CdOkay Asian Travel Guide: Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh, Cu Chi Tunnels and Mekong Delta
We have previously featured Ho Chi Minh City in an earlier Asian Travel Guide edition. However, we haven’t included two equally interesting tourist destinations in Vietnam.
The Cu Chi Tunnels and the Mekong Delta are both located outside Ho Chi Minh City; the former is situated a little further in the northwest and the latter is at the south.
What to expect in the Tunnels and the Delta
The Cu Chi Tunnels are not sophisticated, James Bond-ish passageways; they are more of an Indiana Jones version complete with secret passageways, dark chambers, dirt stairways and concealed entrances and exits. You will definitely need a flashlight to see your way through. To make the experience more exiting though, try getting old-fashioned torches and gas lamps and experience the tunnels the way the war-era Vietnamese experienced it.
Mekong Delta has all the things that one would expect from a fertile delta with plenty of water sources: fields of flowers, peaceful lagoons, bucolic villages and lush greeneries. Almost everywhere you look, there is a pretty picture waiting to be captured. Located at the southernmost tip of Vietnam, there are also beaches and coves that you can visit.
Places you shouldn’t miss:
Ask for a guide when you go to the Tunnels so that you will be shown the hidden entrances and exits of the tunnels. Scattered around Cu Chi are also pool-sized bomb craters.
Do take a walk through the grain and fruit fields of the delta! You might just see the locals bent down with only their iconic conical hats visible above the tall shrubs and reeds. Such a peaceful, provincial, and truly Asian setting would definitely be worth capturing on film and video.
You can visit these places, plus Ho Chi Minh City, at affordable rates with this travel package offered by Sameah Travel and Tours. This is a 3-day tour that will run until December 31, 2011. Check out Sameah’s offers and trip itinerary at their website.
Tags: CdOkay Asian Travel Guide: Vietnam's Ho Chi Minh, Cu Chi Tunnels and Mekong Delta
