Cambodia Landmine Museum

There are so many places to visit in Cambodia, but when it comes to the historical sites, then you cannot miss visiting the Cambodia Landmine Museum.

More Popular Historical Sites: What to See inside Angkor Wat Preah Vihear Temple Wat Ounalom

Cambodia has witnessed a lot devastation of many years and was sunk in the bullets and guns of the war. So many years have gone by, and the country still suffers from the consequences of it.
The Cambodia Landmine museum came to the fore, and now it is known as one of the most important as well as memorable museums in Cambodia.

An overview of Cambodia Landmine Museum!

The museum was opened for tourists in 1999. The Cambodia Landmine Museum is surrounded by some storehouses and open-air eating and sleeping quarters. It consists of a simple iron building. Aki Ra, (Landmine clearer) is the founder and director of this museum. He is also an ex-soldier who fought against the Khmer Rouge.

What to see in this museum?

The Cambodia Landmine Museum is not huge, but still, it is magnificent. It has some unique artifacts that are displayed here. You can see a kind of shrine placed in a small pond in the center of the museum. You can see thousands of mines, shells, small weapons, and other rusting military hardware through the layer of glass in the showrooms.

You can read all the information provided in the informational charts, photos, and texts in flawless English. There are also a few graphic artistic impressions like paintings describing scenes of landmine-maimed kids is such a meaningful moment to understand deeper the merciless of weapons and war.

You know about the fictitious comic book character Tintin, right? Well, there is another showroom, where you will see an enlarged fake cover of Tintin entitled "Tintin au Cambodge" on display. This amazing book states the hero on crutches whose half a leg is replaced by an artificial one. It also has a landmine warning sign in the background. Yes, this postcard can be easily bought from anywhere else in Cambodia. However, it seems a bit more meaningful in the Cambodia Landmine Museum.

One of the highlights of the Cambodia Landmine Museum is "mine garden." Let's guess; you don't know how to solve with mine if you see it in reality, do you? Won't it be wonderful for you to learn it? Here you will get a chance. Though you will feel chilling and creepy, shells and mines are, of course, 100% safe.

You will be amazed to learn that during Cambodia's conflict, which lasted three decades, around six million land mines were planted in the country. Cambodia Landmine museum represents an agonizing window into the realism of Cambodia's land mine situation.

Aki Ra founded this museum in 1997, with an aim to make Cambodia safe by removing mines from wherever they are. Khmer Rouge forced him to work as a minelayer, planting land mines from the time when he was only five years old.

Later, Aki Ra got the opportunity to work as a de-miner as part of the UN's endeavor to restore peace in the country during the 1990s. United Nations left the country in 1994, but Aki Ra continued the mission in his own way. The new museum opened in May 2007.

Four galleries of the Cambodia Landmine Museum!

If there is any popular attraction in Cambodia, after Angkor Wat, it is the Cambodia Landmine Museum. One of the highlights of the museum is its four galleries. In these galleries, you will find containing a huge assortment of deactivated arms. These galleries throw light on the land mine curse in Cambodia as well as the consequences of wars.

From hidden mines to mortars to guns to booby traps to other ordnance recovered from different parts of Cambodia, everything will be there in the displays.

One of the best aspects of this museum is that it is an excellent source of income for amputees. It helps these heroes to support their families.

Cambodia Landmine Museum is the first of its kind in the whole world. It is pretty safe as it abides by all protocols of Ottawa International Treaty to Ban Land Mines.

About the Museum

• Timing: From 7:30 am – 5:30 pm every day of the year.
• Entry fee: $5 for adult (Free for children under 12 as well as for Cambodian citizens.)
• Location: Cambodia Landmine Museum is located 25km (15.5 mi) north of Siem Reap, about 5 km (3 mi) from Banteay Srey Temple complex in Angkor National Park.
• Guided tours: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday 9 am to 3 pm (English and Japanese)

How to reach?

You can grab a tuk-tuk to get here, for which you need to pay a $20 round-trip from the center of Siem Reap. You will need to pay for returning to town. This museum is about 25 km north of Siem Reap (30 minutes by tuk tuk), just 7 km (4.3 mi) south of the Angkor National Park Banteay Srey Temple Complex. You will travel to the museum via lovely rural villages, rice paddies and have the chance to take amazing photos of local people working in their fields.

To visit the museum, there is no need for a Temple Pass. So, it is quite affordable to visit Cambodia Landmine Museum; back your bags and explore this amazing place.