Mountain Biking Ho Chi Minh Trail
The Hồ Chí Minh trail (also known in Vietnam as the “Trường Sơn trail”) was a logistical system that ran from the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (North Vietnam) to the Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam) through the kingdoms of Laos and Cambodia. The system provided support, in the form of manpower and materiel, to the National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam (called the Viet Cong or “VC” by its opponents) and the People’s Army of Vietnam (PAVN), or North Vietnamese Army, during the Vietnam War.
It was named by the Americans after North Vietnamese president Hồ Chí Minh. Although the trail was mostly in Laos, the communists called it the Trường Sơn Strategic Supply Route (Đường Trường Sơn), after the Vietnamese name for the Annamite Range mountains in central Vietnam. According to the United States National Security Agency’s official history of the war, the Trail system was “one of the great achievements of military engineering of the 20th century”. The trail was able to effectively supply troops fighting in the south, a military feat unparalleled given it was the site of the single most intense bombing campaign in history, with bombs dropping on average every seven minutes.
Trekking the Cambodia Jungle
Calling all hardcore adventures! This one is for you guys. If you fancy getting back to basic living and want to learn the true meaning of ‘remote,’ how about hiking through Southeast Asia’s largest remaining rainforest? It’s definitely not an understatement when the Cardamom Mountains are referred to as far-removed, and they are so far off the beaten track that you’ll feel like you’ve entered Narnia! With that being said though, as they are so untouched, the mountains are full of rare and exotic wildlife, flora and fauna. Stretching out for miles, the mountains are also covered in a variety of landscapes from jungles and forests complete with waterfalls and streams to vast grasslands. So how does this sound to you? Perfect right. What makes this place even more perfect is that in very recent years, a series of eco- and community-based tourism projects have been set up in the area. This means that all homestays and tours are run by the locals themselves!
