Has Vietnam outgrown Suối Tiên Theme Park?
Opened in 1992, the nation’s largest amusement park welcomes a reported 1 to 2 million visitors a year, with an observed target audience of domestic tourists from rural areas and their young children. It may linger in your memory as the site of a family or school trip back in the day, or somewhere you visited when you first arrived in the city and were getting your bearings. But it’s probably not somewhere you visit regularly or even recently.
Until earlier this year, I’d never been to Suối Tiên. The closest I ever came was when I heard it hosts an annual fruits festival with heavy durian presence, though the 40-minute drive out there proved too steep a barrier. While I do love exploring overlooked and oft-maligned Saigon stops (it’s the origin of this entire series, really), I could never bring myself to make that trip. That all changed this past year with the opening of the long-awaited metro, which now comfortably brings visitors from downtown District 1 right to its front gates.
The Saigoneer team had long discussed a visit to the park to celebrate the metro’s opening, so a few Saturdays ago, myself and two of our photographers gathered at Bến Thành Station for the ride out there. What follows is an inexhaustive list of suggestions for a Suối Tiên visit. I hope the do’s and don’ts help you get the most out of your trip, and perhaps allow you to decide, one way or the other, if it’s worth your time.
Do take the train. Our motivation for the Suối Tiên visit proved to be the right call. Not only is it the metro most convenient way to get out there and an opportunity to use it as it was intended (as opposed to employing its station steps as a social media photo backdrop), but it allows you to have a new vantage point of the city. Similar to a ride on the waterbus, the elevated line reveals the backs of neighborhoods, parks, and landmarks. You may think you know Saigon well, but witnessing it from the cool and comfortable train windows is akin to installing a camera in your home and finally getting to watch what your cat does all day while you’re at work.
We knew the metro was the right choice before we even got into the train car. A group of elderly veterans in full, medal-accoutered uniforms was being led through the station. Their experience of marveling at the modern structure juxtaposed with memories of dirt and gore-filled battlefield days is a testament to the nation’s resilience and what’s possible in peace.
While the ticket vending machines remain bafflingly unoperational, everything else about the metro ran smoothly. We tapped our debit cards to board and even got a free newspaper on the way. But be warned, though the last stop on the line is called Suối Tiên, you don’t actually want to get off there. You want to get off one stop earlier, at Đại Học Quốc Gia Station.
Do buy the peanut butter coffee. Egg coffee, salt coffee, coconut coffee, and coffee with sweetened condensed milk: I thought all the realistically delicious Vietnamese coffee drinks had already been introduced. And if a new one were to be developed, I certainly wouldn’t have expected to first come across it at Suối Tiên. However, the cafe at the entrance to the park sells peanut butter coffee that is astonishingly tasty. A mixture of regular Vietnamese phin coffee, some sweetened condensed milk, and real peanut butter results in a rich, nutty, sweet drink that is as refreshing as it is invigorating. The flavors blend so seamlessly that I wonder why I’ve never seen anyone else sell it, and have already begun experimenting with versions of it at my house. And maybe the best part is you don’t even need to pay to enter the park to buy it. You could, in theory, get off at the train stop, purchase the reasonably priced drink, and be back on your way. You can also visit the adjacent MiniStop for some drinks and snacks, so you don’t need to visit one of the uninspired canteens inside.
Don’t buy the ticket book. I’ve never encountered a more confusing amusement park ticketing system than Suối Tiên’s. The majority of the parks I’ve visited have a general admission rate that allows unlimited access to all attractions inside. Once in a while, there are one or two separate prices for unique sections. Suối Tiên doesn’t do it like this. They have half a dozen different ticket level options, each allowing visitors one-time access to different rides or experiences.
We assumed that the most expensive ticket book option, the so-called “Combo Thrill Seeker,” would let us enjoy everything in the park. We were very wrong, however. Coming in at nearly VND500,000 each, we soon found out we weren’t allowed entry for everything. We also found ourselves going on rides we had no interest in simply because it was in the package. Every ride, funhouse, and transportation method can be paid for separately, and we no doubt would have saved more money had we opted for this route.
Don’t believe everything you hear. This park is really quite large (105 hectares), and the thought of walking in the stifling heat was quite overwhelming, so we decided to take the train (at added expense, of course, because this was not included in our ticket book). After convincing the staff at the train station to give us a paper map as opposed to relying on the woefully janky QR-code version, we decided to ride to the far end’s organic farm and work our way back towards the entrance.
