Cu Chi Tunnels

The Cu Chi Tunnels are part of an enormous network dug by hand beneath the farmland north-west of Ho Chi Minh City. During the Vietnam War, fighters and villagers lived, cooked, treated the wounded and sheltered here, in passages barely wide enough to crawl through.

A guided visit to the preserved site shows camouflaged trapdoor entrances, air vents disguised as termite mounds, underground kitchens whose smoke was piped far away, and replica booby traps. A short stretch of tunnel has been widened for visitors, and you choose how far to crawl.

The site is around one and a half to two hours by road from the city, so it is usually a half-day trip, or part of a long day combined with the Mekong Delta. Wear clothes you do not mind getting dusty; the tunnels are hot and cramped, and not for anyone uneasy in tight spaces.