Those who need to relax and unwind for a while will want to take the time to visit the picturesque lake of Kamping Poy, which is just a short taxi ride from the city of Battambang. This is the perfect place to enjoy a picnic, hike in the surrounding countryside and cool off in the waters of the lake.
Kamping Poy is also the site of an impressive dam, which was built during the time of the Khmer Rouge. The lake was built by hand and measures some eight kilometers. It is said by local people that the lake was intended to be the final resting place for many of the Khmer Rouge’s enemies, who were meant to be drowned at the dam’s inauguration ceremony. However, others believe that it was simply a step in the regime’s ambitious irrigation scheme.
Whatever the truth, the dam was completed by prisoners of the Khmer Rouge, and as many as 10,000 died in the strenuous effort.
These days, Kamping Poy is a site of great natural beauty. Taking a boat trip around the lake is an enjoyable pastime and a number of boat men wait to take visitors on a tour. Also nearby is the pretty Wat Phnom Sampeau, which can be visited on a daytrip from the city of Battambang.
Kamping Poy can be rather crowded at weekends, when a number of Khmer families arrive to eat a picnic next to the water. Those in search of a little peace and quiet would be better off visiting mid-week, and the hours around dawn and dusk are particularly atmospheric.
In brief
What is it? A picturesque enormous dam built by the Khmer Rouge.
Opening hours: 24 hours, daily.
** Entrance fees**: no entry charge.
Address/website: www.travelfreeeasy.com/detail_destination.php?dc_id=5&dd_id=1.
Where: Battambang district in the picturesque west of Cambodia
How to get there: take a taxi from the city of Battambang (40 minutes), from where buses connect with Phnom Penh.