Overview

The resistance put up by the Vietnamese to the American troops and its allies during the Vietnam War was nothing short of remarkable, but it was the Battle of Long Tan where this fighting spirit was displayed by a small, but very brave regiment of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC).

The Long Tan – Nui Dat Battlefield One Day Tour takes you from Ho Chi Minh City to the site where 18 Australians and New Zealanders lost their lives in the claiming of well over 250 casualties from the Vietnamese side when ANZAC forces were outnumbered 20 to 1 in a blistering monsoon.

We visit many historically important sites on the Long Tan – Nui Dat Battlefield One Day tour, including the Nui Dat Task Force Base, Horseshoe Hill, the Long Phuoc Tunnels, and the Discourtesy Rubber Plantation with its single, solemn cross commemorating the loss of all 18 ANZAC soldiers. Though this was Australia and New Zealand’s most successful battle during the war, where 108 soldiers fought off an onslaught by somewhere between 1,500 and 2,500 Viet Cong and North Vietnamese soldiers, it was also their most costly.

This conclusive day tour from Ho Chi Minh City operated by Incredible Asia Journeys provides you with return transport from Saigon to Long Tan, including a tour of several of its sites and lunch in the town of Ba Ria.

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Places you’ll see

Ho Chi Minh City

Highlights

Discovering the site of ANZAC’s bloodiest battle, along with the various areas where the battle was won for the Australians and New Zealanders
Learning of the gallantry of the ANZAC troops as they held firm against the communist Vietnamese troops in horrendous weather conditions
Enjoying lunch in the nearby town of Ba Ria

Itinerary

Activities: Checking out the historic sites of Long Tan and Nui Dat before having lunch in Ba Ria and heading back to Ho Chi Minh City

At 08.00 am, our driver will take you from your hotel in Ho Chi Minh City to Ba Ria – Vung Tau Province in the south-east of Vietnam. Meet the guide and take a walk around Nui Dat Task Force Base, the initial area where the Australians along with New Zealand and American allies set up camp. The columns of the main gate remain, while the helicopter pad and airport runway have respectively been turned into a football field and a wide avenue in the newly formed local village, while a nearby school set up by returning Australian veterans lies nearby.

Next, we head past Horseshoe Hill, the location of the ANZAC’s fire support base where artillery had a good view of the surrounding countryside. We explore the Long Phuoc Tunnels, which had an important hand in some of the more successful ventures for Vietnamese troops against the French and American armies in the region throughout both resistance wars. The Long Tan Cross Memorial is located at the rubber plantation where most of the fighting took place; it stands in commemoration to the ANZAC soldiers who died here, a powerful symbol of the strong resistance put up by the combined Australian and New Zealand forces against the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese. We explore the battlefield, taking a look at the key vantage points of the ANZAC as they inflicted heavy casualties on the Vietnamese troops.

We head to Ba Ria Town for lunch and a quick exploration before taking the drive back to Ho Chi Minh City, where you will arrive at your hotel in the late afternoon. This will conclude the Long Tan – Nui Dat Battlefield One Day tour; we hope that you learned a lot on this educational trip and we welcome you back on any further tours you would like to take around Vietnam.

Meals: Lunch