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Battambang Province
Battambang
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Bamboo Train
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Bamboo Train

See all things to do
See all things to do
Bamboo Train
4
2,840 reviews
#4 of 22 Transportation in Battambang
Rail Services
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5:00 AM - 6:30 PM
Monday
5:00 AM - 6:30 PM
Tuesday
5:00 AM - 6:30 PM
Wednesday
5:00 AM - 6:30 PM
Thursday
5:00 AM - 6:30 PM
Friday
5:00 AM - 6:30 PM
Saturday
5:00 AM - 6:30 PM
Sunday
5:00 AM - 6:30 PM
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About
Welcome to Bamboo train Battambang ! Battambang Bamboo Train, mean norry or nori ( French word for lorry) is an improvised rail vehicle from Cambodia. Lonely Planet describes it as “Cambodia’s bamboo train”. Originally conceived as a logistical fix during the United Nations Transitional Authority of Cambodia period, the original “bamboo train” was a lorry system that operated on Cambodia’s rarely used northern rail line.
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< 1 hour
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
4.0
2,841 reviews
Excellent
1,179
Very good
961
Average
409
Poor
159
Terrible
133
Tia
22 contributions
A nice experience but the $ adds up
Jan 2023 • Couples
A nice experience but the $ adds up more than expected. We were pleasantly surprised by how fun it was to sit on and it went quite fast. We paid $5.00 each to ride the bamboo train and you are also asked to tip your driver at the end. Half way, you are dropped by some shops. We bought drinks at $1 each, which is fine but we didn't want to buy t-shirts etc. There were also children selling 2 bracelets for $1. It is a bit of a guilt trip as you are waiting around to go back on the train the seller's explain that they had no custom during covid. All in, the experience was OK as a time filler, we paid $30 for 2 of us including a $10 tuk tuk both ways.
Written January 30, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kristi M
Perth, WA6 contributions
Fun thing to do in Battambang
Mar 2023 • Couples
Battambang is not a particularly touristy place to visit, which was quite refreshing after Phnom Penh, but this was a nice thing to do during our stay. A 10 minute tuktuk ride from town, we went at 10 am and it was already quite warm. US$5.00 each, we rattled along in one direction for 10 minutes then returned and set off in the other direction for about the same time. It was nice to see a bit of the countryside, particularly all the lovely fruit trees along the way - bananas, coconuts, mangoes, guavas, durians. The market stalls mentioned by other reviewers were not there when we went, which was something of a relief. We did tip the train driver.
Written March 30, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Tim W
London, UK60 contributions
Unexpected fun
Dec 2019
I was a little wary of this as my creaking back did not relish the prospect of sitting cross-legged on a flat platform aboard an old railway bogey. We did this in the late afternoon which is the best time - less heat, beautiful light. Several times we had to get off & dismantle the bogey because of another bogey coming the other way. The destination was a souvenir stop, but was no great hassle. Return trip was also a delight as the light was golden. One small tip is to shut your mouth on the journey unless you fancy swallowing some insects!
Written April 24, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
inascully
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia614 contributions
Just for an experience.
Jan 2023 • Family
We were there at 4:15 pm on 3rd January. No other tourists. We paid $20 for 4 pax. There will be a kid selling bracelets, 2 for a dollar, but we asked for 3 for a dollar.

The weather was nice during our visit. The view is so-so. The whole stretch of the journey is quite boring. In the end, we were told to rest for 10 minutes before returning. There are pop-up stalls selling drinks, souvenirs & shirts at the end of the journey.

The kids are friendly & can speak good English. We were almost out of money so we were unable to buy stuff from them.

Good experience in Battambang while it is still in, in case Royal Cambodia wants to give better train services in the future.
Written January 3, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Alex H
Port St. Mary, UK1,173 contributions
Very fun activity
Mar 2020 • Couples
After hiring a tuktuk from our Battambang hotel for the full day ($25.00), this was our first stop. You have to pay $5.00 each to ride the bamboo train, and you are also pretty much forced into tipping the driver at the end. We tipped $2.00.
The bamboo train itself is a fantastic experience and as you ride you are able to see a lot of beautiful countryside. It was so hot and dry when we visited but nevertheless we really enjoyed the scenery.
At the half way point, you are dropped by some shops as you wait for the train to be reassembled and turned around. This part is a bit of a tourist trap, with people including kids coming up to you trying to sell you things. Not ideal but we just bought a cold beverage which was fine.
Overall if you are in Battambang, add this to your schedule and experience it for yourself.
Written March 2, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
EPSsojourner
Toronto, Canada13 contributions
Battambang, Cambodia - Bamboo Train (old one)
Jan 2020

