EL SOL TRAVEL & TOURS SDN BHD 28805-T KKKP: 0194 Tel: 603 7984 4560 Fax: 603 7984 4561 david@elsoltravel.com www.elsoltravel.com

7D6N Mar 17–23 2018 CENTRAL VIETNAM

Tet Offensive 50th Anniversary Tour Danang, UNESCO World Heritage Hue, 17th Parallel DMZ, Vinh Moc Tunnels, Khe Sanh Combat Base, Lang Vei Camp, Ho Chi Minh Trail, etc. PLUS A Shau Valley Rong ethnic village & “Hamburger Hill”.

The Tet Offensive was a coordinated series of attacks by Viet Cong guerrillas and North

Vietnamese army during the Vietnam war on more than 100 cities and outposts in South

Vietnam. It started on 30th Jan 1968 (1st day of the Vietnamese Tet Lunar New Year) and lasted

until 28th Mar 1968. Though the Americans and South Vietnamese forces managed to crush the

attacks, the news coverage of the offensive turned the American public against their country's

involvement in the war, leading to the withdrawal of American forces from South Vietnam and

eventual victory for North Vietnam. The Tet offensive was the turning point of the Vietnam war.

DAY 1 SAT MAR 17: Danang arrival – Hai Van Pass – Hue (L/D) Depart KLIA2 airport 10.30am. 12.10pm arrival in Danang

International Airport. The airport was a major air base for American and South Vietnamese forces during the Vietnam war. Transfer for

lunch and proceed to Hue with stop over at Hai Van Pass (where you enjoy the view over to the sea at the mountain pass that divides Hue province from Danang). Here you will find old military bunkers built by

the French colonial masters. Dinner and overnight in Hue.

DAY 2 SUN MAR 18: Hue (B/L/D) Hue was the imperial capital of the Nguyen Dynasty from 1802 to 1945 (the last imperial dynasty of Vietnam). The city is divided into north and south by the Perfume River. Start your

tour with a visit to the local Dong Ba Market.

Then explore UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE Imperial Citadel, located in the heart of Hue. This vast complex was built in the early 19th century, modelled after the forbidden city of Beijing,

giving you a fascinating glimpse into the Court Life of the Nguyen Dynasty. Your visit includes Dien Tho residence,

Thai Hoa Palace (with its magnificently decorated reception hall), the halls of the Mandarins as well as the original nine

dynastic urns.

Next stop is the UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE Imperial Tomb of

Emperor Khai Dinh. Emperor Khai Dinh was the 12th Emperor of the Nguyen Dynasty and Vietnam was already under French colonial rule. His tomb has a mix of Oriental & Western architecture due to influence

from his visit to France. Construction began in 1920 and was completed in 1930 by his successor, the last Emperor, Bao Dai (after

he passed away in 1925).

The Battle of Hue (30th Jan to 3rd Mar, 1968) during the Tet Offensive, was one of the

bloodiest and longest battles of the Vietnam War. Due to few fortifications and poor

defences, the South Vietnamese army and their American allies in Hue were taken by

surprise and overwhelmed. They had to go through intense combat, often involving

savage house-to-house fighting to evict the North Vietnamese and Viet Cong forces. The

fighting brought much destruction to the city of Hue, including to the Imperial Citadel.

Then enjoy the boat trip down the Perfume River with a stop at the iconic Thien Mu Pagoda (Pagoda of the Celestial Lady); Hue's most widely

recognized riverside symbol. Inside the Pagoda’s compound, you will find the blue Austin car that was used to send the monk Thich Quang Duc to

Saigon, where he set himself on fire in the middle of a road inter-section.

Overnight in Hue.

11th June 1963, in Saigon (now Ho Chi Minh

City): The monk Thich Quang Duc sets himself

on fire and died to protest President Ngo Dinh

Diem’s (then President of South Vietnam)

oppression of Buddhists. Many monks were to

follow suit. Diem was a staunch Catholic, while

one of his brothers was the Roman Catholic

Archbishop of Hue. Diem was overthrown and

assassinated on 2nd Nov 1963.

DAY 3 MON MAR 19: Hue – A Shau Valley – Hamburger Hill – A Luoi (B/L/D) Transfer onto Route 49 and then Route 14 into A Shau Valley.

Stop at the town of A Luoi to visit the Tourist Information

Center to learn about local ethnic minorities that reside in A Shau Valley and take a peek at the replica Ethnic Minority

Community House.

Proceed to visit Nham Commune (7km from A Luoi town), home to Rong Ethnic minority people, for an insight into their local

house architecture, weaving tradition and coffee plantations. View the nearby hydro-electric dam.

A Shau Valley, located parallel to

the Lao border, was part of the Ho

Chi Minh Trail that channeled North

Vietnamese soldiers and supplies into

South Vietnam. Several battles

occurred here such as Battle of A

Shau (March 9-10 1966), Battle of

Signal Hill (April 20-21 1968), Battle

of Hamburger Hill (May 10-120

1969) and Battle of Fire Support

Base Ripcord (July 1-23 1970).

