The ultimate guide to Cu Chi Tunnels for elderly travelers: Cu Chi Tunnels have become a legendary and are one of the most famous tourist attractions in Ho Chi Minh City, tourists should not miss this amazing historical place on their trips to Saigon. Old adults consider if going to Cu Chi Tunnels is a great idea or not. I would like to give elderly travelers some advice on the underground city of Cu Chi and hope them to enjoy this site to the fullest.
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Why are Cu Chi Tunnels a great place for elderly tourists to visit?
- Old adults tend to visit historical places and beautiful architectural works. Independence Palace, War Remnants Museum, and Cu Chi Tunnels are great tourist attractions to learn more about the history of the S-shaped country and the recent wars against French colonists, the U.S. soldiers, and the Army of the Republic of Vietnam. Cu Chi Tunnels are the largest tourist attractions because it is a 250kms long complex network of tunnels at different depths, tourists can visit Ben Dinh site or Ben Duoc site.
- A trip to Cu Chi Tunnels is just a great way to escape from the hustle and bustle city center for the countryside. On the journey from your hotel in a central district of Saigon to the Cu Chi suburban district, you can see lots of amazing things and learn more about the real local life. Cu Chi people work on large-scale rubber plantations and fruit gardens. They dry rice papers on sheets made of bamboo or nipa palm leaves. Cows are grazed freely on the green grass fields.
- Green forests, large shades of old trees, clumps of bamboos, flat and solid ground are the highlights of Cu Chi Tunnels.
- Functional areas such as dining rooms, kitchens, surgery rooms, living quarters, meeting rooms, classrooms, sewing rooms,… are interesting and impressive.
- The documentary film.
- The model of the massive tunnel network.
- Free boiled tapioca with sesame salt and hot tea.
- The smokeless stoves invented by Hoang Cam Vietcong soldier to prevent enemy recon aircraft detection of smoke and help our side cook without fear.
- Some sections of tunnels have been modified to be wider, a little brighter, clean, and tidy so tourists can challenge themselves by crawling through them. In the past, most tunnels are narrow, dirty, wet, stuffy, and are not comfortable to be inside.
- Entrances to Cu Chi Tunnels covered with secret small wooden doors and camouflage leaves.
- The air ventilation system consisting of fake termite mounds with ventilation holes.
- Various war-related souvenirs in Vietnam.
- Old weapons used in the wars and displayed at Cu Chi Tunnels.
- The shooting range where you can try shooing a gun.
Please contact Tracy Do & Bill Bui at +84938314386 (Whatsapp/iMessage/Viber/SMS) for detailed information about Ho Chi Minh City tours, including Cu Chi Tunnels tours and the best prices for your group
Useful tips on visiting Cu Chi Tunnels for the elderly
- If you have health issues such as back pain, foot pain, leg pain, you should not try crawling the tunnel sections – one of the most interesting parts of Cu Chi Tunnels. You should not try entering the small entrance to the tunnels like other tourists. You should consider before deciding to shoot a gun at the shooting range at the tunnels.
- A travel stick or a walking stick for elderly people is a useful tool, it is used to help walk around easily and prevent from falling down. Although the ground is rather flat, it is a little rough and there are some holes in the area.
- Loose clothes and dresses are not good choices, clothing that fits, sport shoes, sandals are great choices.
- You should bring some light snacks to fight against hunger and prevent low blood pressure.
- You must protect yourself from the heat and the strong sun using various sun protection accessories such as headwear, anti UV coat, sunscreen. Drinking enough water on the journey to Cu Chi Tunnels is recommended. Most tour agencies provide one bottle of water for one guest on a Cu Chi Tunnels tour. You can carry one more bottle of water in your bag or buy it at a store at Cu Chi Tunnels.
- It is better to join a morning Cu Chi Tunnels tour because the sun is not too strong for the whole time.
- If a private Cu Chi Tunnels tour is affordable, you can book a private tour for privacy, convenience and flexibility. You must be strong and enough to follow the group if you book a group tour to Cu Chi Tunnels.
- Insect and mosquito repellent is necessary because you travel in green forests.
- Visiting Cu Chi Tunnels in the rainy season is not recommended for the elderly because the site (Ben Dinh or Ben Duoc) is wet, slippery, muddy, a little dirty after raining.
- You should make sure your medications are clearly labeled, and you have enough for your entire trip. On your trip to Cu Chi Tunnels, you should carry enough of any medications you need for your medical conditions.
- You can book a Cu Chi Tunnels tour by speedboat to avoid traffic congestions in Ho Chi Minh City and the crowds at Cu Chi Tunnels.
The ultimate guide to Cu Chi Tunnels for elderly travelers
Frequently asked questions about Cu Chi Tunnels by elderly travelers
Should I take a trip to Cu Chi Tunnels if I have a pain in my leg/back?
You can visit the tunnels, walk around Ben Dinh or Ben Duoc, see some function rooms, learn more about the tunnels and wars in Vietnam through the maps, 3D model of the tunnels, soldiers and villagers, weapons and traps used to fight against the enemies. You should avoid joining strong activities such as going down the secret entrance or crawling through the sections of tunnels for tourists. You are recommended to walk on the ground, walk down and up the stairs slowly and carefully.
What should I pack for Cu Chi Tunnels?
At first, you should use a small bag to contains some necessary items for your trip Cu Chi Tunnels. The bag should not be too big because you can not walk up and down narrow stairs to enter functional areas, go through small doors comfortably. In addition, tourists usually walk for a few kilometers at Cu Chi Tunnels, the lighter and smaller your belongings, the better it is.
Smartphone, snacks, medications, extra bottles of water, travel cane, insect repellent, hand sanitizer are recommended to carry on your trip to Cu Chi Tunnels.
Should I visit Cu Chi Tunnels on my own?
I do not recommend old adults to go to Cu Chi Tunnels which is 70 km from the city center on their own although it is not difficult to do that. Public bus is the cheapest means of transportation to get to Cu Chi Tunnels from districts in the city center. However, it is inconvenient and not suitable for the elderly. You have some options including taking a taxi or a two-way private transfer, or booking a tour with a reliable tour agency or a tour operator. Certainly, the option with a tour guide is recommended because you are well taken care of. In fact, it is easy to explore the tunnels yourself.
Is a private tour better than a group tour for elderly travelers?
If it is a big group, you should book a private tour for privacy, comfort, and flexibility. If there are one or two travelers, you should consider booking a group tour for saving money. The smaller the group is, the more expensive the group tour is. You should choose VIP limousine Cu Chi Tunnels tour with maximum of 9 guests at the price of about $50 USD. The Cu Chi Tunnels tour with maximum of 27 guests costs about $20 USD but it is usually noisy and you may spend so much time to wait for the group at many stops on the tour. If you do not care about money, you can choose some expensive options such as Private Cu Chi Tunnels tour by car and Luxury group Cu Chi Tunnels tour by speedboat.
Please contact Tracy Do & Bill Bui at +84938314386 (Whatsapp/iMessage/Viber/SMS) for detailed information about Ho Chi Minh City tours, including Cu Chi Tunnels tours and the best prices for your group
Summary on The ultimate guide to Cu Chi Tunnels for elderly travelers
A trip to Cu Chi Tunnels is unforgettable because this tourist attraction is an extraordinary place to immerse yourself in green nature, go back in time, touch with your own hands, see with your own eyes different war-related artifacts, especially explore the massive network of tunnels in Cu Chi District which is known as the land of steel in the South of Vietnam.
