Cambodia's most atmospheric cave — a large limestone cavern accessed by climbing 200+ steps through the hillside, culminating in a fully intact 5th-century brick Khmer temple (predating Angkor Wat by 500+ years) standing inside the cave chamber. The temple to Shiva is one of the oldest brick structures in Cambodia still in its original setting, framed by stalactites and filtered cave light. Locals have maintained the site as an active place of worship for over 1,500 years.

A more accessible cave than Phnom Chhnork, located inside the Phnom Sorsia hills near the town of Kampong Trach. The main cave (Rung Damrei — "White Elephant Cave") contains a large stalactite formation that locals say resembles a white elephant, revered as sacred. Electric lighting makes this cave easier to navigate than Phnom Chhnork. Several interconnected chambers contain small shrines and Buddha images.

One of Southeast Asia's great wildlife spectacles: every evening at dusk (roughly 5:30–6:30pm depending on season), an estimated 2 million wrinkle-lipped free-tailed bats stream out of the cave opening in a continuous ribbon that can last 30–40 minutes. The visual effect — a dark, sinuous column of bats against a sunset sky, while hawks and eagles dive into the stream to hunt — is genuinely extraordinary. Arrive 30 minutes before sunset for the best viewing position. The bats roost deep inside the cave system during the day.

A natural sinkhole used as an execution site by Khmer Rouge forces during the genocide of 1975–1979. Victims were brought from the surrounding region and pushed or thrown from the opening into the cave below. A reclining Buddha has been placed inside the cave as a memorial, and glass cases display some of the skeletal remains found after the regime's fall. The site is deeply moving and historically essential for understanding Cambodia's 20th-century tragedy — comparable in importance to the Killing Fields and S-21 prison in Phnom Penh.

One of the most archaeologically significant sites in all of Southeast Asia. French and Cambodian archaeologists have excavated evidence of continuous human occupation dating back 71,000 years — making it one of the oldest known inhabited sites in the region. The cave produced the earliest known pottery in Southeast Asia (c. 4,000 BCE) and evidence of Hoabinhian hunter-gatherer culture. Located in remote jungle northwest of Battambang — this is a site for archaeology enthusiasts, not a polished tourist attraction.

A remarkable cave complex where Buddhist monks have built a monastery inside the main cavern — the cave opens to a circular courtyard of open sky (a natural sinkhole), within which a stupa and temple sit. Bats roost in the upper reaches of the cave and emerge at dusk in another impressive nightly spectacle (smaller than Phnom Sampeau but still dramatic). The cave complex has multiple chambers, some with stalactites and stalagmites, and several shrine areas tended by resident monks. A local guide service operates at the entrance ($3–5) and is recommended as the cave network is extensive.