Next is the site of former A Shau Airfield, built to support the US A Shau Special Forces Camp. It was taken over by the North Vietnamese forces after the Battle of A Shau. It then fell back

into American hands during Operation Delaware of April 1968, but was abandoned for good after US forces withdrew from A Shau Valley.

Continue to visit Hill 937, better known as “Hamburger Hill”, site of a battle between American and North Vietnamese forces from 10th to 20th May, 1969. The battle is depicted with fictional characters in John Irvin's 1987 film, Hamburger Hill. The visit involves walk up the 853

steps to the top of the hill and back down; total duration spent of approximately 2 hours.

Overnight in A Luoi.

DAY 4 TUE MAR 20: A Luoi – Khe Sanh Base – Lang Vei – Lao Bao – Khe Sanh (B/L/D)

Transfer north along Route 14 until it meets Route 9. Here is the Dakrong

Bridge which spans the Han River. Since this area was part of the Ho Chi Minh Trail, North Vietnamese soldiers and

supplies would cross this bridge on their journey south. The bridge would be

bombed repeatedly by the Americans and each time the North Vietnamese would

rebuild it again. The current bridge dates from 1974.

Battle of Hamburger Hill (May 10th to 20th, 1969) was when American forces fought to

remove North Vietnamese forces on Hill 937 (or Dong Ap Bia, the Vietnamese name),

which was well fortified with trenches and bunkers. The hill’s height is 937 meters above

sea level, while “Hamburger Hill”, coined by the US soldiers, refers to the high casualty

rate incurred (akin to meat being chopped up to make hamburger patties). The battle was

controversial and heightened the US public’s opposition to American involvement in the

war because shortly after wrestling the hill from the enemy, the US forces abandoned it.

Then to site of former Khe Sanh Combat Base and visit the Museum. Khe Sanh Combat Base was a strategic US Marines combat base with an airstrip located near the Lao border and just

south of the DMZ 17th parallel line that separates South Vietnam from North Vietnam. It was instrumental as staging point to attack North Vietnamese forces movement down the Ho Chi

Minh Trail as well as to counter any attacks launched over the DMZ by the North.

Proceed to Lang Vei to visit the site of the former Lang Vei Camp.

Battle of Lang Vei (6th to 7th Feb 1968): In

1966, the US Special Forces (Green Berets)

had set up a camp in Lang Vei, located west

of Khe Sanh. They recruited and trained local

South Vietnamese to form a Civilian Irregular

Defense Group (CIDG) unit. Being close to

the Lao border, they were responsible for

border surveillance, interdiction of enemy

infiltration and assistance in the Revolutionary

Development Program.

On 21st January 1968, the North Vietnamese forces laid siege on Khe Sanh Combat Base

that resulted in an encirclement of the base that was only broken by US forces on 6th April.

While under siege, the base was under constant gunfire, artillery, mortar and rocket attacks. It

had to be supplied by aircraft that had to face heavy anti-aircraft fire from North Vietnamese.

A massive air bombardment campaign (Operation Niagara) and infantry operation

(Operation Pegasus) by US forces were launched to break the siege. The siege got worldwide

media coverage and it was believed the North Vietnamese used the siege to divert attention of

US & South Vietnamese forces from their impending Tet Offensive. On 19th June, while the

base was still under North Vietnamese artillery fire, the US forces decided to destroy and

abandon the base; with the final evacuation of personnel on 5th July. By 9th July 1968, the

base was taken over by the North Vietnamese forces.

An attack by North Vietnamese forces on 4th May 1967 forced the camp to be moved to a new

more defendable site further west. However, on 6th Feb 1968, this new camp was attacked, this

time with the North Vietnamese using tanks (in this case, PT-76 Light Tanks); it was the first

combat use of tanks by the North in the war. By the following day, the Americans and

CIDG unit were routed and the camp taken over by the North Vietnamese forces.

Continue on to Lao Bao border (across is Laos) for a photo stop at the Border Gate. Then visit Lao Bao Prison heritage site; this

was once an infamous prison the French colonial occupiers built to imprison Vietnamese freedom fighters. Transfer to Khe Sanh town

for dinner and check in hotel. Overnight in Khe Sanh.

Day 5 WED MAR 21: Khe Sanh – DMZ – Vinh Moc Tunnels - Dong Ha (B/L/D)

Move out eastwards along Route 9, heading towards Dong Ha town,

staying south of the 17th Parallel and the former De-Militarized Zone DMZ. Stop for a view of The Rockpile, a

solitary karst outcrop (240meters high) reachable only by helicopter,

that was an American observation post from 1966 to 1969.

Then to the site of former Camp Carroll for a photo stop in front of the monument.

Next stop is Truong Son National Cemetery, burial

place for North Vietnamese soldiers who died around the 17th Parallel DMZ and

the Ho Chi Minh Trail. Many graves lie empty, simply

bearing names, because many soldiers were quickly buried where they died or were listed as “missing in action”.

Continue to Hien Luong Bridge and the Reunification Monument.

