On the ho chi minh trail by sherry buchanan and the. Pass the peaceful paddy fields and see ducks and water buffaloes swimming in the rivers along the side of. North vietnam supported the viet cong, sending soldiers and supplies along a network of paths called the ho chi minh trail. Travel outsidethebox and go on an adventure with an easy rider dalat to ho chi minh city. Despite massive bombing, american efforts failed to prevent essential goods reaching the north vietnamese army. The north vietnamese called the route the truong son road after the ridge it ran along or highway 559. I learned much about what we faced and appreciated being able to track the history of several units we encountered as they entered south vietnam and moved to their assigned areas of operation. To cut a long story short eventually i moved down to a. The impenetrable ho chi minh trail played a major role in the us decision to withdraw from the vietnam war. Halfday cu chi tunnels from ho chi minh city by luxury speedboat. The ten thousand mile network of military roads, bridges, and pipelines was built by the north to bring about the unification with south vietnam promised in the 1954 geneva accords.
On the ho chi minh trail we drive to dong xoai for the first night. Chi tunnels news newspapers books scholar jstor march 2021 learn how and when to remove this template message. Ho chi minh trail ho chi minh city 2021 all you need to. The trails tunnels and underground bases provided the viet cong and infiltrated nva soldiers. Tales from the the ho chi minh trail nva tunnels trail, xepon area. Discover the area which resides at the end of the ho chi minh trail and served as the base from where vietnamese guerilla soldier attacked.
Land ho chi minh city and drive to the liberty central saigon centre hotel. On her journey from hanoi to ho chi minh city, buchanan encounters actors and participants from all sides of the. Just 65km 40 miles northwest of saigon, the cu chi area lies at the end of the ho chi minh trail and was the base from which ho chi minh guerillas used to attack saigon. Mar 23, 2015 tunnels under the independence palace and ho chi minh museum, both built on the order of a twitchy south vietnam president ngo dinh diem can be visited by tourists. Kennedy to the ho chi minh trail to the viet cong to the wars aftermath, discover the vietnam war, why america went to war in indochina, and who fought there. This good ole bike made many trips up through thailand, malaysia, laos, cambodia, vietnam and borneo. These underground routes were dug from 1946 to 1948 by vietnamese communist guerrilla troops also known as viet cong. Move on to hue and learn about the glory history of this land through full day tours, comprising demilitarized zone dmz to gain the understanding of the vietnamese people in the war with vinh moc tunnels, ho chi minh trail, and khe sanh combat base, hue imperial city by cyclo, hue city tour, hue discovery by boat on perfume river, hue. Jul 07, 1999 the cu chi tunnels, a 75milelong underground maze where thousands of fighters and villagers could hide, are at the top of the list of tourist spots for ho chi minh city, 45 miles to the southeast. Its a short run down to xepon from vilabouly where we head next, i been here before but wondered about a second entrance, so the plan was to try and find it. Underground tunnels ho chi minh city, vietnam youtube. Ho chi minh trail and north vietnamese tunnels facts. On the ho chi minh trail is a travelogue, charting american journalist, author and publisher sherry buchanans trip down the trail in 2014, collecting the stories of the young women who played a vital role in keeping the trail open despite the constant american bombing.
The trail known as the truong son strategic supply route to the communists and as the ho chi minh trail to the americanswas composed of more than 12,000 miles of roads and paths, and it remained open throughout the course of the conflict despite american efforts to close it. Why were the soil tunnels of cu chi and iron triangle in. Ho chi minh trail vietnam motorcycle tours 12 days. The cu chi tunnels vietnam travel guide rough guides. Discover the area which resides at the end of the ho chi minh trail and served as the base from where vietnamese guerilla soldier attacked saigon. The ho chi minh trail was a decisive factor in the defeat of us forces in the vietnam war. Cu chi tunnels half day experience with deluxegrouptours. Excerpts from the trail commanders memoir reveal logistical details of the ho chi minh trail hidden until now. Tour vietnam war tunnels in ho chi minh city cnn travel.
