- Peter Scott & Monica Kong
Post-Lockdown Fun: Vinpearl Land, Nam Hoi An with Kids (video)
Updated: Aug 7, 2020
Click on the image above to watch the video.
When covid-19 was declared a global pandemic, instead of flying back home to Canada, we decided to stay put in Vietnam. It proved to be the right decision, albeit a difficult one to reach. The Vietnamese government acted swiftly and had done what few nations managed to do. They successfully stopped community transmission early on and kept the death rate at 0. For a country with a population of 97 million, this is impressive indeed.
After being in Da Nang for 3 months and enduring a strict, 3-week lockdown, we were eager to get out there and do something fun and touristy. So, when restrictions began to ease and businesses slowly re-opened, we couldn't think of a better way to release all of that pent up energy than to head to an amusement park. The ones in Danang at Ba Na Hills and Sunworld were still closed. So, a 30 minute drive south took us to the next town, and from there we went to Vinpearl Land, Nam Hoi An.
The park was nearly deserted and there were more staff members than guests. With only the occasional loudspeaker playing Vietnamese pop songs, it was almost eerily quiet with no crowds, line ups, or the usual sounds of children screaming in delight. Physical distancing was not an issue at all as we had the rides all to ourselves. This made it a truly a unique experience that we may probably never again have in our lifetime.
THE PARK
Vinpearl Land Nam Hoi An covers a large area. There are small, electric cars that can take you around, and you can even rent bikes at the entrance. The park consists of 5 main sections:
ADVENTURE LAND: rides and rollercoasters, with lots of choices for both small kids and adults.
RIVER SAFARI: a ~20-30 minute boat tour with an english speaking guide, showing you a wide variety of exotic animals and birds. There are two stops along the way where you can feed the giraffes and elephants for an additional cost.
FOLK ISLAND: cultural displays & traditional Vietnamese homes. We did not spend too long here, as some areas were closed, including the outdoor water puppet theater.
WATER WORLD: dozens of waterslides and a wave pool. Other than the odd dead frog floating belly up along the lazy river, it is mostly very clean and well maintained, even the change rooms. You pay a small fee for a locker.
HARBOUR CORNER: This includes an air-conditioned 4D theater in a castle-like structure, with frequent showings. We watched an animated Dinosaur movie where the chair came to life with all kinds of movements and tricks to add to the 4D experience. Highly entertaining and a nice way to cool off from the afternoon sun. The Gaming Center, also air-conditioned, has a big play area for young kids, a trampoline gym, and an arcade.
FOOD
There is a Lotteria, a fast - food chain with the usual burgers and french fries. There are several eateries and some large cafeteria-type restaurants serving local vietnamese food as well as smaller food stands that sell snacks like hot dogs, ice cream, etc, all throughout the park. Not all restaurants were operational when we went, so choices were limited. Prices were higher than normal, but not ridiculously overpriced. It's always a good idea to pack snacks for all-day outings like these!
PRICE
The admission was reasonable at 1,500,000 vnd or ~$92 CDN/ $67 USD for 2 adults and 2 kids. You get a slight discount from KLOOK, an app for cheap travel deals. Everything was included in the price except for food, souvenirs, locker and bike rental. We had over 8 hours of non-stop fun at Vinpearl Land Nam Hoi An, and thoroughly got our money's worth!
GETTING THERE
There is a free shuttle service that can take you to and from a few spots in and around Hoi An.
We had planned on saving some money but the owners of our guesthouse in Hoi An said that departure times were unreliable and we might be left waiting by the side of the road for a long time. When we inquired at the ticket office in Vinpearl Land, they told us there was a last 4:30pm shuttle back to town for free, but we chose to stay a couple of hours longer instead.
So we booked a private car through our guesthouse (we're sure they got a commision) and it got us there and back for 400,000 VND ($23 CDN, $17 US). The advantage of taking the car was that we saved a lot of time and we were able to decide when we wanted to get picked-up. It is 15 km from Hoi An and takes about 20 minutes to get there.
All in all, great fun was had, and the lack of crowds definitely added to the appeal!
VIDEO NOTES:
Location: Hoi An, Vietnam
Camera Gear: Samsung S9
Editing Software: Filmora Wondershare
Music: performed, arranged and produced by Crunchy-P (aka Peter Scott)