The bamboo train. Built in colonial times to transport farm and mine products between villages and the big city. An 8km section preserved to show the economy‘s backbone of a 100 years ago. We arrived at a chaotic clearing facing a woman holding out her hand. The ticket collector. $5 fee plus a $1 tip each to the driver. A flatbed train car is a metal frame, a bamboo floor, a rail at the head, a small gas engine at the centre back, no sides, no barriers. We sit on cushions folding our legs Yoga style, facing the direction the car is going and hold onto the front railing and our belongings. The motor roars, the car starts moving, picks up speed and hurtles us down the track at 30 or 40 km. Sitting one foot above the rail we can see how very narrow a narrow gauge track is and how it buckles at joints. The wind blows our hair, The sun smiles at us. What amazing fun! We laugh and feel 10 again. A train comes towards us. We stop. Other car stops. We are motioned to get off. The other driver and ours lift the flatbed off the wheels. Each driver lifts a set of wheels and moves them off. The other car rolls on by. The drivers put our wheels back on the track then the bamboo flatbed on the wheels. We climb on board. Engine roars to life. On the return, we sit while the other car is dismantled. We cruise by giving the Queen’s wave while we pass those who wait for their train to be re-assembled. We are privileged indeed to experience this engineered wonder. Oh my heavens, what FUN!
Written March 16, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
RC_luv2trvl
Waxhaw, NC28 contributions
something interesting to do while in Battambang
May 2020
I consider myself well traveled and will try to be unbiased here. This is one of those must things to do if your visiting BTB for the first (and probably only) time. It's an interesting experience and probably very enjoyable for a family with kids. You get to see the countryside in an open air bamboo cart traveling on real train tracks. If I had one suggestion, if possible try to time it for when the countryside is green (rainy season), it's much nicer scenery. The entire event takes about an hour and it's about $10 per cart. I enjoyed the experience and would recommend it . . . but once is probably enough if you know what I mean.
Written May 22, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
tomsterBelgium
Belgium36 contributions
Unique experience
Apr 2023 • Family
Great experience to ride on a simple bamboo cart at relatively high speed. You will have to get off a couple of times to disassemble the cart when there is a cart coming from the opposite direction. But that is the hole concept of this track.
At the turning point, there are a couple of shops that sell souvenirs and drinks. We didn’t see any kids selling goods.
Since corona, these people saw a huge dip in income so buying a drink and a gift might be a good way to support them.
Written April 5, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
aplusl
Devon, UK69 contributions
Really good experience
Jan 2020 • Couples
This is $5 per person. The train rattles down along the metal track at 50km per hour which feels a bit daunting when you’re literally just sat on some wood perched on 2 axels, but it is a really good experience and great fun. Trains go in both directions so occasionally you’re hurtling towards one another and then have to stop and get off the track for the other to pass. You stop at some little stalls, nobody really harasses you. We went into one and sat down and spoke to a little local girl who spoke very good English. It was a really nice chat and then we bought a little bracelet for $1 off the stall holder. At no point did we feel pressured into buying anything but we bought the bracelet to help them out at least a little bit. Once we’d bought something, our driver set the train off for us to head straight back. We were there no longer than 5 minutes so that was good. People do ask you to tip the driver but I thought they did it in a really nice and polite way and it didn’t bother me. We tipped the driver and left. 3 hours later we realised we’d accidentally given him a 100 dollar bill (nightmare for 2 broke backpackers), and headed back expecting to never see it again. The driver gave it straight back to us and we were so surprised and overwhelmed we gave him $20 to say thank you. These are just honest hard working people trying to make a living so buying a little souvenir or a tip doesn’t hurt at all!
Written January 14, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jennifer L
118 contributions
A fun, unique ride (though maybe not for everyone)
Jan 2020
A fun, unique ride (though maybe not for everyone). Make sure you go to the old one that is close to town, not the new one. Great for kids especially but also for adventurous adults that don't have back problems. The bamboo trains are not covered and have no sides, which can get hot. You're on a wooden platform on a single track (the trains have to be manually taken off the tracks if they meet). You stop at the end for 15-20 minutes and are plied with drinks and souvenirs and maybe a sob story or two. The lady at the end of the stalls, to your left, sells the best coconuts (the sweetest we have had) and was very nice. She laid it on pretty thick (essentially begging us to buy something really) and my 12-year old bought a shirt from her because he felt bad. You are also admonished to tip the driver. Our driver was very nice and wasn't the one asking for a tip, so we gave him one but almost didn't because who wants to be told to tip and also the lady taking your ticket money is dressed to the nines and can well afford to pay the drivers a decent salary.
Written January 15, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Bamboo Train (Battambang) - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go

Frequently Asked Questions about Bamboo Train
Bamboo Train is open:
  • Sun - Sat 5:00 AM - 6:30 PM
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