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Vinpearl Amusement Park (Vietnam)
by Essexgirl2006 Vinpearl land is an upmarket Vietnamese tourist brand who opened their flagship resort on Hon Tre island, just across the bay from Nha Trang, on Vietnam's central south coast area. You can see their logo, Hollywood sign style, from the beach in the heart of the town. Vinpearl land offers a luxury hotel and spa resort, but it is also a ... day trip for locals and tourists alike as it offers a theme park. I understand that the hotel is all inclusive and starts from about US$165 per night. Facilities include a spa, tennis court, swimming pools and golf. To be honest I wasn't initially interested in wandering around a theme park, but my other half was keen to try the cable car across. You can get boat transfers to the island or you can travel on the world's longest sea-crossing cable car. It is over 3km in length, and you travel in little 8-seater compartments. The car slows down for you to step in and gradually increases speed until you are over the sea. It takes 7-12 minutes each way. The speed is adjusted to suit wind conditions, which normally pick up in the afternoons. Certainly our return crossing was a few minutes longer than the one we took in the morning, but was still very smooth and we didn't swing about as I had feared. There are 48 cars traversing the route and I would think it is more interesting (and quicker) than the ferry. We got a taxi to the terminus, which was on the edge of Nha Trang town, and the driver stopped for us to get tickets in a local shop. The cost was VND 320,000 (approx £10.50 or US$16.50), expensive for a cable car, but that includes admission to the park. We arrived in the park, in the Outdoor Games section, quite early, and there were not many people around. The Outdoor Games area is like a fairground with lots of rides. It's quite a bit smaller than the major European parks and has a mix of kiddie rides (riding on model animals type merry-go-rounds), classics like the bigger horse merry-go-rounds and the swing ones (I don't think the Vietnamese get the opportunity to go on rides very often, they were screaming like they were being murdered on the swing carousel) and more adventurous ones. When I say adventurous, I am using the term relatively. There is a swinging pirate ship, similar to rides we have at home, but it doesn't go upside down; a rollercoaster that would have been cutting edge in Western parks about 30 years ago, and one other ride, the Evolution, that looked the only one that would content a regular Western theme park goer with its twisting and flinging. All the rides are free, and likely to appeal to younger family members more than adults. Although the park is open to 9pm in the week (10pm at weekends) the rides are not open all the time during the day. This makes sense, as sometimes they would be operating with just two or three people on them. Outside each ride is a sign depicting the times, usually for half an hour every hour or so, so you just need to plan your route around the park to avoid waiting times, but as it is a small park, with no more than a dozen rides, this won't be too hard. I think they are open more in the evenings, when the temperature is cooler. Adjacent to the Outdoor Park was an indoor one. It was a lot cooler in here (and darker) and had arcade type games, a bucking bronco and dodgems as well as a 4D cinema. I assume you pay for the arcade games, I didn't check as I had no real interest in them. We were intrigued as to what a 4D movie was, so joined the queue. Again this was free. The movie we saw was called 'Under the Sea' or something similar and only lasted about 5-6 minutes. If you have been on one of those simulator rides, it is very similar to that but larger. We filed into a room and sat on the fixed seats and were handed 3D glasses. The idea is that we were on a vessel under the sea, so the seating, bucked underneath us at the appropriate moments giving us the impression that we were diving under the sea and dodging sea monsters. In addition at certain moments we got sprayed with water or had blasts of air to indicate the sensations we may have felt in a 'real' situation. It was a good bit of fun and children loved it. If you are with them expect to be made to see all the three or four movies they offer. There are two screens and they show a movie every 15 minutes or so. As you move around the area away from the rides section, you walk through the Shopping Mall, this is all proper branded shops selling clothes, fashion accessories, sporting goods and top end gifts. There was a small café near here where we stopped for a cold drink in the shade. All around the park are Fast Food areas selling burgers and hot dogs with one noodle option. There were prices at a fixed rate of VND20,000 (65p or US$1), excluding drinks. I didn't see any vegetarian options. The stalls seemed to have plenty of seating around them, were clean and tidy and well-staffed. We opted to go to the Food Village for a proper meal. There seemed to be only two restaurants and a bar in the food village area, which was by the cable car area but on a lower level, and I think the menu was the same for both (although one claimed to be a seafood restaurant, and the other traditional Vietnamese) . My other half ordered mackerel porridge because he wondered what it was. It was actually a large, think, glutinous soup with healthy chunks of mackerel in it. I ordered a vegetarian stir fried dish with rice. There is a full drink and cocktail menu also. The prices were not expensive compared to what you would