Dmz Tours, Quang Tri Province, Vietnam

5John P 5:00 PM Jun 9, 2019

A splendid tour of the DMZ
I took this full day tour on 3rd June 2019 from Hue. The weather in Hue and surroundings were excellent with blue skies and no rain, a big plus for touring and photography. I was met by the driver at sharp 7 am at my hotel in Hue. The vehicle was great - a Mitsubishi Pajero in great condition and very spacious. The air conditioning was nice too as the outside temperature was 38 degrees Celsius. I sat at the back like a king and truly enjoyed the drive. The driver was pleasant and very careful - he drove within the speed limits, was very alert, did not do dangerous overtaking on Route 9 which is a two-way highway divided by a white line. Safety was never a concern at any time at all. The drive north to Dong Ha was very informative and interesting as we drove along National Highway 1 (known as AH1 in Vietnam). There were rural scenes, rice paddies and the stunning mountain views. We visited Lavang to see the old church damaged during the 1972 Easter Invasion. There is also a new stunning church and for Catholics a very important site. The guide, a very knowledgeable lady joined us at Dong Ha. She explained the history of Route 9 which was once an unpaved road used by the US military. It is now a fully paved road. The drive along Route 9 was very scenic with stunning rolling mountains and the Quang Tri River following us for part of the journey. The guide also explained the US military tactics and how they were countered by the Vietnamese People's Army. Her commentary was neutral, fair and factual, describing the events as they unfolded. We also visited a Bru village on the way. We visited the Khe Sanh Combat and I was able to see right in front of me for the first time the battlefields where the devastating war from July 1967 - Feb 1968 occurred. I had read some much about it and it was surreal to be on the site and see the site first-hand and the hills surrounding it - Hill 950, Hill 861 etc. As a member of a reserve army unit in Malaysia during my college years, it was clear from the terrain the US Army had no chance of total dominance. We then visited the Truong Son cemetery which was a very moving and memorable visit. A truly spectacular memorial to the fallen warriors of the Vietnamese People's Army. I was amazed at the number of highly ranked female warriors who gave their lives for Vietnam. It is a big cemetery and a bit more time could have been spent there. The next stop was the Ben Hai river and the former dividing line between South and North Vietnam. Another great and historical site to visit and there is a nearby museum. We had lunch at cafe next to the old wooden bridge. Next came the Vinh Moc tunnels, which was a great experience exploring with the guide who explained what happened during the war years. I went down to the third level which has an exit to the sea. The lady was fit, so don't underestimate her. She could climb and move faster than most people. I am 180 cm tall and I did not have too much trouble navigating the tunnels to the lowest level. We then drove back to Hue via the coastal route with splendid views of the East Sea (South China Sea). I would highly recommend this tour as it is a very comfortable drive, a good guide and reasonably priced. I took well over 250 photos with my Canon EOS 6d with the professional 24-105mm L IS USM f/4 lens. They turned out very well as one of my goals was taking stunning photos of the battlefields. Well I was not disappointed in the least.

4travelbug47london 5:00 PM Nov 2, 2022

A great day trip for which you may not need a guide
I booked a car and an English speaking driver to visit the DMZ through my hotel because there is plenty of background information on the internet that follows the route suggested in all the day long tours with a guide. We stopped at the bombed Long Hung church in Quang Tri before continuing on Highway 1 to the crossing of the Ben Hai river. There is a modest exhibition on the North side which is worth a look. The Vinh Moc tunnel system has a reasonable audio visual introduction before you go underground. Here I found a local lingering who acted as a guide through the tunnels. From here we headed to the amazing terrain of the Ho Chi Minh Trail ending up at the Khe Sanh fire base. It is a long day but provides an excellent insight into the fighting on the ground faced by the US troops.