Anyone interested in Australian modern history or Vietnam … or both
The Tunnel Rats organise their own tours (you can find out more HERE) but this is more for readers of our books. Sandy, of course, is arguably the No1 Tunnel Rat since he was the first to send allied troops into the Cu Chi tunnels.
A very vivid sense of what the Australian Sappers (Army Engineers) were up against, both in terms of the enemy they faced and the terrain in which they operated. Plus we’ll point out how the same ingenuity and determination that won the war means Vietnam is now one of the top 20 economies in the world.
We wouldn’t see this as being appropriate for anyone under 14 but the upper limit would be more to do with your energy levels and mobility. Our last tour had a lady of 73 on it and she loved it.
Unless you are very overweight, exceptionally tall or very fragile – or have claustrophobia – you will be able to see as much as you want to
We have designed this tour to split the time between Vietnamese culture and our ‘war stories’. We reckon by the time you leave, you will be fascinated by the military angle and both you and your partner will have fallen in love with Vietnam.
Because everybody eats and drinks different amounts and the people who eat least end up feeling like they are subsidising the others. It also gives you more choice – you don’t have to hang around with the group for every meal if you don’t want to (but most guests do most of the time). Vietnamese food is arguably the best in South-East Asia and it’s also ridiculously cheap. Freedom to make your own choices will only enhance your enjoyment.
You have everything from the top designer stores to the wonderful Binh Thanh markets. You can bona fide top quality clothing and goods at a bargain price or get a made-to-measure suit for next to notthing that will be ready for you in a couple of days. Some of the big designers have factories in Vietnam and their “seconds” find their way to the markets for a 10th of the retail price. Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) is a shopper’s paradise.
Why would they? We will be in the South and South Vietnamese were our Allies. Those that weren’t – the ones who supported the Vietcong – won. Why would they care that we are bringing money and employment to their shores? More significantly, the Vietnamese are among the friendliest and most welcoming people in the world.
Have a look at TravelIndochina’s website and click on their “responsible travel” link. TravelIndochina take great care to make sure that their guests bring a very real overall benefit to the places they visit. We are happy to be part of that.
Jimmy went to Vietnam with them in September 2011, which is when the idea of an ‘authors’ tour first struck him. When he persuaded Sandy to lead an organised tour in February 2012, they teamed up with TravelIndochina again and they really came up trumps. This is not the kind of tour where the schedule runs the guests – we have a lot of flexibility to take advantage of opportunities as they arise and TravelIndochina’s people on the ground are all over that.