As the Lunar New Year holiday draws near, many of us around Saigon, especially those with families, are on the hunt for places where we can spend a whole day of meaningful activities.
A cultural theme park featuring scenic spiritual sites and recreational facilities, Dai Nam Wonderland is perfect for guests seeking adventure as well as a spiritual experience.
Image credit: Đại Nam Văn Hóa Du Lịch Thể Thao
Opened in 2008, Dai Nam Wonderland is situated in Binh Duong, a city 30KM away from Saigon’s city center. Spanning 711 hectares, it’s also the largest cultural theme park in Vietnam.
Image credit: Đại Nam Văn Hóa Du Lịch Thể Thao
The park features scenic landscapes, man-made temples, recreational facilities, a racing stadium, and a zoo.
From Ben Thanh in Saigon’s District 1, you can hop on Bus 61-6 for a 1-hour ride through 16 stops to the final drop-off point at the gate of the park.
Bus ticket fare between the city center and Dai Nam Wonderland is around VND7,000-VND14,000 (~USD0.30-USD0.60) per ticket.
From now until 31st December 2021, all visitors can enter Dai Nam Wonderland Park for free – so this year is the perfect time to experience it if you’ve always meant to.
Image credit: Đại Nam Văn Hóa Du Lịch Thể Thao
You can travel around Dai Nam Wonderland on foot, or hop on the free electric tram to move around with convenience.
Image credit: Truong Dua Dai Nam
Spanning 600 hectares and seating over 18,000 people, Dai Nang Racecourse is the first in Vietnam to include 3 racing venues.
Image credit: Truong Dua Dai Nam
These include 1 for horse racing, which is 1.6KM long, 1 for dog racing, which is 500M long, and another for motor & kart racing, measuring 2.2KM in length.
Image credit: Truong Dua Dai Nam
At Dai Nam’s racing games, visitors can watch and wager on live racing.
Image credit: Đại Nam Văn Hóa Du Lịch Thể Thao
The racecourse also includes a 10,000 sqm pool, where visitors can catch mesmerizing jet skiing and flyboarding shows in which performers spin around and fly over the water.
Image credit: Đại Nam Văn Hóa Du Lịch Thể Thao
Image credit: Khu Du Lich Dai Nam
Fun awaits visitors at Dai Nam Zoo, where you’ll marvel at the wonders of nature, enjoy feeding sessions with giraffes as well as plentiful photo opportunities.
Dai Nam Zoo comprises 63 endangered animals across over 600 species, such as the Indochinese tiger, Eld’s deer, red-naped ibises, and white-headed langurs.
Image credit: Khu Du Lich Dai Nam
At Dai Nam Zoo, Vietnam’s first zoo to adopt an open concept, the animals are not fenced from viewers in cages.
Instead, they are kept at a distance from visitors by scenic barriers such as rivers, streams, or lotus ponds so that visitors can directly view the live scene in a natural setting.
Image credit: Khu Du Lich Dai Nam
Covering 5,000 sqm, Dai Nam Temple, or Kim Dien, is modelled after traditional Vietnamese architecture – Hue’s imperial style, in particular.
Made of solid wood, it’s topped with meticulously decorated two-tiered roofs made of glazed tiles.
Image credit: Khu Du Lich Dai Nam
At the outer court, visitors will see two golden statues featuring folk story hero Thanh Giong and Vietnamese general Ly Thuong Kiet riding a horse.
Image credit: Dai Nam Wonderland
Stepping inside to the central court, visitors will find statues of the Buddha, the founding father of the nation Emperor Hung, and the Emperor Tran Nhan Tong, flanked by the statues of General Tran Hung Dao, Au Co, and Ho Chi Minh, which are made of gold.
The sides of the doors are inscribed with phrases about Vietnamese mythology and folklore.
Stepping out of the spacious temple entryway, you’ll face the gates of Dai Nam Wonderland and see the park square. On festive occasions such as Vesak Day on 5th May or Independence Day on 2nd September, you can catch performances, shows, and firework displays here.
Image credit: Khu Du Lich Dai Nam
Adjacent to the temple is the Marble Mountains, a majestic structure inspired by nature’s beauty. It is also a replica of the real marble mountains called Ngu Hanh Son in Da Nang.
Consisting of 5 peaks representing 5 elements of metal, wood, water, water, fire, and earth. These mountains are also home to thousands of swallows.
Image credit: Dai Nam Wonderland
The central peak of the mountains is 65.8M high, surrounding a tower of worship. Featuring 9 levels, the tower is used to commemorate Vietnamese historical heroes, war warriors, and the Buddha.
After ascending to level 9, visitors can catch a panoramic view of the entire park.
Image credit: Khu Du Lich Dai Nam
Families with kids should not miss a trip to Dai Nam Ocean, surrounded by small islands and coconut trees.
Image credit: Khu Du Lich Dai Nam
Spanning 21.6 hectares with a capacity of 30,000 guests, Dai Nam Ocean actually consists of 2 separate pools, 1 made of saltwater and another made of freshwater.
