Pursat

Pursat is a sleepy town that holds marginal interest. Though, it may be used a base for visits to the Tonle Sap Lake or Cardamon Mountains.

The fully paved Hwy 5 runs northwest from Phnom Penh via Pursat to the county's second largest city, Battambang.

All buses between Battambang (US$2.50 from Pursat) and Phnom Penh (US$5 from Pursat) will stop here. Buses run every half-hour in the morning and early afternoon. Buses take 4 hr between Phnom Penh and 1½ hr between Battambang.

All the major bus companies service Phnom Penh — Sorya and Capitol Tour are the most reliable big names. Capitol Tour runs the latest afternoon departure from Phnom Penh at 14:00, and sometimes 15:00.

• 1 Pursat Railway Station (1½ km southeast of the center), ☏ . Two trains per day. Train leaves Phnom Penh at 6:40 and arrives Pursat at 10:40. The next train leaves Battambang 15:00 and arrives Pursat 17:30 before continuing on to Phnom Penh (22:00). USD 8. (updated Dec 2023)

Central Pursat is easily covered on foot.

Motorbike taxis hang around the market, bus stations, train station, and sometimes along the highway. A ride anywhere in town should cost around 1,000 riel. A day trip to Kampong Luang or elsewhere can be negotiated for US$5 or more. The occasional tuk-tuk can also be found.

The Phnom Pech Hotel rents small motorbikes by the day and half-day.

Like all of Cambodia's former railway towns, Pursat hosts a charming French-built railway station that has decayed into a slum, which gives the area an interesting vibe. The railway had been restored in 2019.

Walking the town is the best way to know it. Children will scream "hello" at any passing tourist. Locals may invite you for some food or karaoke. As in Battambang, there is a "bamboo train".

Common to any society that has emerged from food shortages, provincial Cambodia lacks a culture that reveres cuisine and instead favours sustenance. In short, don't expect more than a cheap meal of rice and some gristly meat. Stalls and cafes around town offer similar nondescript human fuel.

• Phnom Pech Hotel, Road 1, Pursat, Cambodia (about 200 m north of the main bridge on the west bank of the river), ☏ . Rooms usually equipped with Western bath, cable TV, and fan or air-con depending on the price. There is an attached restaurant serving decent food. US$6-15.