WHAT IS THE ‘LONG TAN TREK’ TOUR? it’s a group of people who want to visit The area of Australian operations During the Viet Nam war It’s escorted by Dave Sabben MG – Former commander of 12 Platoon, D/6RAR At the Battle of Long Tan, Aug It’s informal, personal and Relaxed. While being very busy It is not about pressure or rush. it’s about enjoying the experience with others who are there To enjoy the experience. It only happens once a year, in October.

2009 group WHO GOES ON THESE TOURS? About 33% Vets; About 33% ladies; The rest: family, mates And interested others; Ages 18 to 80.

WHERE do we GO WEEK 1? Ben Cat Tan Uyen BIEN HOA Ba Ria Nui Dat Bear Cat Saigon River Dong PHUOC TUY BIEN HOA LONG KHANH BINH DUONG GIA DINH 20 Km N Mangrove Swamp Vung Tau South China Sea Long Binh Xuan Loc 1 2 SAIGON Binh My PHUOC THANH Nai River “BlackHorse” 1 PROVINCE BORDERS * Saigon * Coral / Balmoral * Dong Nai Museum At Bien Hoa * Route 15 * 1ALSG * Vung Tau * Ba Ria * Nui Dat * Trek to Long Tan Cross * Long Tan Battlefield * Horseshoe * Dat Do Minefield * “Frankie” Mine Incident * Long Hai’s * Boat Trip to Vung Tau * Hydrofoil back To Saigon * Cu Chi Tunnels.

WHERE do we go on The Extension Tour? * Da Nang * Hoi An * Marble Mountains * Hai Van Pass * Hue & citadel * DMZ: Vinh Moc Tunnels Freedom Bridge Con Thien Khe Sanh Da Krong Lang Vei *A Shau Valley * Hamburger Hill * Hanoi: ‘Hanoi Hilton’ Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum * Dien Bien Phu * Ha Long Bay

WHAT Do we DO WHEN We get there? Dave explains things Along the way Where others have More or personal Knowledge, they Are invited to add to the discussion It’s a very ‘hands-on’ tour Questions are invited And answered (as much as possible) Other tour passengers Are encouraged To share their experiences

Where do we stay? We stay in 4-star Hotels or at the best Available at the place. In Saigon, it’s the Majestic Hotel on The Saigon River… In Vung Tau, it’s the Grand Hotel, beachside… At each other stop, The hotels are comparable. Even the places we stop for lunch Are generally the best Available in the area. There have been no complaints!

What about the battlefield trek? Starting from nui Dat We trek about 5 km to the long Tan Plantation… …where we have lunch. We then walk the Battlefield in real Time, Seeing where they had lunch, where the first shots were fired, the 10, 11 & 12 Platoon Positions and the final CHQ / Company position… …and Ending at the cross (the 11 Pl position).

Is it all only about battlefields? No – we visit at least two projects sponsored by our charity – the “AVVRG”… The kindergarten near the former Nui Dat airfield… …and the dentist near the village of Long Tan. We may sometimes be able to visit The Baria orphanage – another AVVRG project.

So it’s all serious and heavy, is it? Certainly not. On one trip, we managed to almost drown our ex-nva officer guide… …you meet some of the locals… …you never know what you’re going to step in as you walk through the bush… …and you can still keep up with your usual hobbies…

Okay – so battlefields & fun. Any sightseeing? Certainly. Street markets, hoi an, caves, ha long bay, hue citadel… …and that’s just on the extension tour.

…and a few memorials, I suppose? One or two… Apart from the Long Tan Cross, we’ll see (clockwise) the NVA memorial to their fallen at Coral/Balmoral, the French one at Dien Bien Phu, Ho Chi Minh’s mausoleum in hanoi, the Hanoi war museum (which is a memorial) and other cemeteries & memorials.

Highlights? (clockwise) walk the tunnels upright, make new friends, a cyclo ride, bargain with the locals, visit places you’ll remember for the rest of your life, Relax, fire an AR16 or an AK-47… …take your pick!

Join us? We take one tour each year, about the second half of October. Please contact judi at National network travel on (03) or Or contact Di of National network travel on (03) or Or dave sabben direct at We will also consider taking your own group of 25 – 35 on your own tour. Ask us for a price.

…thank you for watching…