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Voykit pocket guide · Cambodia
Banteay Chhmar
បន្ទាយឆ្មារ
Go only if you want a whole Angkorian temple complex nearly to yourself: 1 night, US$5 entry, no ATMs, electricity 18:00–23:00.
Banteay Chhmar is a late-12th-century Jayavarman VII complex with Bayon-style face towers and bas-reliefs, plus nine satellite temples, in a village with no ATMs and no buses. It is reached by taxi from Sisophon, 65 km south. Fewer than a thousand visitors a year: you will likely have the temple to yourself. One night is enough; the temple fee covers multi-day entry to the satellites.
- Country
- Cambodia
- Local name
- បន្ទាយឆ្មារ
- Best months
- Nov–Mar (dry season, road from Sisophon firm)
- Avoid
- Jun–Oct (rain slows the dirt road; some satellites hard to reach)
- Stay
- 1 night
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- USD
- Money
- US dollars for hotels, tours and restaurants; riel (KHR, about 4,000 to the dollar) for change and small street purchases.
- Daily spend
- Budget US$15–25 excl. bed · Mid US$25–45 excl. bed · High US$45+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Smart, Cellcard and Metfone sell tourist SIMs at the airports with passport registration; a week of data costs a few dollars.
- Emergency
- Police 117 · Fire 118 · Ambulance 119
- Plugs
- Types A, C, G · 230 V · 50 Hz · Most sockets take flat US and round European pins; newer hotels have UK-style type G.
- Tipping
- Street food: Nothing.; Sit-down restaurant: Round up or leave US$1–2 where no service charge is added.; Tuk-tuk: Round up; US$2–5 extra for a full Angkor day.; Guide day: US$5–10 per person.; Massage: US$1–2 per hour.
- Water
- Not drinkable from the tap. Bottled water everywhere; many hotels have refill stations.
- Toilets
- Western toilets in hotels, restaurants and at the Angkor ticket office and main temples; squat toilets with a hose or scoop on the road. Paper goes in the bin in older places.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| CBT restaurant breakfast | US$2 |
| CBT restaurant lunch or dinner | US$4 |
| Chan Rom Restaurant meal | US$1.00–2.50 |
| Market stall snack or rice soup | US$0.50–2 |
| Beer, can from a shop | US$0.50 |
| Motorbike with driver (motodop), per day | US$10–12 |
| Tuk-tuk, per day | US$30 |
| Self-drive motorbike rental in Sisophon | US$10/day |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- REP · Siem Reap–Angkor International
- No direct transfer; most travellers reach Banteay Chhmar via Sisophon by road, about 3–4 h (check)
Typical fares
- Shared taxi Sisophon → Banteay Chhmar
- US$5 per person, about 1 h in the dry season
- Private taxi Sisophon → Banteay Chhmar
- US$25 per car
- Temple entrance
- US$5 per person, multi-day, children under 12 free
Get around
The village, the main temple and the homestays are close enough to walk. Most satellite temples are also walkable; the CBT rents bicycles (US$1.50/day). Mebon Baray is 600 m from the CBT office. Pol Pot Baray, 3 km north, is best by moto. There are no buses to Banteay Chhmar.The village, the main temple and the homestays are close enough to walk. Most satellite temples are also walkable; the CBT rents bicycles (US$1.50/day). Mebon Baray is 600 m from the CBT office. Pol Pot Baray, 1.9 mi north, is best by moto. There are no buses to Banteay Chhmar.
See and do
Known for
- Banteay Chhmar Temple and its Bayon-style face towers
- Avalokitesvara bas-reliefs on the west gallery
- Nine satellite temples, including Ta Prohm and Samnang Tasok
- Community-based homestays run by the local CBT
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Banteay Torp Temple | 9 km south off Hwy 56; by motorbike or taxi, or a kuyon arranged by the CBT for groups5.6 mi south off Hwy 56; by motorbike or taxi, or a kuyon arranged by the CBT for groups | Half a day |
| Mebon Baray | Walk or cycle 600 m from the CBT office | 1–2 h |
| Pol Pot Baray (Boeung Cheung Kru) | 3 km north; best by moto, possible by bike in the dry season1.9 mi north; best by moto, possible by bike in the dry season | 1–2 h |
| Sisophon | Shared taxi from the taxi stand on Hwy 56, about 1 h in the dry season | About 1 h |
Sleep
- CBT homestays, Banteay Chhmar village
- The only sleeping option in the village: 8 homestays, 19 rooms, one double bed each, mosquito nets, no air conditioning. Booked through the CBT; owners do not speak English.
- CBT guesthouse rooms
- Two guesthouses, 12 rooms total, also booked through the CBT. Slightly more comfort than a homestay.
- Tent in the temple compound
- Overnight tent stay with lunch, dinner, breakfast and a tour included; booked through the CBT. Priciest option.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | សួស្តីsuostei |
| Thank you | អរគុណaw kohn |
| How much is it? | ថ្លៃប៉ុន្មាន?thlai ponman |
| Where is the toilet? | បង្គន់នៅឯណា?bangkun nov ae na |
| I would like this | ខ្ញុំចង់បានរបស់នេះkhnhom chong ban robsa nih |
| No spicy, please | សូមកុំដាក់ហឹរsom kom dak her |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Sampeah (palms together, slight bow); higher hands for elders and monks; avoid: Firm handshakes with older women
- Head and feet: Keep feet down and pointed away from people and Buddha images; avoid: Touching heads, even children's
- Temples: Shoes and hat off inside, shoulders and knees covered; avoid: Sitting with feet toward the Buddha; women touching monks
- Keeping face: Stay calm and smile when things go wrong; avoid: Shouting or public anger
- Giving and receiving: Use the right hand or both hands; avoid: Tossing money or objects
- Photos: Ask first, especially of monks and at memorials; avoid: Selfies at Tuol Sleng and Choeung Ek
Scams and watch-outs
- No ATM in Banteay Chhmar; the nearest is in Sisophon. Bring US dollars, riel or baht in cash.
- Electricity runs only 18:00–23:00; bring a torch and a power bank.
- No internet facilities; Smart Mobile 4G is spotty (check).
- Market food stalls start closing around 17:00: eat early or arrange a later meal.
- In 2025 there were border skirmishes along the Cambodian–Thai border; check your government's advice before any leg within 50 km of that border.
- The road from Sisophon is rarely closed, but rainy-season travel takes longer.
The village is quiet and the main risk is practical: no ATM, no mains power by day, no English among homestay owners. Check your government's advice on the Thai border before travelling near it.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Banteay Chhmar yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Banteay Chhmar Temple and its Bayon-style face towers
- Avalokitesvara bas-reliefs on the west gallery
- Nine satellite temples, including Ta Prohm and Samnang Tasok
- Community-based homestays run by the local CBT
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Banteay Chhmar Community-Based Tourism: www.visitbanteaychhmar.org
- Global Heritage Fund — Banteay Chhmar conservation: globalheritagefund.org
- Smartraveller — Cambodia (border advice): www.smartraveller.gov.au/destinations/asia/cambodia
- UK FCDO — Cambodia travel advice: www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/cambodia
- Wikivoyage: Banteay Chhmar, revision 5312618 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5312618
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Banteay Chhmarបន្ទាយឆ្មារ
សូមជូនខ្ញុំទៅអាសយដ្ឋាននេះ
Please take me to this address
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies in Banteay Chhmar; the nearest consular help is in Phnom Penh or Siem Reap (check).
No ATM in the village: carry cash. Electricity only 18:00–23:00.No ATM in the village: carry cash. Electricity only 6:00 PM–11:00 PM.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/banteay-chhmar). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.