[1] The route roughly coincides with the Ho Chi Minh trail during the Vietnam War.
As of 2007, this road runs from Hoa Lac in Hanoi to Ngoc Hoi in Kon Tum province with a total length of 1,234.5 km.
Đường Hồ Chí Minh Đông is a well-traveled road with many trucks, towns and restaurants along it.
Conversely, Đường Hồ Chí Minh Tây cuts through extremely mountainous areas with steep hills and few gas stations.
At times, heavy rain washes out small segments of Đường Hồ Chí Minh Tây, making it impassable to trucks and cars.