Cu Chi Tunnels - A vast network of underground tunnels

The Cu Chi Tunnels are definitely worth the day trip out of Ho Chi Minh city (Saigon). The Tunnels are a vast network of underground tunnels from the 1940s, in the American War. The tunnels were hiding places, as well as communication and supply routes, hospitals and living quarters.

The residents of Cu Chi took their war underground, literally, developing a network of tunnels that, at its height, stretched as far as Cambodia and included meeting rooms, kitchens, and triage areas - an effective network for waging guerilla warfare on nearby U.S. troops.

Visits to Cu Chi Tunnels usually start with a war-era propaganda film that's so over-the-top, it's fun. The site supports a small museum of photos and artifacts, as well as an extensive outdoor exhibit of guerilla snares and reconstructions of the original tunnels and bunkers.

Guides in army greens lead small groups through some short sections of tunnel. Wear your "play clothes" if you choose to get down in the tunnels, it's a little dirty and claustrophobic, but still an interesting experience.

Sections of the tunnel system large enough for a 40 kg person have been widened to cater for larger bodies, but it's still a tight fit.

There is also a shooting range where you pay per bullet and can try your hand at firing anything from a shotgun to an AK-47, M-16 or machine guns.