Full day (Private tour):
Depart hotel: 8:30am
Arrive: 5:00pm approx.
Travel out of Ho Chi Minh City to the east and what was Phuoc Tuy Province. Visit the site of the Australian Task Force Base at Nui Dat where the Australians were located during the Vietnam War. Your first stop will be the site of the Australian, NZ and US artillery positions which played a vital role in the Battle of Long Tan. Remnants of the command bunker can be seen and nearby, is the remains of the Base HQ which was destroyed many years after the war.
A short distance away is Kanga Pad (the helicopter pad) and SAS Hill, now a quarry. Also see Luscombe Airfield, now a roadway and drive down Canberra Avenue to the site of the 6RAR’s camp and the Nui Dat Memorial. Pause at the memorial for some time of personal reflection.
Visit the Long Tan Memorial which marks the site of the Battle of Long Tan in which Australian soldiers, heavily outnumbered, engaged the North Vietnamese Army (NVA). Sadly, 18 Australians and about 245 NVA soldiers died. Again, take a moment of quiet reflection to remember all those who died, both military and civilian, during the Vietnam War.
Have lunch in the Ba Ria area before visiting the Long Phuoc Tunnels. A tunnel complex used by the Viet Cong to move around within the Australian controlled area. Enjoy a walk through a small section of the tunnels.
Arrive at Vung Tau and drive by the site of the Peter Badcoe Club (R&C Centre)), now the Imperial Hotel. Visit the Monument for War Heroes built to commemorate the Vietnamese who died during the Vietnam War but also overlooks the site of the 1st Australian Logistics Support Group.
Finish the day with a drive-by the Front and Back Beaches before checking into your overnight accommodation.
Your evening will be free.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Hotel: Muong Thanh Holiday Hotel (3 Star) (or similar); The Cap Hotel (4 Star) (or similar)