A Short Ride in the Jungle: The Ho Chi Minh Trail by Motorcycle

Written by Antonia Bolingbroke-Kent

Narrated by Antonia Bolingbroke-Kent

‘For the first time in my life I felt that death was a possibility; a stupid, pointless, lonely death on the aptly named Mondulkiri Death Highway.’

The Ho Chi Minh Trail is one of the greatest feats of military engineering in history. But since the end of the Vietnam War much of this vast transport network has been reclaimed by jungle, while remaining sections are littered with a deadly legacy of unexploded bombs. For Antonia, the chance to explore the Trail before it was lost forever was a personal challenge she couldn’t ignore – yet at times it would be a terrifying journey.

Setting out from Hanoi on an ageing Honda Cub, she spent two months riding 2000 miles through the mountains and jungles of Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. Battling inhospitable terrain and multiple breakdowns, she met former American fighter pilots, tribal chiefs, illegal loggers and bomb disposal experts.

A thrilling, poignant tale of war, bravery and learning to face your fears.

"I enormously enjoyed every page." Dervla Murphy.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Summersdale Publishers LTD
• Release date: Jul 31, 2020
• ISBN: 9781662227240

Antonia Bolingbroke-Kent

Antonia Bolingbroke-Kent is an established travel writer and public speaker with a particular love for embarking on difficult journeys through remote regions. Her previous books, Tuk-Tuk to the Road and A Short Ride in the Jungle were well received, and she has appeared on numerous radio and TV shows. She graduated from Edinburgh University with an MA in modern history, before crossing the Gobi Desert on a tuk-tuk and winning Cosmopolitan magazine’s Fun Fearless Female Award. She currently works as a BBC producer and, when not travelling or researching in the Royal Geographical Society archives, can be found in Bristol. Visit her at TheItinerant.co.uk.

Reviews for A Short Ride in the Jungle

[Dan C · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Amusing, courageous, inspiring and written in the chronological style. I especially liked the comparison with pre and postwar Vietnam.

[Alex Magocs · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Thank you for sharing your tale. I came for the motorcycle stuff but I really enjoyed the way you delivered all the history.