"Central Pursat is easily covered on foot. Motodops hang around the market, bus stations, train station, and sometimes along the highway. A ride anywhere in town should cost around 1,000 riel. A day trip to Kampong Luang or elsewhere can be negotiated for US$5 or more. The occasional tuk-tuk can also be found. The Phnom Pech Hotel rents small motorbikes by the day and half-day."
Pursat town
Pursat is the capital of Pursat Province in Cambodia. Its name derived from a type of tree.
"The name of Pursat (Po Sat) came from the native word Po Ro Sat, which originated from a legend about a Po tree which floated up the river, germinated and later successfully grew in the province.
Later, Po Ro Sat became Po Sat (Pursat) and is now used as the name for the province. Nationally, Pursat province is famous for orange fruit trees, and through its association with region is known as Krauch Po Sat (Pursat orange)".
The Pursat River adds beauty to the town, and flows into the Tonle Sap Lake, which cover about 124,635 hectares and appr. 80km in length. The river originates in the Cardamom Mountains, which acts as a high rainfall catchments area.
The city of Pursat is indistinguishable from Cambodia's other small provincial capitals. This sleepy town holds marginal interest, though may be used a base for visits to the Tonle Sap Lake or Cardamon Mountains.
The fully paved National Highway 5 runs northwest from Phnom Penh via Pursat to the county's second largest city, Battambang. All buses between Battambang ($2.50 from Pursat) and Phnom Penh ($5 from Pursat) will stop here.
Buses run every half-hour in the morning and early afternoon. Buses take 4 hours to Phnom Penh and 1.5 hours to Battambang.
Central Pursat is easily covered foot. Motodops hang around the market, bus stations, train station, and sometimes along the highway. A ride anywhere in town should cost around 1,000 riel. A day trip to Kampong Luang or elsewhere can be negotiated for $10 or more.
The occasional tuk tuk can also be found. The Phnom Pech Hotel rents small motorbikes by the day and half-day.
Walking the town will let its provincial dusty chams shine on any visitor. Children will scream "hello" at any passing tourist. Locals may invite you for some food or karaoke.
Like all of Cambodia's former railway towns, Pursat hosts a charming French-built railway station that has decayed into a slum, which gives the area an interesting vibe. The railway is in operation again.There are quite a few nice places to eat in Pursat but you might struggle a bit if you can't speak the local language.
At night, a popular street stall is the street noodle lady, Nisha, in front of the big Tela petrol station (which also hosts a small western grocery store). 3500 Riel for a plate of noodles with a fried egg.
If you are craving western food there is the Pursat Pizza House. They sell burgers and pizzas. A little more expensive than the traditional Khmer food at $4+. Has
English menus.
There is also The Coffee House, which is a great place to chill out with a book or use the free WiFi. Coffee is similar prices to the market stalls. 1500 riel for an iced coffee. Has English menus.
One restaurant that makes for an interesting visit is the White Elephant. It has an extensive English menu which includes many more unusual items like cow penis with ants, along with the typical Khmer fare.