These adjacent tunnel systems served as a stronghold of vc during vietnam war. Trekking ho chi minh trail, best 18 day trip origin vietnam. This trans vietnam motorbike tour is for rider who wants to explore through vietnam from hanoi to sai gon. A solo traveller or group smaller than four may still book this private experience but will be charged. Buchanan was a college student during the vietnam war. The main supply route for weapons, supplies and troops infiltrating into south vietnam was the ho chi minh trail, a network of roads and trails extending from north vietnam through eastern laos and cambodia to south vietnam. Leave a comment bicycle, motorcycle, travel by chriscorbett. Depart from ho chi minh city and travel in airconditioned comfort to the cu chi tunnels, just 60 kilometers from the city center. In fact, its often possible to book such a trip without leaving the comfort of your. A guide pops out of a hole covering the cu chi tunnels in. Ho chi minh citys book street 2021 all you need to know. We recommend booking ho chi minh citys book street tours ahead of time to secure your spot.
The site has over 120km of underground tunnels, with trapdoors, living areas, kitchens, storage facilities, armoury, hospitals, and. Immerse yourself in vietnams recent history with a motorbike tour on the famous ho chi minh trail. Learn about how the fighters of cu chi took the war underground by developing a network of tunnels that stretched as far as cambodia, which included. Ho chi minh trail and north vietnamese tunnels facts and. The last noncombat us troops left vietnam on march 29, 1973. The most popular trip out of ho chi minh city is to the cu chi tunnel complex, where. It included almost everything needed for the life of the viet cong, where the local soldiers and residents used to eat, sleep, work, cook and even go to school. Along the way we stop at a workshop where rice paper is made by hand. This book is the tale of a fulcrum that turned the balance in the vietnam war. The ho chi minh trail was critical for transporting troops and supplies from northern vietnam to the u. Especially, for customers are interested in learning about the history of vietnam war 19541975. Gain insight into the tenacity and resourcefulness of the vietnamese.
Delve into an underground world of guerrilla warfare in the incredible cu chi tunnels. This tour is priced for a minimum group size of four travellers. As a result, the whole area became a freefire zone and was carpetbombed in one of many american scorchedearth policies. No factor loomed as large in the war as keeping north vietnams men and materiel from rolling down the ho chi minh trail the vietnam war was contested in ten thousand places, from the u minh forest in the mekong delta to the ia drang valley in the central highlands, from tay ninh province near the cambodian border to the rugged mountains framing khe sanh on the laotian frontier. Any facility used by the guerillas a conference room or training area had almost immediate underground access. Opinion bombing the ho chi minh trail the new york times. The base area at cu chi was a vast network, with nearly 200 miles of tunnels. Vietnam war legacy tour book vietnam tours regent holidays. May 02, 2004 a vietnamese guide leads visitors through the narrow maze of viet cong tunnels in cu chi district, about 40 miles from ho chi minh city. Aug 27, 2020 cu chi, as the end of the ho chi minh trail, also provided manpower and material to the national front for the liberation of south vietnam called the viet cong or vc and the peoples army of vietnam pavn, or north vietnamese army. In piecing together the photographs, records and recollections of those involved, greco has accomplished a valuable and difficult public service. It continues south through laos and cambodia for a distance of over 4,500 kilometers to a point in cambodia north of tay ninh and saigon. Chi tunnels were the location of several military campaigns during the vietnam war, and were the viet congs base of operations for the t.
Cu chi tunnels complete travel guide 2020 conbeo vietnam. Now part of a vietnam war memorial park in ho chi minh city formerly saigon, the cu chi tunnels have become a popular tourist attraction. Ho chi minh trail the viet cong fought to overthrow the diem government and reunite the country under communist rule. The americans fought a hitech war in vietnam, using b52 bombers, artillery, helicopters, napalm and defoliants but despite this were unable to defeat the guerrilla tactics employed by the communists. Tales from the the ho chi minh trail nva tunnels trail, xepon area leave a comment bicycle, motorcycle, travel by chriscorbett nva tunnel complex, west of xepon just west of xepon, the nva northern vietnamese army built a tunnel complex between 2 mountains along the ho chi minh trail. Lonely planet experiences private ho chi minh city tour. Cu chi experience ho chi minh city urban adventures.
