Battambang Province : Phnom Sampov is a natural resort

Phnom Sampov is a natural resort located along National Road No. 57 (formerly National Road No. 10) in Phnom Sampov Commune, Banan District. The mountain is about 100 meters high, has 1,030 steps, and is 12 kilometers from Battambang provincial capital. On the top of the mountain, there is a pagoda called Wat Kirirom and many caves and caverns, a total of 12, including: 1. Phka Sla Cave 2. Kok Thot Cave 3. Hwaeng Cave 4. Kheung Sing Cave 5. Lakhon Cave 6. Chrey Cave 7. Pich Cave 8. Khwaeng Cave 9. Nghien Cave 10. Thamn Cave or Lhaeng Thom Cave 11. Kbal Khat Cave 12. Prachiew Cave. However, the caves that are most popular with visitors are Phka Sla Cave and Lakhon Cave. Near Phnom Sampov there are several other important mountain clusters that are related to Khmer legends, namely the story of King Rajakol and Neang Rumsay Sak. Those mountains are Phnom Ktang, Phnom Krape, Phnom Andek, Phnom Trung Moan, Phnom Trung Tea, Phnom Neang Rumsay Sak, Phnom Takram and Phnom Sangkbal. What is more special, Phnom Sampov is not only a popular natural resort, but it is also an attractive tourist attraction among many resorts in Battambang province. The spectacle of millions of bats flying out of the cave. Locals often call the flock of bats the “brave army of bats” because the flight of the flock of bats is like a current flowing in the air. Every day, before the sun sets, between 5:30 and 6:15 pm, is the specific time when the flock of bats begins to fly out of the cave, filling the sky with black and lining up in rows, attracting great attention from national and international visitors from all over the world to visit the Phnom Sampov resort. Hundreds of national and international tourists who sit and wait to watch the millions of bats flying out of the cave are all delighted with this amazing sight. On the other hand, all the bats are strictly protected and preserved by local authorities. A local resident named Nheung Pheap, who is responsible for guarding the cave and collecting bats for sale, said that preserving bats is very difficult because there are people who take advantage of the opportunity to shoot them, but until now, it has been better than before, and because people are aware of their benefits and are aware of the legal challenges. Speaking of the benefits of these bats, they are very important: they help destroy pests that destroy farmers' crops and their droppings can be used as fertilizer. And what is most special is that the bats have become an attractive tourist product in the minds of national and international tourists who come to visit every day. Due to the presence of these tourists, it increases the economy of local people through the sale of food, drinks, souvenirs, etc. In terms of transportation services, Phnom Sampov has 08 vehicles for mountaineering tourists, all of which have been licensed by the Battambang Provincial Tourism Department. As for security, Phnom Sampov has 02 tourist police officers and 06 commune security guards on duty every day to prepare, maintain, and protect the safety of tourists who come to see the bat flocks and enjoy the Phnom Sampov resort.