Visiting the Battambang Bat Caves –
Everything They Don’t Tell You

What they Don’t Tell You About Battambang’s Bat Caves

So, what does all this conservation stuff have to do with visitors at the Battambang bat caves? After all, tourists can’t affect Cambodia’s deforestation policies, can’t alter ongoing limestone karst mining, and shouldn’t stop people making shrines in caves. As tourists, we don’t dictate any of that.
 
We can, however, do our tiny bit to make sure the remaining bats in Phnom Sampov are not excessively disturbed or threatened by our presence.

The Bat Sign

If you are skeptical about anything I’ve written here, then right below the cave itself is an official sign, saying ‘Welcome to the Bat Caves’. It details the benefits of the bats and what not to do, written in both Cambodian and English.
 
I’ve attached pictures below, but it basically says don’t mess with the bats, they’re becoming rarer. It instructs, explicitly, not to make loud noises or shine lights into the caves.
 
So, don’t: hunt, harm, harass, disturb, throw objects, shine lights, make loud noises, use flash photography.

Things to Know

Now, on to the honest review of our experience at these caves.
 
There are several reasons why we didn’t enjoy this experience, but here are a few things to know before visiting:
 
 ◊ the bats sometimes come out well after dark, so you’ll not be able to see them at all (if you read Google reviews, this happens reasonably often, so don’t get your hopes up).
 ◊ the area can be hyper-touristy, loud, and uncomfortable (there is loud music playing right outside the caves in the evening).
 ◊ the cave viewpoint is literally just a road (which is fine, but I mention to manage expectations).
 ◊ small kids work at the vendors (although at least the bat caves don’t attract tourists during school hours).
 ◊ the behaviour of some local guides when attempting to impress their clients is atrocious (I’ll elaborate below).
 ◊ litter is everywhere (not uncommon for Cambodia, but worth mentioning).
 ◊ larger tour groups create excessive noise (inevitably).
 
The thing is, I get that it is touristy. I’m not complaining that other tourists were there. It’s just that a cool natural spectacle should be respected as such, so it’s difficult to watch such a fascinating phenomenon being treated so callously.

Our Particular Bat Experience

Bat timings | on our visit, the bats did not come out until well past 7pm, when the sky was completely dark. This means that there was no chance anyone could see the bats without artificial lighting.
 
Crowds | it was busy and the road had quite a party atmosphere, however we did visit during high season in January, so maybe it would be more chill during quieter months.
 
Vendors | honestly, the vendors were kind of unpleasant. They insist you buy a drink, per person, if you sit down (which is understandable – we got a couple of Coke Zeros for one dollar each). The thing is, our experience was that they are also blunt, unfriendly and act like they wish you weren’t there!
 
This is such a rare occurrence in Cambodia, and it made me sad and was reminiscent of the over-touristed places in our world where tourists are treated purely as a commodity. There are also roving vendors that hassle you to buy their foods – something I haven’t experienced anywhere else in Cambodia.
 
Beer-pong vibes | there was loud music playing, tour guides were bellowing to their groups, tuktuks were roaring along the road a few feet away and large tables of noisy, beered-up tourists were shouting. All of which seemed totally counter to the idea that people were there to see an incredible display of nature (plus the sign says shhhh, you know?). Instead, it was more akin to a lively night out.
 
Lights | it was dark and the bats had yet to emerge, so industrial strength lighting and torches were shone on the cave (although I’m not really sure why because it’s not like you could see anything). This appeared to be done by both tour guides and local residents (I imagine most tourists don’t carry around portable floodlights). The cave had multiple light sources shone on it at any one moment, which felt gross. I’ve always been taught not to mess with nature.
 
Eventually the bats started to emerge, but even with the torches, it’s not like you can see them well at distance in the dark.
 
Honestly, I’m not mad at the bats (at all), I’m mad at the guys with torches and speakers (who, ironically, rely on the bats’ welfare for their livelihoods).