The book includes pictures of vietnamese war art, maps and an itinerary in case you want to follow in her footsteps. Why were the soil tunnels of cu chi and iron triangle in vietnam. At the peak of its 16 years operation, the trail ran through north and south vietnam, laos and cambodia. Just west of xepon, the nva northern vietnamese army built a tunnel complex between 2 mountains along the ho chi minh trail. The ho chi minh trail was a network of roads developed by the north vietnamese that clandestinely. Built by local fighters during the indochina conflict, the cu chi tunnels served as a base for the viet cong, the national liberation front. Chi district of ho chi minh city saigon, vietnam, and are part of a much larger network of tunnels that underlie much of the country. The main supply route for weapons, supplies and troops infiltrating into south vietnam was the ho chi minh trail, a network of roads and trails extending from. Book your cu chi tunnels tickets online and skiptheline. The cu chi tunnels plan your trip to the tunnels of cu chi with rough guides and get. The weather, the builtin hazards of night refueling, target identification, and the mountains hiding in the dark are all enemies and of course, theres the enemy, too. The trail was actually a 16,000kilometer 9,940mile. Cu chi tunnels ho chi minh city 2021 all you need to. Nva tunnel complex, west of xepon just west of xepon, the nva northern vietnamese army built a tunnel complex between 2 mountains along the ho chi minh trail.
John prados, from his introduction could the united states have won the vietnam war if it had been able to cut off the viet cong from their north vietnamese support by severing the ho chi minh trail. The site has over 120km of underground tunnels, with trapdoors, living areas, kitchens, storage facilities, armoury, hospitals, and command centres. Ho chi minh trail tunnels vietnam lonely planet forum. Initial construction started in 1948 when the viet minh required somewhere to hide from french air attacks, and by 1965, the tunnel complex was estimated to. Here you can see with your own eyes how the vietcong outsmarted the american soldiers. It ran from north vietnam, near the border with laos, through various staging bases, all the way to near saigon in what was then south vietnam. These pilots have a saying, and if the big guns dont get you, the black karst will. Tales from the the ho chi minh trail nva tunnels laos. The ho chi minh trail through vietnam, laos and cambodia was a main route for moving food, military equipment and north vietnamese communist soldiers. Ho chi minh trail at usna united states of america. Chi are an immense network of connecting tunnels located in the c.
If you book with tripadvisor, you can cancel up to 24 hours before your tour starts for a full refund. The blood road recounts this complex story with unprecedented depth and clarity. Easy rider dalat to ho chi minh city by motorbike easy. Notre dame cathedral, the post office, cu chi tunnels, and trying new food. The ho chi minh trail began at the northern city of vinh. The ho chi minh trail was a military supply route running from north vietnam through laos and cambodia to south vietnam. Now available for the first time in paperback, dk eyewitness books. The chu chi tunnels are part of a massive war museum in ho chi minh. The ho chi minh trail became a lifeline to the communists and was essential to its military operations in south vietnam when, in 1965, the south vietnamese navy succeeded in cutting off the sea route from haiphong that had supplied some 70% of the supplies to the communist forces operating in south vietnam. The ho chi minh trail whose flow of troops, civilians, and armaments became the lifeblood of a long campaign toward violent victorywas hanois only connection by land to south vietnam. On the ho chi minh trail is a travelogue, charting american journalist, author and publisher sherry.
The ho chi minh trail was the quasimythical network of roads, paths and tunnels that north vietnam used, in its war against south vietnam and the americans, to transport military supplies to its supporters in the south, the viet cong. Mar 08, 2021 two recent books sherry buchanans on the ho chi minh trail and patricia d norlands saigon sistersare the result of just such visits to vietnam at the beginning of the countrys openness toward the west. In 1960, they joined with other dissatisfied south vietnamese to form the viet cong. After going southwest for a comparatively short distance, it crosses the border into laos at a point well north of the former dmz. On the ho chi minh trail by sherry buchanan and the saigon. Ho chi minh trail ho chi minh city 2021 all you need. Certainly, the ho chi minh trail was tailored to the fighting style of the viet cong. The ho chi minh trail was a network of roads built from north vietnam to south vietnam through the neighboring countries of laos and cambodia, to provide logistical support to the vietcong and the north vietnamese army during the vietnam war. Strategically, the cu chi tunnels location was a crucial post in the ho chi minh trail. Chi minh, also called annamite range trail vietnamese.