As we disembarked the train, a playful chattering of birds filled the air. Was this farm truly so large and verdant as to attract wildlife like a rural commune somewhere deep in the delta? No. The birdsongs were being pumped in via overhead speakers. The farm does have an acceptable number of plants, including 30 exotic fruit varieties such as Indian red pomegranates, Brazilian cherries, and Taiwanese golden star apples, that are cultivated using Japanese farming methods, Israeli drip irrigation, and organic fertilizers. Alas, its claims to be an immersive learning opportunity about sustainable agriculture struck me as a little far-fetched. One could probably learn a lot more by visiting an actual working farm or meeting an agriculture lecturer from one of the nation’s agriculture departments.
Don’t pick the grapes. Large signs posted tell you not to do this, and that should be reason enough not to pluck down a colorful orb and pop it in your mouth. But if you refuse to be a rule-abiding citizen, you’ll be very sorry. They are sour, grainy, terrible!
Do take photos for tattoo inspiration. I’m of the mind that strange statues made permanent via ink beneath skin is one of the best souvenirs one can have; the giraffe climbing a tree as observed at the Saigon Zoo forever on my leg may reveal my bias. If you agree, you’ll find plenty of ideas here. Pomelos with four faces and one crown; a durian with arms and legs; all 12 zodiac animals striking the imposing expressions of disgruntled retail workers on Christmas eve: there are many candidates — except for the mouse doing a pose that suspiciously looks like the Nazi salute… Probably don’t get that inked.
Don’t pay for the crocodile farm. The park’s selection of attractions seems a bit haphazard, but I’d like to think the crocodile farm is a subtle allusion to the land’s use before it was an amusement park. It was first a commercial forest farm built by Sóc Trăng native, Đinh Văn Vui, in 1987 for raising pythons. Moreover, a stream that flowed through the former wasteland area is connected to a legend of seven virgin girls who died and gave it the name: Suối Tiên, or fairy creek.
Regardless of why it’s there, for inexplicable reasons, a ticket to the crocodile farm was not included in our booklet. Putting aside the fact that reptiles generally, and crocodiles particularly, are unimpressive animals for viewing on account of their sedentary, submerged lifestyles, you don’t need to pay to see them. You can instead view them from the monorail, which our ticket booklet did include entrance to.
Don’t rock the monorail car. In addition to the views of the cold-blooded logs that are crocodiles in the tepid pond below, the monorail allows you to get a better view of the park in general. You can see the scrabbly animal cages that house rabbits, turtles, and birds, as well as games and rides. But be careful not to move too aggressively within the car because it shudders and sways with unnerving squeals when you do so. As the day wore on, we increasingly noticed areas of questionable safety controls, but this was the first instance where we understood that our health and well-being required self-vigilance. For the remainder of our monorail ride we sat very still, enjoying pleasant chit-chat.
Do empty your pockets before getting on the rides. While some negativity may bubble to the surface of this article from time to time, credit where credit’s due when it comes to two rides in particular. The Rotation of the Universe and the Giant Pendulum provide thrilling speed and daring drops. The high-velocity, adrenaline-filled rides whisked us into the sky and set us careening back down with gravity tugging on our stomachs. Just be careful not to have a loose hat or any valuables in shallow pockets because they might tumble out and shatter on the ground.
But if you do lose something, don’t worry too much. There is a lost and found case beside the train station containing a number of early edition iPhones, early digital point-and-click cameras, and official IDs. It's like opening a time capsule from the early 2000s. One wonders what juicy text messages are now locked up in those Nokia brick phones and if their owners will ever return to claim them.
Don’t bother with the overhead bicycle. While you’ll get some exercise pumping the pedals to help you burn off the peanut butter coffee calories, this ride offers little else. It has a view of some construction areas and carnival games of little popularity, I suppose. If this hadn’t been paid for in our ticket book, we surely wouldn’t have wanted to take part in this one, and neither should you.
Don’t take your eyes off your little ones. The construction site visible from the bicycles is woefully unguarded. Intense equipment, including soldering irons, stemrollers, and drills are strewn all over waiting for a child to stumble over.
Meanwhile, entrance to the Rotation of the Universe, whose speed I rightfully praised, has no gate or door, meaning a toddler could simply teeter into the full downswoop of hundreds of kilos of shuddering steel. Suối Tiên is unquestionably aimed at children, but it does very little to ensure they remain safe. Hell, a person could even fall into the crocodile ponds and prove me wrong for thinking the animals are slow, dimwitted bores. If you bring children to the park, do keep a close watch on them to ensure they don’t get seriously injured by any of the precarious overhangs, slippery floors, sharp cliffs or recklessly arranged machinery.