expect, it wasn't the cheapest meal we had in Vietnam, but it was probably only a dollar or two more than we would have paid on the mainland. The food portions were generous and cooked well, and the staff smiling and helpful (if not entirely confident with their English). Between the shopping mall and water park is the Underwater World aquarium. This is apparently the largest indoor aquarium in Vietnam. It is divided into climate zones, and is well laid out though it seems some smaller fish got massive tanks, yet larger ones got a smaller tank and it seemed not much room. They didn't move much and I am not sure if that is because there wasn't much room or because they were more sedate fish anyway. There isn't a great deal of info about the fish, although each species has a card with a picture and its name on in Vietnamese and English (apparently the English translation for Clown Fish is Nemo Fish which amused us). There is also a moving walkway you can stand on and travel around some sections with the fish swimming over your head. The walkway moved really slowly, so you can just walk it if you wish. I took lots of photos here (use the Aquarium setting on your camera if you have one) and really enjoyed it, in spite of my initial concern regarding the tank sizes at a couple of earlier exhibits. I believe it is open all day and into the evening. The map showed a dolphin show, but we could find nothing about that when we got here. One place we didn't really visit was the Water Park - it is only open during the day but looked quite impressive. As well as its own beach, and some smaller kiddie pools and family areas, there are lots of water slides and tunnels, and looked a lot more exciting than the theme park. Definitely a place for any water park fan and great for kids of all ages. Vinpearl Land also has an Event Hall and amphitheatre and recently hosted Miss Vietnam 2010. There is also a pagoda on the island, but I believe it is a purpose built one Access to the island for non overnight guests is by ferry or cable car. The area is very modern, landscaped and well-maintained. However, whilst paths are wide and there were a lot of steps as the island is a hill. From the Food Village to the Cable Car, for example, there are escalators, but mostly you will find you have to go up and down a lot of steps. This could be a difficult if you have a pushchair with you, so you may need to re-think your route to try and use the escalators. The park area would also not be easy for wheelchair users. Overall we found the park to be well laid out and clean, although we did visit at an off-peak time. Whilst it is not the most exciting theme park you will ever visit, it is a good place for kids and families, and definitely worth the day trip from Nha Trang if you have the time. Read more: http://www.igougo.com/review-r1377096-A_Pleasant_Day_Out.html#ixzz18vYnbNut Read the complete review |
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Mediterraneo Marine Park (Malta)
by lak11 A few years ago I went to Malta with my husband and two children for a one week holiday. During our holiday I was surprised to see an advertisement for the Mediterraneo Marine Park in Sliema, which offered the unusual opportunity of swimming with dolphins. I loved the idea of this and so tried to book this event for my two ... children, believing it to probably be a great experience. But, unfortunately for us, this event is very popular and we couldn't be fitted in. I was told that this experience usually needs to be booked about a week or more in advance, especially in the summer when the marine park is at its busiest. The manager of the hotel where we were staying even went so far as to contact a friend of his who worked at the Marine Park, but sadly he was told that it was completely full for the next week. This was a disappointment but there was nothing we could do. We continued to enjoy our stay in Malta. More recently we decided to return for another holiday in Malta. We booked for a two week stay at the Paradise Bay hotel. Once this was booked I decided I would once again try to book the dolphin swim but this time to secure the swim I would try to book well in advance and from England, months before our holiday date. And so, before even leaving for our holiday, I found the website for the Mediterraneo Marine Park and made enquiries. It was expensive but I felt it should be a memorable event and worth footing the bill. It was quite easy to book. There was an exchange of a few emails between myself and the park. I was dealt with speedily and with politeness. I was informed that the cost would include a towel, flip flops (which had to be worn in the dolphin swim area for the sake of hygiene) a free soft drink, entrance to the park for the swimmers (spectators had to pay entrance fee) and transport for the four of us to and from our hotel. I was instructed to contact the park on my arrival to arrange a day and a suitable time. After arriving in Malta and settling into the hotel, I rang the park and was given a choice of morning or afternoon for the dolphin swim, but advised that it would be a more comfortable day if I chose morning rather than the heat of the afternoon. We were collected from the hotel early in the morning by a mini bus. The sun shone relentlessly, even though it had not long risen.The driver stopped to collect a few more holiday makers who were also looking forward to their adventure. Malta is a small island and it doesn't take too long to travel from one end to the other so it didn't take too long to arrive at the park, which is on the outskirts of Sliema. On