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T
he Cu Chi Tunnels area is a fa-
vorite tourist site for many in-
ternational travellers. I have
been a few times, and after
each I return with a new story or dis-
cover a lesser known point of interest.
This time I found a whole new way to
experience it - via the Saigon River and
tributeries.
Cu Chi is where visitors come to
experience what life was like for revo-
lutionary soldiers fighting in the jungle.
The tunnels allowed the Vietnamese
guerillas to control a large rural area
only 30 to 40km from Saigon. At its
height, the tunnel system stretched
from the economic hub to the Cambo-
dian border.
While most travellers reach Cu Chi
by road, a half day excursion by water-
way is are more enticing option.
At 8am my friend Nhan and I joined
eight people with a tour guide at Bach
Dang Pier in Ho Chi Minh City.
The cruise took just one hour and
15 minutes and there wasn’t a traffic
jam in sight as we watched the city’s
skyline disappear behind us.
Just a few minutes outside of bus-
tling Saigon lies peaceful countryside
and an amazing world of water; here
it is easy to understand why Vietnam is
sometimes called a nation of ‘Dat Nuoc’
- land and water.
The yacht cruise is a new develop-
ment on the Saigon River, as local busi-
nesses seek to develop new products
to attract travellers to HCMC and en-
courage them to stay longer. Our yacht
was new and comfortable, and had an
on board toilet. The uniformed captain
welcomed us on board with a smile, and
we had a safe feeling on our entire river
adventure.
Our guide Chung was a friendly lady
and she served us fresh water and fruits.
With her excellent English, she guided
everyone through the safety regulations
and gave an overview of the trip.
We were informed that the favour-
ite trips run by the company are the
Saigon – My Tho excursion and that to
Ben Tre in the Mekong Delta. Besides
these, those to the Can Gio biosphere
and the Cu Chi Tunnels are also proving
hits with visitors. Other tours include
cruises from Saigon to Siem Reap.
Chung explained that many busi-
nessmen prefer the privacy of the cruise
or a sunset cocktail and dinner aboard
the ship.
After some conversation with the
tour guide and tour members, we ar-
rived at the Ben Dinh Pier near the Cu
Chi Tunnels. We then stepped into a
jungle of banyan trees and took a short
walk to Cu Chi. We had plenty of time to
explore the tunnel system and watch a
video about them, which included com-
mentary from former soldiers to help
visitors better understand the history.
There are two sections of tunnels
open to visitors, at Ben Duoc and Ben
Dinh. The latter are in original condi-
tion, while the Ben Duoc tunnels have
been recreated for tourists and visitors.
The network, parts of which are several
levels deep, once included innumerable
trap doors, specially constructed living
areas, storage facilities, weapons facto-
ries, field hospitals, command centres
and kitchens. Also, an impressive temple
was built to honour martyrs at Ben Duoc.
Upon request, travellers can meet
living Viet Cong veterans, many of
whom are ready and willing to tell their
stories to the world. Yet, on the sur-
face, Cu Chi is like every other rural
district in Vietnam. Women chat over
mounds of vegetables at the local mar-
ket while young men lounge in dusty,
open-fronted restaurants.
Today, it is hard to believe that this
area occupies some of the most heavily
bombed land in the history of warfare.
This area was a free bombing zone,
which allowed the US army to bomb at
any time and anywhere they suspected
enemy activity.
Beginning in the late 1940s, resist-
ance fighters dug a series of tunnels
into the rust coloured earth of Cu Chi
TOURISM
A visit to the Cu Chi
tunnels is high on the
list of most visitors to
Vietnam. Now they have
the option to put a
new spin on the trip by
side-stepping the traffic
clogged access roads
and arriving in serene
style via the Saiogn
River, writes
Pham Ha
CU CHI BY
Three new boats ready to take
visitors on their Cu Chi trip