This fourteen-day tour is designed mainly for returning war veterans,
their family and friends, and military history enthusiasts who would
recognize the terrain as the I CORP area. More than thirty-five years
have passed since the cessation of hostilities, and much has changed
during that time. We specialize in finding the names and locations of
specific hills, bunkers and other sites of great personal significance
for our returning vets. No task is too difficult, however impossible it
seems.
Day 1: Hanoi arrival (D, GP)
Arriving at the
airport in Hanoi, you’ll be met and driven to your hotel. You’ll have
time to relax after your journey before a ‘Welcome’ dinner at a
restaurant in a restored French colonial building. You’ll spend the
night in Hanoi.
Day 2: Hanoi (B, L, G)
A full day city tour of
Hanoi including visits to Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum and residence, the
National Army Museum or the Women’s Museum (a large display of the role
of Vietnamese ‘long haired army’) and the Hoa Lo Prison, (the famous
‘Hanoi Hilton’, now a small museum). There will also be time for lunch
en-route, a visit to one of Hanoi’s large markets, Hoan Kiem Lake and an
evening ‘cyclo’ (bicycle taxi) ride round the famous ‘Old Quarter’.
You’ll spend the night in Hanoi.
Day 3: Hanoi/Danang (B, L, G)
Your morning will
be free until your car and driver arrives to take you to the airport for
your noon flight to Danang. Upon arriving in Danang, you’ll visit the
Son Tra Peninsula (known as Monkey Mountain during the war), the Marble
Mountains and a nearby stone carving village, and Danang Beach. You’ll
spend the night in Danang.
Day 4: Danang (B, L, G)
You’ll have a full day to
visit the sites south and west of Danang in the Rocket Belt, including
the Vu Gia – Tu Bon River Basin, Go Noi Island, Liberty Bridge, ‘Arizona
Territory’, Dodge City, Hill 55, Hill 65, and the An Hoa Combat Base.
We can easily arrange for you to visit other sites as requested, time
permitting. You’ll spend the night in Danang.
Your guide will be a
specialist in the history of the area and the places where battles took
place and the locations of bases, bunkers and other points of interest.
Please note that, wherever possible, we try to locate war veterans and
civilians to provide a Vietnamese perspective on the conflict – when
this occurs, it’s invariably a moving experience greatly enjoyed by both
sides. However, if you feel uneasy about direct contact with those that
were once your enemy, let us know and we’ll brief your guide
accordingly.
If you would like to visit specific locations
associated with wartime experiences, or to make contact with particular
individuals, please let us know well in advance to allow us time to
undertake the necessary research. We can’t guarantee success because the
terrain, place names and other identifiable features have been largely
obliterated, but we’ll do our best.
Infrastructure in the
DMZ and surrounding area is minimal. Depending upon the route you take,
it’s likely that you’ll need to transfer to the back of a motorbike to
visit locations away from roads or tracks impassable by four-wheel
vehicles.
Day 5: Danang/Quang Nam/Chu Lai (B, L, G)
In the
morning, you’ll drive to visit the Chu Lai Airbase and spend a whole day
visiting the sites around this area. Your overnight stay will be in Tam
Ky Town in Quang Nam.
Chu Lai Airbase is being used as a military
area by the Vietnamese government at present, so access is prohibited.
Visitors can only look from outside – photography is strictly forbidden
anywhere in the area. The same restrictions apply to any other
Vietnamese military buildings or installations that you come across –
the naval base and an artillery unit on the Son Tra Peninsula, for
example.
Day 6: Quang Nam/Que Son (B, L, G)
You’ll spend a full day visiting the sites in Que Son Valley. Your overnight stay will be in Tam Ky town in Quang Nam.
Day 7: Que Son/Danang (B, L, G)
After breakfast,
you’ll travel westwards to Que Son Basin and explore all the battle
sites of Operation Swift along the Ly Ly River. You’ll return to Danang
for an overnight stay.
Day 8: Danang (B)
The time will be your own!
Day 9: Danang/Hue (B, L, G)
In the morning, your
car will arrive at your hotel to drive you to Hue. On the way, you'll
cross the high mountain pass of Hai Van. The views from top are
excellent – you should be able be able to see Lang Co beach and village,
the lagoon far below, and Danang spread out to the south. In the
afternoon, you’ll visit the Imperial Citadel of Hue and the Dong Ba
market. Your overnight stay will be in Hue.
Day 10: Hue (B, L, D, G)
After breakfast, you’ll
visit some of the battle sites south of the Perfume River, including all
the areas of 1/5 and 2/5 operations to reclaim the city. You’ll walk
around the sites of the Phu Cam Canal, the ‘Old Shell Station,’ the
original Hue University, and the Provincial Headquarters Building.
After
lunch, you’ll be free for shopping in Hue or just relaxing in one of
the many sidewalk cafés. Your overnight stay will be in Hue.
In the
evening, you’ll sit down for dinner in the pleasant surroundings and
comfortable atmosphere of one of Hue’s garden houses. You’ll spend the
night in Hue.
Day 11: Hue/DMZ/Dong Ha (B, L, D, G)
In the
morning, your car and guide will take you northwards to Quang Tri
province to the DMZ. On the way, you’ll visit the Old Citadel of Quang
Tri, La Vang church and Dong Ha town for lunch. In the afternoon, you’ll
visit the Doc Mieu Base, Hien Luong Bridge and the Ben Hai river battle
sites. You’ll also visit the Vinh Moc Tunnels (these are more authentic
and easier to enter than those in Cu Chi. They have been preserved more
of less in their original form). You’ll spend the night in Dong Ha
town.
Day 12: Dong Ha/DMZ/Hue (B, L, G)
After
breakfast, your car will take to what was once the Con Tien firebase,
and to Truong Son national cemetery, Camp Carroll, the Rock pile,
Dakrong Bridge, the Ho Chi Minh trail, and the ethnic minority village
of Bru Van Kieu. After lunch at Khe Sanh town, you’ll visit the Khe Sanh
combat base, Lang Vay Special Forces Camp and the Laos/Vietnam border
before returning to Hue.
Day 13: Hue/A Shau Valley (B, L, G)
In the
morning, you’ll drive to visit A Shau Valley including the major battle
sites of the Landing Zones and Fire Support Bases. In the afternoon,
you’ll return to Hue for an overnight stay.
Some of the sites in this
area are open for visitors, but some are not. The entry permission
situation may be different at the time of your visit.
Day 14: Hue/Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City departure (B, GP)
In
the afternoon, you’ll fly to Hanoi/Ho Chi Minh City in good time to
connect with your international departure flight. Trip ends.
Readmore: The American Theatre 14 Days
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