Ho Chi Minh Trail, supply road of Viet Cong, importance part of Vietnam history during American War

Ho Chi Minh Trail image, map, hochiminh trail, ho chi minh motorcycle tour, ho chi minh motorbike tour, history of ho chi minh trail

The Ho Chi Minh Trail isn’t simply a straight North-to-South road. To the Vietnamese, it is known as a "Labyrinthine battle array laid on the eight-sign figure's pattern through the jungle". Catch your breath!!! It is a system of trails through the jungles following the Truong Son (as the road is known to the Vietnamese) mountain range along the Laotian frontier extending to the South-East areas of Laos. It originates from cutting through dense jungle to supply local Viet cong (VC) with supplies. Consisting of a combination of truck routes and paths for foot and bicycle it all adds up to a 16,000-kilometer (9,940-mile) web of tracks, roads and waterways. Over 16 years the trail carried more than one million North Vietnamese soldiers and vast quantities of supplies to battlefields in South Vietnam - despite ferocious American air strikes.

Excavated by hand, intricate interconnecting tunnels with concealed entrances hid trail trekkers, often directly under the feet of the American troops searching for them. Radio and telecommunications facilities, food and weapons caches, medical aid stations and barracks, all underground, hid thousands of the North Vietnamese at any given time during the war. The trail system was vastly improved. As even more people used the trail, the trek was reduced to six weeks for a fit soldier. The North Vietnamese also used the HCM Trail to send soldiers to the south. At times, as many as 20,000 soldiers a month came from Hanoi by this way. In an attempt to stop this traffic, it was suggested that a barrier of barbed wire and minefields, called the McNamara Line, should be built. The plan was abandoned in 1967 after repeated attacks by the NLF on those involved in constructing the barrier.

It's been more than 30 years since the war ended, but the HCM Trail is full of stories and insight for war historians researching military strategy. The HCM Trail symbolizes a strong vitality to the Vietnamese people. The Trail has now been made into a highway, but it was never one straight road like the road no. 1 from Hanoi to HCM City, it also consists of stretches between two points. In fact, the Trail is one system of dozens different paths throughout Indochina.

We are one of the first companies to organize tours exploring the HCM Trail. Depending on what you wish to experience from this trip we offer two packages:
Option 1: Tour meeting people during the American war or
Option 2: Tour exploring the HCM Trail in Vietnam and Laos, including major battlefields.

These tours depart from Hanoi arriving in HCM City - or HCM City to Hanoi, depending on your requirements. Be one of the first people to discover the Trail by bike, to witness the history and discover first-hand the difficulties and perseverance the Vietnamese faced undertaking this journey on foot. Contact us now for one of the world's greatest adventures.

As this is a special tour you will need to contact us at least a month before the journey to make special arrangements. Depending on your time in Hanoi or HCM City before our agreed departure date you might have to organize visas on your own. If there is ample time, leave that and everything else to us.

To discover the HCM Trail you will need at least 9 days on the road or, for the more interesting and leisurely itinerary, 14 days is recommended. However, come on in and discuss first-hand with the guides how best to accommodate your needs.

Check out this special tour from Voyage Vietnam

Check out this special tour from Voyage Vietnam

This is an example of the long tour in 18 days

The HCM Trails Cost: until 31 Dec 2007:

Number of client	1	2-3	4-5
EUR/person/day	€116	€102	€89

* Including:
- Motorbike, all fuel;
- Tour guide;
- Motorbiking protective pants, jacket, gloves, helmet, rain gear, and other safety equipments;
- Sleeping bags, mosquito nets, sheets, pillows and accommodation;
- Third party motorbike insurance;
- All food;
- All entrance fees, permits, tickets, boat trips, ferries, bamboo rafts, etc...
- Voyage Vietnam assistance throughout your trip;
- We also love to celebrate our guests' birthday - well any excuse for a celebration on the open road!

* Personal expenses (such as souvenirs), personal insurance, train or flight tickets, drinks, food and accommodation in Hanoi, motorbike back to Hanoi by train and flight ticket(s) for the guide(s) back to Hanoi are not included in our fee.

Note:
- For the HCM Trail in Laos you must pay an extra 20 EUR/person for the visa. Taxes and all permits in Laos are not included in our fee.
- All our tariff rates are net and in EUR based on twin-share or triple-share accommodation unless stated otherwise. For single occupancy, an extra charge will apply.

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