Ho Chi Minh City to Cu Chi, Vietnam: This elaborate maze of tunnels was dug, primarily by hand, during the 1940’s as Vietnamese nationalists sought to expel the French colonists from the country. Conceived of as an escape route over the Cambodian border, the tunnels housed hundreds of people and were also used for strategic guerilla warfare on French military. During the Vietnam War, the tunnels were expanded considerably, sheltering area residents from the relentless bombing from American fighter jets. The tunnels have been widened slightly to allow tourists to crawl through their narrow, dirty passage ways. The complex underground community includes wells, kitchens and even a hospital where babies born during the war years were delivered.
