Thursday, October 17, 2013

Riding on the bamboo train - in Battambang, Cambodia

Do you want to experience something different with your kids? Take the bamboo train!

What's a bamboo train? It's a simple platform made of bamboo wood, set on two boogies. A belt transmits power from the engine put on the platform to the rear boogie. Start the engine and off you go, sitting on the hard platform, rushing through overgrown vegetation to the next village at a stunning 15km/h! It's a rough ride for your spine and bones, where you often need to bend to dodge the thorny branches of invasive trees. It's fun ride too, especially for the younger ones.

How do you ride in reverse direction with a bamboo train? As simple as it gets: dismantle the train, switch boogies to have the front one heading towards your new destination, put the platform and engine back on the boogies, and there you go.

More info: the bamboo train station is located some 10 kilometers south of Battambang. A tuk-tuk will drive you there for 5-6 USD. Villagers will set up and drive the train upon request. The ride costs about 10 USD and lasts about one hour return.


Want to take a ride? Check out this video:

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