Dong Ha

Things to see and do

The Rockpile

The Rockpile is a high, isolated mount that was an important lookout point by the Americans during the war. It's a quick stop along the road to the Khe Sanh Marine base -- not much to see, looks like any other mountain, though there are still signs of the intense defoliation wrought on by ... read more
The Ho Chi Minh Trail and the Dakrong Bridge

The Ho Chi Minh Trail was a vital north-south supply route for the North Vietnamese during the war with America. It was never just one trail: there was actually a shifting network of multiple trails over a swath of land hundreds of kilometres wide, reaching deep into neighbouring Laos. The trails ... read more
Truong Son National Cemetery

This cemetery is comprised of about 10,300 graves containing the remains of Vietnamese soldiers and civilians who died in defence of the Ho Chi Min Trail. It's built on a the site of the former headquarters of the 559 Army Corps, which is named after the date it was established and the trail was ... read more
The Khe Sanh Marine Base

In January 1968, the Viet Cong launched a devastating attack on this base as a diversion in preparation for the Tet Offensive. Americans held on for three months under heavy fire, but after Tet, withdrew back to Camp Carol -- before they left, they ploughed everything that remained of their base ... read more
Con Thien Fire Base

This was the most important outpost along the famed McNamara Line, and the scene of the some of the heaviest combat of the war with America, receiving more artillery fire than any other single spot in the DMZ. In September, 1967 it was shelled mercilessly by the North Vietnamese as a diversion ... read more
Camp Carol

This was the largest fire-support base for the Marines, established on a hill with the elevation of 241 metres (the Vietnamese call it 241 Tan Lam). It was named after Captain Carol, the first American Marine to be killed in the area during the conflict, on a nearby ridge. In 1969 it was ... read more
Ben Hai River

The Ben Hai River is at the centre of the DMZ, the official dividing point between Vietnam's north and south. Again, as elsewhere, there is precious little here left over from the war -- a single bunker that was used as a defensive position against those attacking from the south. The old bridge ... read more
The Vinh Moc Tunnels

This is the only spot commonly visited north of the DMZ, but unlike the attractions to the south, it’s genuinely fascinating and unequivocally worth seeing. The Vinh Moc tunnels are an amazing achievement of human toil and engineering. With little else at their disposal but cunning and ... read more
Doc Mieu

This was an important outpost along the McNamara Line. It's only about 6 or 7 kilometres from the South China Sea, and about half a mile south of the DMZ, so it was here that ANGLICO -- the Air and Naval Gunfire Liaison Company, coordinated fire from the ground, air and sea. It was the first ... read more
The A Sau Valley and Hamburger Hill

There are a number of spots in the area that were significant during the war and may have a familiar ring to some visitors -- you may even find a map marking some landing zones with names like Razorback and Cunningham, and some hills named with numbers. Tempting, but there's nothing there any more. ... read more