CU CHI TUNNELS

Many Saigon visitors, even with just a day or two in the city, bee-line to the CU CHI TUNNELS (30 miles northwest of Saigon, a 100-minute drive) – an interesting, but time-taking foray into the recreated world where northern troops (Viet Minh, and later Viet Cong) lived and hid from the French and US troops in back-to-back 20th-century wars. It’s fascinating – if you have the right guide – but not exactly quiet, as rival guides jockey past groups to get to sunken cooking displays or abandoned tanks, or pit traps first. It’s possible to do on your own, but you’ll feel like a huge outsider, and it’s not easy to do.

I’d only consider if you have at least two days for Saigon or are particularly interested in the war. The drive out isn’t that interesting, mostly bouncing past Saigon suburbia.

Some Background

French-fighting Viet Minh troops first began digging these tunnels below a French-colonial rubber plantation in 1948 to hide from bombing. By the time the Americans arrived it was (some say) a 125-mile network that provided a source of frustration to the US troops throughout the war. Famously, the VC launched the massive surprise Tet Offensive in 1968 from the Cu Chi tunnels. Ingeniously some entrances led into rivers, so soldiers on the run could dive into the water and get into the tunnels, allowing pursuers to think they drowned.

Life in the tunnel was difficult – tunnels were as narrow as possible to keep larger-bodied Americans from entering, but opened into larger living quarters, which included kitchens and planning rooms. The tunnels had ‘guides,’ who knew the maze intimately and could lead soldiers to exits and past booby traps that led to spiked pits and all sorts of bloody messes you’d best want to avoid. The US’s efforts to destroy the tunnels never worked – they ‘carpet bombed’ the area into a barren land and sent ‘tunnel rats’ – brave soldiers, with flashlight and knife – to squeeze their way in. For many Vietnamese, the tunnels provide a justified source of pride.

Visiting the Site

Trips of Cu Chi’s principal site (Ben Dinh tunnel) start with a charmingly ancient film – supposedly 1967, though my guide (a former South Vietnamese soldier!) scoffed at the idea (‘it was made after the war… you can see the rich terrain and jungle… in 1967 it would have been bare from all the chemicals and bombs the US used.’ Supposedly the terrain was bare until about 1980.)

The grainy black-and-white film, nevertheless, is a fascinating glimpse at a time when the government was more pointed in describing its enemy (‘the devils’) and celebrating VC ‘American-killer heroes.’

The tour follows a short looping path past many Cu Chi ‘tunnel’ sites – some are built into the ground, with canvas tops – recreations of weapons, kitchens – to show how life was carried out underground, but without having to crawl underground to see. In one, guides show how smoke was detoured through mini-tunnels to escape far away from the real tunnel in itself. You also see bomb craters — now ponds – and a wrecked US tank you can climb on. In areas, goofy pop music is inexplicably played on hidden speakers.

The claim to fame is a claustrophobic crawl through the ‘tunnel’ itself – a recreated one, built wider so that ‘fat Americans’ can go through. Once is enough for me. Many visitors like to shoot AK-47s and M-16s at the (loud) shooting range – it’s $1.50 per bullet.

Entrance to the site is $4 (65,000D). Cheaper group tours don’t include this charge.

Cao Dai Temple

Full-day tours continue on to Tay Ninh (another 25 miles northwest from Saigon), home to the eclectic and bizarre Cao Dai Temple. The religion is a mix of Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism and Western icons like Victor Hugo. Born in the 1920s, the religion now has about three million followers, all in southern Vietnam. Group tours time their visit to the large colorful temple at prayer time – but it feels to me like an invasion of camera-toters preying on an unusual ceremony. There are several Cao Dai temples in the Mekong Delta too.

Booking Tours
Many many travel agents in Saigon – make that every travel agent in Saigon – offer half- or full-day trips to Cu Chi (the full trip includes the Cao Dai Temple). Prices range depending on how few people are in the bus and how nice the seats are. Higher-end EXOTISSIMO gets sky-high marks from well-to-do travelers, but it’ll cost you – two people go to Cu Chi and the temple (with lunch, guide, driver, admission) for a whopping $148.

Cheap deals, and they are cheap, abound in the Pham Ngu Lao area (from $4, not including the $4 tunnel admission). Ask around Pham Ngu Lao – I saw some dry guides there that really took away from the experience. On the other hand, I felt Khanh from TNK TRAVEL was excellent.

Many high-end hotels send guests through Saigontourist (not recommended), which have tours with large buses of tourists for $25 per person.