Phnom Sampeou is a mountain steeped in legend, topped by Wat Sampeou and a group of caves used as ‘killing caves’ by the Khmer Rouge, containing the skeletal remains of their victims. The wat is unexceptional but the view is spectacular. The whole area in intertwined with the well-known Khmer folk legend of Neang Rumsay Sok, ‘the girl who let down her hair.’ Many of the local geographic features are named after aspects of the legend, including Phnom Sampeou (Boat Mountain.) Ask your guide or driver to tell you the legend. For sake of ease, take the winding path up the mountain rather than the stairs, which make for a formidable climb. In the evening around 6:00PM two of the caves disgorge millions of bats which pour into the dusk sky for more than 30 minutes, making quite an impressive site. Not to be missed if you happen to be at Phnom Sampeou in the evening.
