Phare Ponleu Selpak
The School Behind Cambodia's Circus
Phare Ponleu Selpak — Quick Facts
- What is it?
- experience — The School Behind Cambodia's Circus
- Where?
- Battambang , Cambodia
- Entry Fee
- Campus tour $5/person (under 5 people) or $3/person (groups of 6+); circus shows priced separately
- Opening Hours
- Campus tours Mon–Fri at 8:30, 9:30, 10:30am and 2:30, 3:30pm; circus shows Mon, Thu & Sat, doors 6pm, show 7pm
- Time Needed
- 1 hour for a campus tour; add 1 hour for an evening show
- Best Time
- Afternoon tour followed by a Mon/Thu/Sat evening show, if the dates align
- Don't Miss
- Seeing the training ground for circus artists who perform nightly 200km away in Siem Reap
What to See at Phare Ponleu Selpak
The Origin Story
The school traces back to nine young refugees at the Site Two camp on the Thai border, who began drawing classes with French art therapist Véronique Decrop as a way to process the trauma of war. By 1994 they had founded a free art and public school in Battambang for survivors and at-risk local children — since expanded into music, theatre, and circus programmes serving over 1,200 students.
The Campus Tour
Guided tours in Khmer, English, or French walk through the visual arts, music, theatre, and circus training spaces, explaining how the school blends free public education with vocational arts training for Battambang’s most vulnerable children and young adults.
The Circus Shows
On performance evenings, students and graduates put on a circus show on the Battambang campus itself — smaller and less polished than the professional touring production in Siem Reap, but the more direct way to see the social mission in action alongside the art form.
How to Get to Phare Ponleu Selpak
The campus is in Anh Chanh Village, Ochar Commune, a short distance outside central Battambang.
- Tuk-tuk: The standard way to reach the campus, easily arranged through any Battambang guesthouse
- Bicycle: A flat ride from the town centre for those comfortable cycling after dark for evening shows
Practical Tips
- Book tours and show tickets a day ahead in high season — capacity is limited
- Tour fees and show ticket sales fund the school’s free education programmes directly
- Pair a tour with one of Battambang’s other half-day countryside stops, since the campus sits a little outside town
- The full professional circus production is in Siem Reap as Phare, The Cambodian Circus — the Battambang shows are the training-ground version
Nearby Attractions
- Psar Nat (Central Market) — Battambang’s Art Deco market, in the town centre
- Phnom Banan Winery and Wat Banan — on the opposite (southern) side of town
Nearby Attractions in Battambang
temple Phnom Sampeau
A Hilltop Temple, Killing Caves, and a Sunset Bat Exodus
temple Wat Banan
A Quiet, Climbable "Mini Angkor Wat"
market Psar Nat (Central Market)
Battambang's 1936 Art Deco Market
village Daun Teav Rice Paper Village
Hand-Made Rice Paper on the Banks of the Sangkae
Useful Links
Practical Info
- Entry Fee
- Campus tour $5/person (under 5 people) or $3/person (groups of 6+); circus shows priced separately
- Opening Hours
- Campus tours Mon–Fri at 8:30, 9:30, 10:30am and 2:30, 3:30pm; circus shows Mon, Thu & Sat, doors 6pm, show 7pm
- Time Needed
- 1 hour for a campus tour; add 1 hour for an evening show
- Best Time
- Afternoon tour followed by a Mon/Thu/Sat evening show, if the dates align