The Ho Chi Minh Trail, the Western Truong Son branch, passes through the Ke Bang mountains and forests to the west of Quang Ninh and Le Thuy districts (Quang Binh), crosses the Sa Mu pass to the end point of Khe Sanh, Quang Tri. It is a trail with Km 0 at Khe Gat intersection (Xuan Trach, Bo Trach, Quang Binh). Quang Binh people still call it the Western Truong Son trail. Backpackers often tell each other that it is the Western Truong Son trail.
Mr. Le Van Hai (29 years old, Hanoi) had a memorable trip from Hanoi to Khe Sanh via the legendary Truong Son Tay road, which is both wild and dangerous but also attractive, inviting adventurers to conquer.
Mr. Hai said the journey from Hanoi to Khe Sanh was quite long and arduous: “I started from Hanoi to Ninh Binh, stayed one night. Then went from Ninh Binh to Ha Tinh, Phong Nha and finally from Phong Nha to Khe Sanh. The whole journey lasted 5 days, along the old Ho Chi Minh trail (Truong Son Tay) and did not follow the national highway.”
The male backpacker confirmed that he had wanted to conquer the Truong Son Tay route for a long time but had not had the opportunity, mostly because of its danger: “This route was very famous among backpackers 10-20 years ago. At that time, it was very wild and had a mysterious, wild quality.”
Last September, Mr. Hai and a few close friends planned and were lucky to complete the trip smoothly.
Mr. Hai affirmed that he was completely overwhelmed by the scenery along the Truong Son Tay road. It was not the majestic beauty of towering mountains on one side and deep abysses on the other like the backpacking routes in Ha Giang, Cao Bang, Sa Pa... The Truong Son Tay road is attractive because of the deserted, quiet space between the mountains. The male backpacker almost only felt the sound of the mountains and forests, not being disturbed by the hustle and bustle of life.
“The forests here are wild and uninhabited. You have to travel about 20-30km before you see a few small villages. Every 10-20km you can see a vehicle going in the opposite direction. Most of them are locals, almost no tourists,” said Mr. Hai.
On the way, Mr. Hai had an interesting experience when he decided to cross rapids on Long Dai River, in Quang Ninh district, Quang Binh province.
“The Long Dai River is right next to the Truong Son Tay Road, and in the middle of a wild mountain forest, so I was extremely excited. Especially when we reached the end of the river, there were relatively high rapids, the boat had to be completely tilted down or tilted up high, so everyone on the boat was very excited. Although this experience made us arrive at Khe Sanh 2 hours later, it was completely worth it,” he said.
For the trip to go smoothly, Mr. Hai and his friends had to prepare carefully mentally, physically, and with necessary equipment and supplies.
According to Mr. Hai, there are no gas stations operating along the 230km Truong Son Tay road. Therefore, he and the whole group must fill up with gas and constantly check the amount of gas to ensure enough to get back to Khe Sanh. In addition, there are no restaurants or motels on this route, so the backpackers must prepare their own food along the way and have a full breakfast to have enough energy to travel the long distance.
Mr. Hai said he was mentally prepared that there would not be much support along the way from the people as well as the authorities, so he had to carefully prepare vehicles, people, protective gear, medical supplies, etc. to prevent unforeseen events.
“My group doesn’t really care much about the cost because backpacking on Vietnam’s routes is very affordable. The main cost is renting a homestay or hotel, depending on each person’s needs. We travel in a cross-country style so we don’t rent any high-end services,” the male backpacker confided.
When arriving at Khe Sanh, one of the most special things that Hai and his friends experienced was camping on the top of a hill in the wind farm. Here, he could fully enjoy the panoramic view of Khe Sanh town as well as the surrounding areas and wind farm hills.
“I was hoping to hunt for the sea of clouds but I couldn’t. That’s a bit of a pity. However, this is still a place with beautiful scenery that tourists should explore. The feeling of standing under the giant wind turbines is overwhelming, making me feel small and impressed by what human power can create,” the male backpacker affirmed.
Mr. Hai believes that those who want to conquer Truong Son Tay in particular or other routes in general should do it as soon as possible, when it still retains its wildness and has not been changed too much. In addition, backpackers should also consider traveling in large groups to ensure safety as well as support each other better.
Mr. Hai affirmed that he still wants to return to Khe Sanh one more time to hunt clouds as well as explore other beautiful places. In addition, he also plans to travel to Cao Bang at the end of this year to admire the Ha Lang burnt grass field.
