Daun Teav Rice Paper Village

What to See at Daun Teav

Rice Paper Making

Each household workshop centres on a rice-husk-fired stove boiling a large pot of water, its mouth covered with a stretched cloth. A thin layer of rice batter is spread across the cloth, steamed for seconds, then peeled off in one translucent sheet and laid on a bamboo rack to dry in the sun — the wrapper used across Cambodia for fresh spring rolls (naem).

Rice Wine Distilling

Several of the same families distil traditional rice wine, fermented using a homemade yeast blended from pepper, cardamom, coriander seed, garlic, galangal, ginger, and star anise — a recipe passed down within families rather than written down.

The Riverside Setting

Daun Teav sits beside the Sangkae River near Wat Ek Phnom, an 11th-century Angkorian temple ruin absorbed into a working pagoda — the two make a natural pairing for a half-day out of Battambang town.

How to Get to Daun Teav

Daun Teav is about 9km northwest of Battambang town, on the way to Wat Ek Phnom.

• Tuk-tuk: The standard option, often combined with Wat Ek Phnom and a countryside loop, $15–20 for a half-day including waiting time
• Bicycle: A flat, scenic ride along the river road for confident cyclists
• Boat: A seasonal river route along the Sangkae connects Battambang town to Wat Ek Phnom when water levels allow, passing close to the village

Practical Tips

• Most workshops are family homes, not formal businesses — a local guide or driver who can introduce you is worth the small extra cost
• English is rarely spoken in the village; gestures and a guide’s translation go a long way
• Buying a bag of rice paper or a bottle of rice wine directly supports the family you watched at work
• Pair with Wat Ek Phnom, a few minutes further along the same road

Nearby Attractions

• Wat Ek Phnom — an Angkorian-era temple ruin on the Sangkae River, a few minutes further north
• Phnom Sampeau and Wat Banan — Battambang’s hilltop temples, on the opposite side of town