We have our breakfast at the hotel

After this, we get a tuk tuk to north of the city and are dropped off at APOPO Visitor Centre

This is a non-government organisation, founded in Tanzania, whose purpose surrounds “Anti-Personnel Landmine Removal Product Development” using their scent detection animals

We’re here to get a better understanding of one of these animals in particular: the African giant pouched rats

Here are some of the facts about the rats and their work at the centre:

• They are pouched not like kangaroos, but in their mouths instead, similar to a hamster
• These rats are used to search for landmines, explosive remnants of war (ERW) because they are light and nimble making them not set off the weapons
• They are also used to detect diseases, such as tuberculosis (TB)
• In Cambodia, APOPO works in cooperation with the Cambodian Mine Action Center (CMAC), the largest national mine removal operator in the country
• They support local communities through land clearing and giving back to the people, employment as well as ensuring local procurement of supplies for our program
• Following the success of the rats in Mozambique and Angola, APOPO sent the first group of rats to Cambodia in April 2015
• In 2016, the rats were accredited by CMAA and deployed alongside CMAC manual deminers and machines to clear minefields in Siem Reap province

• The training starts when the rats are just four weeks old – this is purely socialisation and familiarisation with humans
• At 10 weeks, the clicker is introduced which is key to enabling them to have incentive to confirm a true finding of TNT
• Rats are sterilised so that they do not become an invasive species wherever they are used
• Rats cannot smell TNT in water so are not used in these scenarios
• A rat requires two human trainers
• There are only six rats at this centre working but they work fast – can cover the area of a tennis court in 30 minutes that would take a metal detector team four days
• Better to defuse the mine rather than detonate elsewhere as it can pollute the surrounding environment for about 10 years

We are provided a demonstration of their work as well as the opportunity to get close and hold one

There’s also an informational video and information centre which we take a look at before heading over the road to Rukha Cafe & Restaurant

This is actually within the Angkor Botanical Garden so we’ll have to visit properly another time

From here, we get a tuk tuk to the Larryta bus station and start our journey south east

We would definitely recommend Larryta as a transport service within Cambodia – nice big buses, that even Dave can fit comfortably in and they’re mostly on time and always friendly!

There are a couple brief stops along the way before arriving into Phnom Penh

It’s a short tuk tuk to our hotel, Caravan Hotel by EHM, where we actually decide to stay for the evening

We have dinner from the hotel and enjoy on the rooftop, beside the pool, before getting to bed