A part of the country’s wartime history, the Chu Chi Tunnels in Vietnam offer an insightful visit where one experience first-hand this remarkable underground attraction.
Planning Your Visit
This well-known site is within a 1.5-hour drive from Ho Chi Minh City; those based at properties like Somerset Chancellor Court Ho Chi Minh City can easily plan excursions here. Tour operators offer trips to the tunnels at either Ben Dinh (the more popular option) or Ben Duoc, a bit further away.
History of the Tunnels
Read up on this attraction before visiting from an apartment hotel, Ho Chi Minh City offers travellers. Briefly, these tunnels were originally dug when fighting for independence against the French; during the war with America in the 1960s, the Viet Cong expanded these tunnels which they used to transport supplies, house troops and provide protection from bombing raids.
What to Expect
Before heading underground to explore the Chu Chi Tunnels, a short film will be shown on this underground network. While you will have to crawl along sections, they have been widened and cemented to help with access; if you feel claustrophobic don’t worry, there are emergency exits along the way.
Unique Experiences
You will get an idea of what life must have been like for resistance fighters underground; you will also get to see booby traps, a kitchen area with an ingenious ventilation system using bamboo pipes and more. Additionally, there’s a shooting range with AK-47 rifles and a restaurant that serves meals that the soldiers used to eat.