Do pack a swimsuit. Or maybe don’t pack a swimsuit. We didn’t bring swim trunks and thus didn’t go to the waterpark, so I cannot say anything good or bad about it. It did appear stuffed with screaming children on a school trip, which might very well be overwhelming, particularly if you are a foreigner.
Do smile and wave. Hello! What’s your name?! It’s been a long time since I’ve heard a crowd of children shout this at me. In Saigon, people are familiar with foreigners, and unlike in rural areas, we rarely arouse a second glance. This was not the case at Suối Tiên. Likely because the main demographic of guests is rural dwellers, we were very much a source of unwarranted excitement. Anytime we walked past a school group or found ourselves in the same haunted house, they shouted all the random English phrases they knew at us. I never feel more appreciated for doing absolutely nothing other than having been born elsewhere than in such situations. The best thing to do is to politely smile, say hello, and return the high-fives.
Thankfully, it’s quite easy to be jovial because, for the most part, people at Suối Tiên are in good spirits. Security guards, peanut butter coffee makers, ride operators, and construction workers were all friendly and helped create a jubilant atmosphere.
Don’t be scared. (Don’t worry, you won’t be). Many of the attractions at Suối Tiên have names that don’t reveal what’s inside. Phoenix House, Magic Castle, Journey to the Center of the Earth, and Unicorn Palace are all haunted houses reliant on janky animatronics to provide unconvincing jump scares.
While there is creativity behind the morality-themed Unicorn Palace, which points out the gruesome afterlifes awaiting drunkards, cheats, and those who don’t honor their parents, the screeching, scowling, whirring maelstrom of machines presenting them could use a major overhaul. Worse is the copyright-flaunting Harry Potter-themed Magic House that is so incredibly dark inside it’s impossible to see any of the installations that are just ripped-off versions of Hogwarts’ spiders, witches, serpents, and villains. It’s hard to imagine even the most skittish child being actually frightened by any of it. We put our heads down and quickened our pace to get through the dark and boring buildings.
Do forget what you learned in history class. The Journey to the Center of the Earth is the most baffling of all Suối Tiên’s attractions. It could have been an imaginative trip to the magma-rich core of the planet, or some time-traveling fever dream filled with dinosaurs, but it’s not. The mannequin dressed like a 1990s grunge rock fan is a red herring, and the attraction is actually a cart-based trip through a fantasy version of Egypt, complete with mummies, gold, and animatronic Nile beasts. It’s another humdrum parade of attempted jump scares.
The comical jumble of Egyptian tropes obliterates any argument one could make about the park being a learning experience. And while the brief gestures to Buddhist principles in one ride is admirable, it’s hardly a stand-in for a visit to the temple. If your child claims they are going to Suối Tiên as an educational trip, it's probably best to keep them home that day. But at the very least, the large globe accurately depicts the world’s nations, including the prominent identification of Trường Sa and Hoàng Sa as Vietnamese.
Don’t eat the snow. The Snow Castle allows you to know what it would be like to work in a frozen seafood factory. I didn’t notice a thermometer while putting on the provided winter jacket or plastic boots, but it's surely well below 0°C. This feels wonderful when coming in from the scorching Saigon sun. After ten minutes, it even got uncomfortable. Thankfully, there isn’t much to do in the Snow Castle. We whisked down the slide a couple of times, careful not to slip on the thin layer of shaved ice that covered every surface, and we were ready to exit. There isn’t enough of these slivers to make a snowball or snow angel. And you definitely shouldn’t put them in your mouth.
Do plan around a festival. On June 1, the fruit festival at Suối Tiên officially begins. Based on videos of parades featuring absurd mascots and moderately horrifying characters alongside human performers that I’ve seen, the occasion ramps up the slapdash joys of the entire park experience. You’re allowed to pick fruit at the farm with no shame, and at the very least, all the other attractions will be available as well.
Don’t let us tell you what to do. After nearly four hours, we were hot and tired. We’d used up our entire ticket book, but hadn’t explored every nook and corner of the park. We didn’t even pay to have those tiny massage fish nibble at our feet. The newest roller coaster was under repair. There is plenty to discover that we no doubt missed.
Yes, Suối Tiên is overpriced and shoddy, with many of the attractions needing not maintenance but a complete teardown. It’s hard to favorably compare the park to newer entertainment sites in Saigon, including even basic mall arcades. Yet, even without being able to connect it to nostalgic childhood visits, I find myself reflecting with great fondness on our trip. Maybe it was seeing our photographer’s eyeglasses fogged up in the giant industrial cooler, or laughing at the other's discovery that every single toilet in the male bathroom was empty and locked; we had a lot of fun. Like most things, anywhere in life really, if you go with the right attitude and the right people, you can make it fun.
