I went to the Battambang bat cave at Phnom Sampov to watch millions of bats pour out of a mountain at sunset. That part delivered. What I didn’t expect was the best hour of my whole weekend: an overgrown jungle stairway nobody else was climbing, which took me past Naga heads and a golden reclining Buddha to a hilltop where an old monk was blessing a line of locals. Here is how to see both, what it costs, and when to show up.
Getting to the Battambang Bat Cave at Phnom Sampov
Phnom Sampov is a limestone hill outside Battambang, with temples on top and caves in its sides. We rode there on a rented scooter, straight from the Battambang bamboo train, about a 20 to 30 minute drive down dusty roads. Here is the bat cave on Google Maps.
At the entrance I paid $1 as a foreigner. My friend is Cambodian, so she got in free. I don’t mind that at all. A dollar for what we saw is a bargain, and the viewing area is clearly looked after.
We got there around 4 PM. The bats don’t come out until somewhere after 5, so we had an hour to kill. The plan was to find a cold drink and wait in the shade. The plan changed.
The Jungle Stairway Nobody Climbs
Where we parked, there was an old staircase leading up the hill, half swallowed by jungle growth, with nobody on it. I thought it would make a good photo. My friend took one look at all those stairs and said no thanks, so I started up on my own and texted her that I was going to the top.
Later we found out this is an old hiking trail from Chrey Korng village, at the base of the hill where the restaurants are, up to the temples at the top. Had I known about it before the trip, I would have planned more time for it.
You start by walking through a big stone arch. After that, the town just drops away. There was some litter, and in places old power lines sagged over the path, which made it feel neglected and a little forgotten. But I was the only person on that trail, the sun was starting to drop, and for the first time in a long while I felt like I was actually exploring something. I kept climbing.
Naga Heads, a Reclining Buddha and the Summit
Partway up, the trail opens onto a lookout. You can see the rice fields running out to the horizon, and below you a giant golden Buddha lies on his side in the reclining pose.
Further on, I came to a small area full of sculptures. Off to one side ran an even more overgrown path, with stone Naga heads guarding the entrance. The setting sun was sitting right inside the arch at the end of it. That was the moment of the trip for me. It felt wild and a little mysterious.
Near the top I started hearing kids laughing. Four monks in orange robes and a group of locals were just starting down the trail. One of the young monks nodded, smiled, and stopped to chat for a minute. I told him where I was from.
At the summit there’s a huge golden Buddha seated in prayer. At its base, a very old monk was blessing people as they brought him offerings. I stood there for a while just watching. I wanted to explore the rest of the top, including the Phnom Sampov Pagoda and its lookout, but my friend was waiting at the bottom and I didn’t want to miss the bats. It turned out I had more time than I thought. Next time I’ll give the summit an hour of its own.
On the way down I passed the monks again. They were taking a break and smoking cigarettes with their friends, enjoying the evening. The walk isn’t long, but it will get your heart rate up. Wear real shoes, not flip-flops, and bring water.
Watching the Battambang Bat Cave Exodus
Back at the bottom, I met up with my friend and we headed to the bat viewing area. There’s a raised observation stand, and we got a spot on the upper level. I set my phone up for a time-lapse and we waited.
At around 5:10 PM the first bats came out of the cave mouth. Then they came all at once, like a tidal wave. A long black stream snaked across the sky, swinging left and right, spreading out and pulling back together, then breaking off toward the horizon in small dark clouds heading different ways. And they kept coming. And coming.
We watched for 20 to 30 minutes and they were still pouring out. You start wondering how many are in there, how they all fit, and what it would be like to walk inside that cave. Even after I’d walked back to the bike and picked up my friend, a steady line was still streaming out of the hill. It thins out, but it doesn’t stop.
The locals told me that if you want to see the bats come home, you need to be there around 4 AM. I didn’t test that one. The evening show is the one most people come for, and it’s the one I’d tell you not to miss.
What I Hope the Entry Money Pays For
This happens every single day. If you lived next door, I imagine it would stop being special. As a visitor, it was one of the most remarkable things I’ve seen in Cambodia.
If a few hundred people pay a dollar each at the Battambang bat cave every day, that adds up to real local income over a month. I hope it goes toward protecting the bats, and keeping the viewing area as clean as it was. I also hope some of it goes into that jungle stairway. It’s a beautiful trail that needs some love, and fixing it up would give visitors a reason to come early and spend more time on the hill.
The Killing Caves on the Same Hill
The hill above the Battambang bat cave also has a darker side that I didn’t visit on this trip. Higher up the hill are the Killing Caves, where the Khmer Rouge murdered people and threw their bodies into a cave. Local estimates put the number killed there at around 10,000, and a memorial with victims’ remains now stands inside. Vietnam Chronicles has a detailed account of visiting.
If you want to understand that history, the next day we visited a different memorial in Battambang, the Well of Shadows. Plan your own day with care. Going from a site like the Killing Caves straight to a sunset crowd can be a jarring shift.
Battambang Bat Cave Tips
- Entry: I paid $1 as a foreigner. Cambodians enter free.
- Timing: arrive by 4 PM. The bats started around 5:10 PM for us and kept coming for 30 minutes or more.
- Climb first: use the waiting time to walk the jungle stairway from Chrey Korng village toward the summit.
- Shoes and water: the stairs are steep and uneven, and it’s hot even late in the day.
- Grab a high spot on the viewing stand early if you want to film.
- Ride home with care: on the dark road back, a dog shot out in front of our scooter. Watch for dogs and people stepping out from the roadside.
Final Word on the Battambang Bat Cave
The Battambang bat cave gives you two very different things for one dollar. The bats are the headliner, and they earn it. But if you show up an hour early and climb that forgotten jungle stairway, you get Naga heads, golden Buddhas, monks at sunset and a trail all to yourself. For me, that was the high point of the whole trip.
For costs, the hotel and the rest of the weekend, see my Battambang weekend trip breakdown. If you’re planning the same afternoon loop we did, start at Mrs. Bun Roeung’s Ancient House, ride the bamboo train, and finish here at sunset. And if you’re still in Siem Reap deciding whether to go, my list of things to do in Siem Reap covers what to do before you leave.
Have you climbed Phnom Sampov, or only watched the bats? Did you find the jungle stairway? Tell me on Facebook or Instagram.
