We had heard from other travellers that there was not a lot to do in Battambang, a town that was 6 hours from Siem Reap and apparently the second largest in Cambodia. They were correct in that there were not nearly so many bars and restaurants as in other towns (although we did meet an interesting chap called Malcolm, a lawyer from London who we got roaringly drunk with in an Aussie-owned bar!), but it was still worth a visit; for the bamboo railway and the amazing surrounding scenery if nothing else.

The best way to describe the bamboo railway is as a prolonged rollercoaster ride. The ‘train’ itself is more like a wooden bed, and is driven by a petrol motor. We each got on the back of a moto (a scooter driven by a local) and were taken on a drive through some beautiful Cambodian countryside, stopping on the way to chat to some local kids and take some photos, before arriving at the bamboo railway ‘station’. The track stretched in a dead straight line far into the horizon and the train built up some real speed! It was actually much more fun than it sounds!

The next day we took a 10 hour bus journey to Sihanoukville – our first beach!