hour to spare before the bats came out.
Truth 4: The Drink Stop Is Part of the Business Model
On the second leg, the cart stopped in the middle of what felt like nowhere. There was one stall, one woman selling drinks and snacks, and a 10-minute wait. It was the only place we stopped along the track.
I get it. People need to earn a living, and a cold drink in that heat is not a bad idea. But it was clearly a set stop with one vendor, and the length of the stop was about selling drinks, not seeing anything. Other riders on older reviews describe the same thing, sometimes with kids selling at the far end of the line.
Pro tip: bring your own water. If you want to buy something to support the stall, buy from the adult running it. That way you choose to buy, instead of feeling cornered into it.
Truth 5: Watch What Happens to the Engine on the Way Back
This one is small, but it changed how the return trip felt.
The cart behind ours was run by an older Cambodian woman. When her riders changed direction, she had everybody hop off, lifted the engine from the front of the cart to the back, and set off again. That way the exhaust blows away from the passengers.
Our driver didn’t do that. He just put the engine in reverse and drove us back with it in front of us. So on every return leg, we rode with engine exhaust blowing straight into our faces. If your driver starts to reverse without moving the engine, it is fair to ask him to swap it around. Other drivers clearly do.
Truth 6: The Tip Request Comes at the End
When we rolled back into the station, we were told to tip our driver.
I want to be fair here. Wages in Cambodia are low, and tipping for good service is a decent thing to do. But think about what our driver actually did: drove us one way, reversed, drove us back, and did it again. He never got off, never moved the engine, never said a word to us. Add a set drink stop and a shorter ride than advertised, and the tip request felt like one more ask on top of all the others.
My advice: decide before you get on what you will tip for what level of service. Then you are not making that call standing next to a driver with his hand out.
Truth 7: It Is Still a Great Photo Ride
Now the good part, because there is a real one.
Sitting a foot above the rails on a rickety bamboo platform, with a motor rattling behind you and wind in your hair, is a genuinely fun way to spend half an hour. Local kids waved at us from the side of the track as we went by, and we waved back. The drivers slow down over the road crossings, then open it up again on the straight sections.
The best moment is when two carts meet head-on on the single track. One has to give way, so the crew lifts the platform off the wheels, sets everything beside the rails, lets the other cart through, and rebuilds it. I had read about it, and it is still a great thing to watch up close. Crossing the old metal trusses over the river felt sketchy in the best way, and that stretch alone gave me some of my favorite video of the weekend.
Is the Battambang Bamboo Train Worth It?
Would I ride it again? Probably not. Would I recommend it to a friend? It’s a 50/50.
Here is how I would weigh it. If it’s your first time in Battambang, you’re curious about the norry, and you want photos you can’t get anywhere else, it’s $5 and half an hour of your day. That is a fair trade. If you’re expecting a long, quiet ride through the countryside with a driver who explains things along the way, you will probably leave annoyed, like I did.
The Battambang bamboo train works best when you see it as one stop in a bigger afternoon. For us it was the middle of a day that started at an old wooden house and ended with millions of bats pouring out of a cave. On its own it would have felt thin. As part of that day, it was fine.
Practical Tips Before You Ride
- Cost: $5 per person on a shared cart, or $10 for a cart alone. Bring small US dollar bills.
- Getting there: about 5 km from central Battambang. We went by rented scooter; a tuk-tuk costs a few dollars.
- Sun: there is no shade at all on the cart. Wear a hat, sunscreen and sunglasses.
- Water: bring your own, so the drink stop is a choice, not your only option.
- Seats: want the front for video? Get there early and settle it with your cart-mates before you leave.
- Exhaust: if your driver reverses without moving the engine, ask him to swap it.
- Tips: decide your tip before you ride, based on the service you actually get.
Battambang Bamboo Train FAQ
How much does the Battambang bamboo train cost?
I paid $5 per person on a shared cart. A cart to yourself is $10. Confirm the price, and whether you are sharing, before you pay.
How long is the bamboo train ride?
Our riding time was roughly half an hour, split into two short out-and-back legs with a drink stop in the middle. Expect less than the hour some sources mention.
Is the original bamboo train in Battambang still running?
Yes. I rode the original near the town centre in November. There is also a newer track near Phnom Banan, more than 20 km away, which is a different experience.
Final Word on the Battambang Bamboo Train
The Battambang bamboo train is a fun idea wrapped in a slightly pushy business. The ride is real, the photos are great, and watching two carts meet and one get taken apart is worth seeing once. For food after the ride, here is where to eat in Battambang. Go in with the right expectations: $5 a head, a shared cart, a short ride, a drink stop, and a tip request at the end. Do that and you’ll enjoy it a lot more than I did.
If you’re heading to Battambang from Siem Reap, start with my full Battambang weekend breakdown for the costs, the hotel and the rest of the trip. If you’re still in Siem Reap, my list of things to do in Siem Reap covers what I’d do before you leave. And if you’re coming from the capital, here is how to get from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap.
Have you ridden the bamboo train? Did you get the full hour, or the same short out-and-back we got? Tell me on Facebook or Instagram.