Tales from the the ho chi minh trail nva tunnels trail. Attempts to destroy or neutralize the tunnels never truly succeeded. Mar 10, 2000 this is a wellwritten, easily readable, comprehensive resource on the founding and development of the ho chi minh trail. The ho chi minh trail was a decisive factor in the defeat of american forces in the vietnam war. Army sergeant arnold krause told journalist peter alan lloyd,during our time at pershing our focus was to primarily disrupt the flow of men and supplies from cambodia down through war zone c and d and into saigon. Ho chi minh city to dong xoai 140 km we drive to the cu chi tunnels before the tour busses arrive. Decades later, her interest in the nation, its people, and its artists led her to travel the now unified country. In piecing together the photographs, records and recollections of those involved, greco has accomplished a. Just west of xepon the nva built a tunnel complex between 2 mountains, it served as a base on the ho chi minh trail amongst other things, its collapsed inside, so it still holds a few secrets which we will try to uncover. The location of the tunnels was of significant strategic importance. About 60 kilometers from ho chi minh city, the cu chi tunnels are a mustsee half. By the end of the vietnam war, the tunnel system extended close to 250 km 155 miles.
Frank greco tells the story of those who conducted sogs clandestine reconnaissance and special operations missions along the ho chi minh trail from 1967 to 1970. The ho chi minh trail was the quasimythical network of roads, paths and tunnels that north vietnam used, in its war against south vietnam. Easy rider ho chi minh city to nha trang easy riders vietnam. Nov 23, 20 vietnam motorbike tour ho chi minh trail tour is just a name of our motorbike tours on the ho chi minh roadhighway through vietnam from north to south of the country or in reverse, it doesnt mean the tour will ride all the way on the trail because the vietnamese government has the trail repaired in year 2000 and it becomes now sealed highway however the the ho chi minh highwayroad still. Sherry buchanan reveals the untold story of the young women in vietnamese war drawings who patriotically defended the ho chi minh trail during the vietnam or american war.
Located 70 kilometers to the center of ho chi minh city, cu chi tunnels were 250 kilometers and much larger than any other tunnels of vietnam. Enjoy the colorful taste of vietnam and especially along ho chi minh trail that will be starting from hanoi years city and trekking to hill tribe villages of a luoi, kon tum and buon me thuot as well as meet and interact local tribe people besides enjoy rural life at remote villages. The cu chi and iron triangle tunnel systems are northwest of ho chi minh city saigon and both tunnel systems were used by viet cong to get from ho chi minh trail at the vietnamcambodian border to saigon and south vietnam. This is a wellwritten, easily readable, comprehensive resource on the founding and development of the ho chi minh trail. Visits on the tour will include the famous cu chi tunnels, a network of tunnels inhabited. Vietnam war tells the dramatic story of patriotism, tragedy, bloody. They offer visitors a sneakpeek at the underground life of vietnamese soldiers back in 1948. The ho chi minh trail was a network of trails, roads, and waterways that formed the logistical supply system from north vietnam to its army, and the local viet cong, fighting in south vietnam. With the strategic aim of combating these guerrilla tactics during indochina war and vietnam war, cu chi tunnels consisted of infirmaries, kitchen, vaults, rooms, offices, and tunnels.
Part travelogue, part history, and part reflective meditation on conflict and reconciliation, sherry buchanans new book offers both a personal and historical exploration of the ho chi minh trail, highlighting the critical role women militia and soldiers played in defending the ho chi. So whether you want to get familiar with ho chi minh s culinary delights, visit the enthralling cu chi tunnels, take a trip to the mekong delta, enjoy a river cruise in hue city, explore any other of vietnams iconic sites, or even discover the angkor temples in cambodia, maika tours has you covered. Berent states it is never too late for any endeavor. Crawl through the cu chi tunnels, swim in the highest waterfall in the central highlands of vietnam and learn more about traditional tribes and. Cu chi tunnels in ho chi minh city attraction frommers. Both authors, having had roles in journalism and diplomacy during this period have now written the stories of women they. It was a combination of truck routes and paths for foot and bicycle traffic. The trail s tunnels and underground bases provided the viet cong and infiltrated nva soldiers hidden logistics centers, command posts, and sanctuaries from enemy units of superior firepower or position. Learn about the role the extraordinary network of underground rooms and corridors played in the vietnam war.
1343 119 892 143 1123 1389 1259 245 852 797 243 1049 1383 1278 1291 370 844 288 646 773 143 1090 319 353 806 150 1039 510 524 1329