Image credit: Khu Du Lich Dai Nam
You can either splash about in the refreshing water, whiz down the water slides, or hop on a canoe for an exhilarating ride.
Image credit: Khu Du Lich Dai Nam
Image credit: Dai Nam Wonderland
Set against Dai Nam Ocean, the frequent outdoor music and fashion shows complemented with mesmerizing effects will thrill you.
Image credit: Khu Du Lich Dai Nam
Image credit: Đại Nam Văn Hóa Du Lịch Thể Thao
The young and young at heart will not feel out of place in Dai Nam Wonderland, which is packed with adventurous rides and shows for both adults and kids.
Featuring 40 rides and activities, Dai Nam Wonderland can keep you and your family entertained all day long.
Image credit: Đại Nam Văn Hóa Du Lịch Thể Thao
To get your adrenaline pumping, opt for exhilarating roller coaster rides where you’ll zoom up and down turns and slopes.
For an equally thrilling ride, check out the scrambler, a ride where you sit in cars and spin around a rotating frame.
Image credit: Đại Nam Văn Hóa Du Lịch Thể Thao
If carousel rides make you excited rather than dizzy, go for swing rides, which run clockwise at a faster speed and let you go higher.
Image credit: Khu Du Lich Dai Nam
Fitness junkies in Dai Nam Wonderland can check out the high ropes course, which is a well-loved adventurous sport in Dalat.
Image credit: Khu Du Lich Dai Nam
Users will be given safety gear, such as belay equipment and friction devices, and taught basic climbing and belaying skills before starting.
When you’re ready, you’ll navigate your way from low to high elements built on poles.
Image credit: Khu Du Lich Dai Nam
At the end of the journey, you’ll zipline across a short distance to your final destination.
For this activity, visitors will pay additional fees. Tickets are priced at VND100,000 (~USD4.33) for children and VND200,000 (~USD8.67) for adults.
As an extra precaution, people with a fear of heights or any medical concerns are not advised to participate in this game.
Image credit: Khu Du Lich Dai Nam
To keep your kids entertained on a day-long visit, take them to Nong Trai Cang Cua, or the Crab Farm, a recreational agricultural zone for kids.
Image credit: Khu Du Lich Dai Nam
With lush gardens full of verdant plants and fruits as well as rustic landscapes reminiscent of rural Vietnam, there’s a myriad of things to see and do here.
Image credit: Khu Du Lich Dai Nam
At the farm, kids will be guided by real farmers and pick up basic gardening techniques, from sowing seeds to taking cuttings.
After learning these newbie-friendly farming skills, the kids can have a thrilling time in the water sailing in basket boats.
Image credit: Khu Du Lich Dai Nam
Not only is basket boat sailing a fun sport to enjoy, but it also teaches the kids about Vietnamese history. During the French colonial era, basket boats were a means of transportation made from bamboo used by Southern Vietnamese farmers and fishermen to evade exorbitant taxes on regular boat use.
Image credit: Khu Du Lich Dai Nam
Image credit: Đại Nam Văn Hóa Du Lịch Thể Thao
To cool off after a fun-filled day in the sun, visit the Snow House. In this place, you’ll travel to the park’s closest answer to Dalat or Sapa, with freezing temperatures and thick snow.
Image credit: Đại Nam Văn Hóa Du Lịch Thể Thao
You can ski on the snow or create stunning snapshots with snow-studded backdrops.
Image credit: Khu Du Lich Dai Nam
Along the beach of Dai Nam Ocean, you’ll find a wide variety of eateries and restaurants serving hearty Vietnamese and Western cuisine.
Image credit: Khu Du Lich Dai Nam
After ordering your food, you can dine on the breezy beach amid a rustic and laid-back outdoor setting.
Unlike most beaches where you’ll be charged a rental fee for seating, Dai Nam Wonderland lets you use their beach tables and chairs for free.
Image credit: Khu Du Lich Dai Nam
For those who want to spend more time exploring this giant park or are too exhausted to drive home on the same day, Dai Nam Wonderland also offers accommodation services.
Image credit: Khu Du Lich Dai Nam
From neat hotel rooms to spacious ocean-view villas, Dai Nam Wonderland has a lot to offer.
From VND600,000 (~USD26.01) per night, you can rent a twin room with a size of 25 sqm. If you’re with family or a group, you can rent a 154 sqm-large villa at VND4,300,000 (~USD186.39) per night.
Situated in Binh Duong, Dai Nam Wonderland is a great spring holiday destination for you and your loved ones.
At the park, you can discover a broad array of land animals at the open zoo, stroll along verdant gardens surrounding majestic temples, and have fun splashing in the cool blue waters – all in one family-friendly place.
Address: Hiep An, Thu Dau Mot, Binh Duong Province, Vietnam
Opening hours: Wed – Fri, 8AM-5PM, Sat – Sun, 8AM-6PM | Closed Mon & Tue
Telephone: 02743 845 878 I 02743 845 845
Also check out:
Cover image adapted from: Khu Du Lich Dai Nam, Khu Du Lich Dai Nam, Đại Nam Văn Hóa Du Lịch Thể Thao, and Khu Du Lich Dai Nam
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