The Ho Chi Minh Trail Blog

Tales from The Ho Chi Minh Trail -Disappearing Trails Muang Nong-Ta Oy
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Tales from The Ho Chi Minh Trail -Disappearing Trails Muang Nong-Ta Oy

Muang Nong to Ta Oy -Savannakhet Location N16° 22.478′ E106° 29.869′   Updated June 2021   There are a few different ways of getting to Ta Oy from Muang Nong. The most popular is Via Ban Along over the 300 meter Bamboo bridge, the bridge is removed in the wet season and built again in…

Tales From The Ho Chi Minh Trail-Tham Nam Cave
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Tales From The Ho Chi Minh Trail-Tham Nam Cave

 Tham Nam -Ban Nongboua   Location; N17° 32.915′ E105° 44.863′   Caves played a huge part during the conflict in Laos, with the war against the Americans run from a massive cave complex housed in Xam Neua.  Smaller caves served similar purposes, and were all very safe, natural shelters from the bombers above. Cant imagine…

Tales From The Ho Chi Minh Trail-Ban Phanop
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Tales From The Ho Chi Minh Trail-Ban Phanop

 The Phanop Valley   Location. Khammouane province; N17° 32.210′ E105° 44.489′   Along the Trail there are a huge number of small villages, many of which played key parts in the Trail’s history . Ban Phanop is one such village, located quite near the top in Khammouane Province. Ban Phanop is famous for a daring…

Tales From The Ho Chi Minh Trail-Disappearing War Scrap
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Tales From The Ho Chi Minh Trail-Disappearing War Scrap

Ban Saenphan   Location; Khammouane Province N17° 29.330′ E105° 41.839′ Updated April 2021.   Starting at Ban Langkhang off Route 12, you can join the Ho Chi Minh Trail and travel down to Ban Saenphan, which is just before the second Xe Bangfai crossing. There used to be ‘flyers’ available telling us about things of…

Tales From The Ho Chi Minh Trail – Crash Sites Along the Trail in Laos
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Tales From The Ho Chi Minh Trail – Crash Sites Along the Trail in Laos

MIA (Missing in Action) Crash Sites In Laos   Time on my hands, bookings getting cancelled, and the future is uncertain. Time to do something we’ve been planning for some time; explore crash sites along the Trail in Laos. So let’s go. My good friend Mr Rudi flies into Vientiane and I ship a bike…

Tales From The The Ho Chi Minh Trail – NVA Tunnels, Xepon
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Tales From The The Ho Chi Minh Trail – NVA Tunnels, Xepon

NVA Tunnel Complex, West of Xepon B Houaychang-Kao  N16° 43.242′ E106° 07.776′ Just west of Xepon, the NVA (Northern Vietnamese Army) built a tunnel complex between 2 mountains along the Ho Chi Minh Trail. It served as a base on the Trail among other things. Inside the tunnel has collapsed. So it still holds a…

Tales From The Ho Chi Minh Trail – River Crossings Xe Bangfai
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Tales From The Ho Chi Minh Trail – River Crossings Xe Bangfai

 Xe Bangfai River Crossing-Khammouane Province Loaction N17° 29.167′ E105° 41.863′ Updated April 2021. When I first came to Laos to ride, river crossings were plentiful and mainly by small canoes. Today it’s a bit different, many have been forded and many new bridges are being constructed leaving the old bridges to nature. The crossing I…