Sun World Ha Long: A Pinnacle Of Amusement, Excitement And Endless Joys!

Our recent school teambuilding trip took us to Sa Pa, Hanoi, and Ha Long. Among the three, I was most excited about Ha Long, since I had already been to Sa Pa and Hanoi last year. I was especially thrilled knowing that we’d be riding a cruise to explore Ha Long Bay and would also have access to Sun World Ha Long.

Spanning 214 hectares, Sun World Ha Long is a world-class amusement and recreational complex made up of two main areas: the Coastal Amusement Park and the Amusement Park on Ba Deo Hill, which are connected by a unique cable car system.

Our ticket gave us access to the Samurai Slide, Kidoland, Video Games, Fame Hall, Koi Bridge, Pagoda, Zeb Garden, and a roundtrip ride on the Queen Cable Car.

It was my first time riding a two-storey cable car. I initially assumed the Queen Cable Car would be like any other. But it boasts the capacity to carry 230 passengers at a time, earning it a Guinness World Record. It was designed by the same company behind the Fansipan cable car at Indochina’s highest peak so I had no doubt about its engineering. That said, it got quite crowded, so the ride wasn’t all relaxing.

Still, I managed to enjoy the breathtaking views of Ha Long City and Ha Long Bay from above. Isn’t it stunning? From the air, you can really see how urbanized the city is with landmarks like the Bai Chay Bridge, Vietnam’s longest central-line cable-stayed bridge, and the limestone karsts and islets of Ha Long Bay where we cruised earlier that day.

Surprisingly, the Sun Wheel, one of the most iconic features of Sun World Ha Long and among the tallest Ferris wheels in the world, was also included in our ticket. Unfortunately, it wasn’t operational during our visit. If only it was open, it would’ve given us an even higher panoramic view of Ha Long Bay from the top of Ba Deo Hill, which is possibly even better than the view from the cable car.

That left us with one real thrill ride to enjoy, which is the Samurai Slide. It’s an alpine coaster that lets you speed down the hill with the rider controlling the brakes. Of course, my husband took control and didn’t brake once, so we sped down the track at full speed! It was thrilling and so much fun. Some of us even used our extra time to go on it multiple times. Unfortunately, you can’t bring your phone or any action camera on the ride. But I found a great spot to snap photos of friends mid-ride at the Koi Bridge.

At first, I wondered why it was called the Koi Bridge aside from being located near the Koi Garden. Then, I found out that, from a bird’s-eye view, the bridge is shaped like a koi carp. The bridge also offers another beautiful view of the city and connects you to other nearby attractions like the Moonlight Water Puppetry Stage, Moc Tra Teahouse, and Bonsai House. It was scenic but can get a bit slippery sometimes.

While the younger and braver members of our group were busy riding the Samurai Slide on repeat, our Gen X companions had their fun in the video game area. It’s a family-friendly zone filled with modern arcade machines and games. It was a nice place to chill and enjoy some nostalgic fun. But personally, I didn’t bother taking a look at these games because we also had these at home.

When we still had time to spare, we visited the Fame Hall to see the wax figures of popular celebrities. It reminded me of Madame Tussauds. I like that they didn’t just feature famous stars, but also Guinness World Record holders like the tallest and shortest person, longest tongue, longest neck and largest breast. These exhibits gave visitors a better sense of what those records really looked like in real life. Though I have to admit that not all of the wax figures resembled the people they were modeled after. The best ones were probably Bruce Willis and Hugh Jackman.

While our ticket only included a few Sun World attractions, visitors can upgrade their experience for an extra fee. With an additional payment, you can try attractions like The Art of the Samurai Sword, Magic Land, 12D Cinema, and VR Galaxy. This one is the VR Galaxy where guests can watch through virtual reality headset. But I was especially curious about the Samurai Sword experience, where guests get to learn how a traditional katana is made.

Since our tour only included the Ba Deo Hill area of Sun World Ha Long, we didn’t get to explore the Coastal Amusement Park. It features Dragon Park, known for extreme rides and a huge roller coaster, and Typhoon Water Park, a home to slides like Tornado, Tsunami, Giant Lightning, and Tropical Storm. We just caught a glimpse of this area while riding the Queen Cable Car.

Before heading out, I recharged with a Cheese Coin Waffle and Taiyaki from a snack stall. Sadly, the waffle was a bit too bland for my taste though I appreciated the melty mozzarella inside. On the other hand, the Mango Sugarcane Drink I got was too sweet. You will never ran out of reasons to be full because the amusement park has plenty of food options from snack stalls to full-on restaurants.