Wat Phnom Banan Temple

Address: Phnom Banan (Banan Hill), Banan District, Battambang Province, Cambodia

Wat Phnom Banan is a hilltop Khmer temple complex near Battambang in northwest Cambodia, notable for its stone towers set on a conical hilltop. The temple retains several original sandstone towers and a stairway that leads visitors to the summit.

The site provides short walking routes around the towers and viewpoints across the surrounding agricultural plain. It is a compact site that combines archaeological interest with a scenic rural overlook.

The temple dates to the Angkorian era and has been restored and maintained at various times since. It has long served as a local religious and pilgrimage site in addition to attracting tourists for the hilltop views.

Phnom Banan sits on a small hill in the countryside of Battambang province, about 20 km southwest of Battambang city, surrounded by rice paddies and small villages.

• Viewing: Climb the hill steps for panoramic views over surrounding rice fields and palm groves; early morning or late afternoon visits avoid the midday heat.

• Climb either early morning or late afternoon to avoid the heat and to catch the best views over rice fields and countryside from the hilltop towers.
• Use the main stone stairway from the village at the base-most visitors follow it, but many stop before the summit; continue to the top for the intact Khmer towers and panoramas.
• Avoid weekends and major Cambodian holidays if you want fewer local pilgrims; mid-week visits are generally much quieter and better for photography.

The temple atop Phnom Banan is thought to have been built during the 11th-century reign of King Udayadityavarman II, when it featured eight prasats (towers) around a central sanctuary dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva. It was later renovated under the great Jayavarman VII (r. 1181-1218), who is believed to have rededicated it to the Buddha. The summit is reached by a 352-step staircase flanked by naga balustrades and guardian lions.

The hilltop was of strategic importance during the Cambodian civil war, when both Khmer Rouge and Vietnamese soldiers dismantled sections of the temple to fortify their positions. Only five towers survive today, in varying states of ruin, and most of the statuary and carved lintels have been destroyed or stolen. Even so, the central tower still holds a colourful Buddha shrine and remains an active place of worship, drawing pilgrims and Battambang residents who picnic in the grounds. The view from the top takes in Wat Phnom Sampeau to the northwest.