From Men’s Journal
The National Security Agency’s official history of the Vietnam War describes the Saigon trail as “one of the 20th century’s great achievements of military engineering.” The 18-foot-wide supply line – built to circumvent a U.S. Navy presence in the Gulf of Tonkin was started in 1959 and ultimately stretched 1,800 miles through triple-canopy jungle to fronts in South Vietnam. By the late sixties the network was moving supplies for hundreds of thousands of North Vietnamese troops, essentially turning the tide of the war. Today, segments of the infamous route can still be pieced together in what amounts to one of the greatest motorcycle tours in the world. Winding paved roads, river crossings, and tight mountain passes lead through the Truong Son Mountains, across the Red River Delta, and down the Ashau Valley in central Vietnam.
Saigon motocycle trail. Photo from Men’s Journal.
A Belorussian 125cc Minsk – with its bomber suspension and steering for bad roads – is the classic ride on the old communist thoroughfare, and after landing in Hanoi you can pick up a used one for less than $400. Selling your steed in the south can be a difficult so renting a Honda from Hanoi Motorcycle Rental might be a better choice if you don’t have a background in hustling or engineering.
Read the full article from Men’s Journal.