Camp Carroll, established 10th Nov 1966, was an American artillery base and home for the

3rd Marine Regiment. It was named after Captain James Joseph Carroll, a Marine who was

accidentally killed by Marine tank fire on 5th Oct, 1966 during Operation Prairie. It had 80

artillery pieces including M107 175mm guns, at the time the most powerful American field

artillery gun that fired a 150-pound projectile to a range of 32,690 meters. After American

ground forces pulled out from Vietnam, the camp was passed over to the South Vietnamese

Army. During the 1972 Easter Offensive, Camp Carroll was surrounded by North Vietnamese

forces and the South Vietnamese camp commandant surrendered the camp on 2nd Apr 1972.

It remained in the hands of the North Vietnamese right to the end of war.

The 178 meters long steel bridge with surface of wooden planks, spanning the Ben Hai River,

was constructed by the French in 1950, connecting Hien Luong Village in the north and Xuan

Hoa Village in the south. Under the Geneva Accord on Vietnam signed in 1954, the Ben Hai

River was selected as a temporary demarcation line separating the country into North

Vietnam (governed by the Viet Minh, led by Ho Chi Minh), and South Vietnam (with former

emperor Bao Dai as head of state). A general election to be held in 1956 to determine the

future of Vietnam as a whole never materialized.

Proceed to Doc Mieu to visit site of Firebase Gio Linh

(also known as FSB A-2, Alpha 2, Camp Hill or The

Alamo). The firebase was involved in many battles from the time it was established in

1966 until it fell into North Vietnamese hands during the 1972 Easter Offensive. Visit the Communications Memorial,

dedicated to North Vietnamese soldiers from radio and communications units.

Then cross the 17th Parallel into territory that once was in North Vietnam and visit Vinh Moc tunnels & museum. During the war,

the Americans suspected the villagers of Vinh Moc were supplying the North Vietnamese forces located off shore on the island of Con

Co. Therefore they repeatedly bombed the village. With nowhere to move to, the villagers went underground and built a network of

tunnels that became their homes.

Then visit Cua Tung Beach, known as Vietnam’s “Queen of

Beaches”, the one kilometer-long beach is not particularly long or wide, but the gentle and clear water combined with its smooth sand

make it the nation’s number one. Transfer to Dong Ha city, which was the closest city to the DMZ. Visit an old concrete hangar that was part of the wartime Dong Ha combat base.

Quang Tri was the most bombed province during the war. Visit the Mine Action Visitor Centre to

learn about the threat to life from unexploded ordnance (UXO); as well as the work done to locate and disarm them. Learn also about the

deadly effects of Agent Orange (the defoliant sprayed by the Americans to deny the enemy

jungle cover) that still affects many locals.

Overnight in Dong Ha.

Day 6 THU MAR 22: Dong Ha - Danang (B/L/D) Transfer back to Danang using the Hai Van Tunnel, 6.28km in length.

En-route visit Our Lady of La Vang church, located in Hai Lang district of Quang Tri province. During the Imperial persecution of Catholics that began in 1798, a Catholic community escaped and sought refuge in the La Vang

jungle in Quang Tri. During their stay there, they witnessed an apparition of a lady dressed in traditional Vietnamese Ao Dai dress and holding a child in

her arms, with two angels beside her. This was interpreted as Virgin Mary and the infant Jesus Christ. Thus, churches dedicated to the Lady of La Vang

came about. This particular church sustained heavy damage during the 1972 Eastern Offensive and is now partly in ruins.

Arrival in Danang. Go for a short walking tour around the Catholic Church, Cho Han

Market and Riverside walk area. Then to My Khe Beach, a long stretch of fine sand

beach; during the war it was known as “China Beach” and popular with American soldiers taking a break from the stress of war.

Overnight in Danang.

Day 7 FRI MAR 23: Danang departure (B) After breakfast, transfer to Danang Airport for 12.35pm flight home. Arrival in KLIA2 at 4.20pm.

RATES: Ringgit Malaysia RM 1,880 /person, twin sharing, group size of minimum 16 persons.

Rates and itinerary subject to changes in foreign exchange rates, unforeseen surcharges, weather, local conditions, etc.

INCLUSIVE:

Hotel accommodation with daily breakfast Hue: Emm Hotel (3 star) or similar

A Luoi: Do Thanh Budget Hotel or Thanh Quang Guest House or similar Khe Sanh: Thai Ninh Hotel (2 star) or similar Dong Ha: Muang Thanh Quang Tri Hotel (3 star) or similar

Danang: Moonlight Hotel (3 star) or similar Fullboard meals

Airport transfers and tour excursion using 29 seater tour coach Entrance fees for attractions as specified in the itinerary Private boat for trip on Perfume River in Hue

English speaking tour guide Tipping for tour guide and driver

Mineral water with 2 x 500ml bottles/day/person Accompanied by El Sol Travel tour leader

EXCLUSIONS: Air tickets, airport taxes & fuel surcharge

Travel insurance – can be arranged separately for Malaysians (RM 59 /person) Travelers of other nationalities, kindly arrange travel insurance for this tour

Malaysian passport holders don’t require visa to visit Vietnam. Other nationalities

will be advised on visa cost and procedure. Expenses of personal nature like activities not part of itinerary, drinks during meals,

tipping for hotel & restaurant staff, laundry surcharges, mini bar charges, etc.