Phnom Sampeau

What to See at Phnom Sampeau

Wat Sampeau

A working Buddhist temple sits at the hill’s summit, reached either by a steep 700-step staircase or a short moto ride up a paved road. The temple grounds offer sweeping views over the rice paddies of Battambang province in every direction.

The Killing Caves

Within the same hillside, several caves were used by the Khmer Rouge as execution and disposal sites during the 1975–79 regime — victims were killed at the cave mouth and their bodies dropped through a natural skylight into the chamber below. A memorial stupa containing victims’ bones now marks the site, alongside a reclining Buddha statue placed afterward as a gesture of peace.

The Bat Cave at Dusk

Each evening around sunset, several million wrinkle-lipped bats stream out of a separate cave near the base of the hill in a continuous dark ribbon that can last 20–30 minutes — widely considered one of Cambodia’s great natural spectacles, and best watched from the open ground facing the cave mouth.

How to Get to Phnom Sampeau

Phnom Sampeau is about 12km southwest of Battambang, on the road toward Pailin.

• Tuk-tuk: $10–15 round trip including waiting time for the bat exodus, arranged from any Battambang guesthouse
• Moto-taxi: $5–8, a popular budget option that can also carry you up the summit road
• Combine with: Wat Banan, a 20-minute drive away, on the same half-day or full-day outing

Best Time to Visit

Visit in the late afternoon: explore the temple and Killing Caves while it’s still light, then stay until dusk for the bat exodus — timing varies seasonally but is typically 5:30–6:30pm.

Practical Information

• $3 combined ticket also covers Wat Banan if visited the same day — keep your ticket
• The climb to the summit is steep; a moto can carry you most of the way for a small extra fee
• The Killing Caves are a genuine memorial and mass grave site — be respectful, particularly around the stupa
• Bring a flashlight or use your phone’s light for the cave interior

Nearby Attractions

Wat Banan, a five-towered “mini Angkor Wat” hilltop temple, is about 20 minutes away and commonly visited on the same day, often before Phnom Sampeau’s sunset bat-watching.