HARDY IF NOT HEFTY, the 125cc, two-stroke, Soviet-era Minsk motorcycle is the vehicle of choice on the intermittently paved roads between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon). Put one to the test on this 18-day Easy Rider–mٲ–The Motorcycle Diaries tour, which parallels the route of the historic 1,500-mile Ho Chi Minh Trail, the covert supply line used by communist forces that ran along the mountainous border of Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. A North Vietnamese war veteran, Cuong, will be your guide, offering his unique perspective on historic landmarks like the birthplace of the trail's namesake revolutionary; the hand-dug underground Cu Chi Tunnels, safe havens for Viet Cong fighters and villagers; the embattled Marine bastion of Khe Sahn; and Buon Me Thuot, site of a major communist victory in 1975. The trip, which is offered March 21–April 7, costs $2,495–$2,895. For more info, contact Myths & Mountains (800-670-6984, ).
motorcycle ho chi minh trail
