Bamboo train
Worth a go—if it is working!
Published/Last edited or updated: 24th March, 2021
More on Battambang
Forever under threat of extinction, this unusual, and thrilling, way of catching a glimpse of the gorgeous Battambang countryside is known locally as a norrie, or nori, or nory. It’s a “train” made of a bamboo platform set on two sets of bogies with a small motor stuck on the back. They used to be powered by long poles (Venice-style), but that was clearly simply not terrifying enough.
Travelfish says:
A wooden stick does serve as brake and accelerator though. There’s a mat laid on the wooden platform—the “deluxe“ versions come with cushions (tuk tuk drivers may let you use the tuk tuk cushions)—and passengers sit cross-legged on the mat.
When the road to Phnom Penh was upgraded, making it a five-hour or so ride, the 16-hour (on a good day) train services more or less ceased operating but locals continued to use the existing tracks for goods and passengers as a means of accessing Battambang town and its markets from outlying villages. Locals quickly caught on that they had an excellent, ready-made tourist attraction but plenty of villagers do still use it.
Tourists tend to favour early morning and late afternoon departures when it’s not so hot (the trains have no roof)—the latter time can get very busy in high season. Rides usually take you to the first station down the line where drinks and T-shirt vendors await or perhaps to a strategically located bridge for watching the sun set over paddy. Your ride will take 10 minutes or so each way and drivers are happy to wait for you for a dollar tip.
Note the line heads southeast out of town, so you more or less have to do the return trip since there’s not anything to combine it with. It may look like an accident waiting to happen but we must have done it over 30 times without seeing any incidents—so while it’s not as bad as it looks, it’s still a good idea to ask them to drive slowly.
The trains are limited to a maximum of four passengers and currently charge $5 per person.
Reviewed by
Nicky Sullivan
Nicky Sullivan is an Irish freelance writer (and aspiring photographer). She has lived in England, Ireland, France, Spain and India, but decided that her tribe and heart are in Cambodia, where she has lived since 2007 despite repeated attempts to leave. She dreams of being as tough as Dervla Murphy, but fears there may be a long way to go. She can’t stand whisky for starters. She was a researcher, writer and coordinator for The Angkor Guidebook: Your Essential Companion to the Temples, now one of the best-selling guidebooks to the temples.