arrival, we were greeted and taken to a dedicated room where my children were instructed as to what they should and shouldn't do around the dolphins. This was for the well-being mainly of the dolphins. They were spoken to about conservation and respect for sea life. We were asked about their abilities as swimmers. Although children of eight can participate stronger swimmers can go deeper into the pool. Both my children are good, confident swimmers. I had already found out as much information as I could about the park and the dolphin swim but once again we heard that the dolphins were rescue dolphins. I think they had been kept in poor conditions in eastern Europe. The children were supplied with their wetsuits, towels and flip flops and shown to the changing room. Everyone participating had to shower first. They were both excited and, understandably, a little nervous. We then met them at the area where the swim was to take place. This consists of a large pool. The water, we were told, is kept a fairly cold because this suits these bottle nosed dolphins. There were staggered stone seats, a little like a Greek amphitheatre. From here my husband and I could watch the swim. We didn't choose to swim ourselves, mainly due to the expense, but were happy enough to enjoy the experience our children were having. Small groups were taken to the side of the pool and one by one given close access to these beautiful creatures. My son and daughter were gradually encouraged to touch the dolphins and swim a few metres holding on to their fin. Once it could be seen that they were confident and sensible they swam, with the dolphin pulling them along. At one point a dolphin laid on its back and a swimmer held a fin either side. The dolphin swam with them around the pool. The swim ended with the dolphin 'kissing' its new friend! My children returned to us, full of smiles and clearly moved by this incredible experience. They both said that this was a terrific experience, never to be forgotten. The price for this experience is currently: Swim Programme-120 Euros Spectators-15 Euros (children and senior citizens-10.50 Euros) For further information on the marine Park and the dolphin swin experience please see: http://www.mediterraneo.com.mt/ Read the complete review |
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WaterWorld Waterpark (Ayia Napa, Cyprus)
by lak11 If you are planning to holiday in Cyprus and stay anywhere within travelling distance of the resort of Ayia Napa then I would highly recommend that you visit the fantastic water park called Water world. On my last visit to Protaras my family and I decided to visit this water park. We went with friends we had made at the ... hotel. Altogether there were four over forties, four teenagers and a child of ten. We decided to travel by bus which was easy as a bus stop was close to our hotel. The water park is on the outskirts of Ayai Napa. It took us about thirty to forty minutes to get there. It is easy to travel by taxi orcar. If choosing to travel by taxi arrange the price first. We had already purchased our tickets from a travel kiosk in Protaras the day before, so were allowed straight through and didn't have to queue at all in the scorching heat. Tickets cost 32 Euros for an adult and 18 Euros for a child aged twelve and under. Once paid for this covers all rides. We hired two lockers between us and were given a key on a wrist band for this. Next we went to find sun loungers. Although it was now late morning there were still plenty of beds remaining and we found a nice spot by the lazy river, with beds for us all, and some much needed parasols. Then the fun began. AS for me and the other lady in our party, we weren't planning to go on many of the rides, but wished to watch the others having fun while we enjoyed the atmosphere. However, we did venture several times on the lazy river. We needed to do this to cool down from the intense heat of the Cyprus summer sun. I found the scariest thing about this river was the large blue dragon flies darting around the river. Other than that it was pleasant and relaxing. We all also ventured into the artificial beach and waited for the wave machine to be switched on. This was great fun for all. This seemed very popular with visitors to the park. I watched the adventurous members of our party having fun on the excellent rides at this park. This park is bigger than the one at Paphos', Aphrodite Park. Although large, once one has consulted the map in the leaflet given with the tickets, it soon becomes easy enough to find your way around. As the morning turned into afternoon the park became busier and the queues for rides grew but it never proved too long a wait for anything. The water park is based upon Greek gods and goddesses and Greek heroes with rides named after them. Some really are awesome, such as 'the fall of Icarus' where one feels as if you are sure to fall over the top of the flume. I'm sure it's safe but frightening. Other rides that our party enjoyed were: Aelos whirlpool, Minotaur's Labyrinth, Apollo's Plunge. This is a group/family raft ride where you twist and turn and suddenly drop as you journey through 124 metres on a fast moving raft. This is very popular. The kamikaze slides are not for the fainthearted. On the scariest y the ride you start of in an enclosed flume and then come out and fall down a sheer drop at speed. I am told it was amazing. There are various food outlets in the park such as Dionysos Temple which is self-service. Homer's Burger Palace sells fast food. Both outlets have vegetarian options. The food was quite nice. Seats and tables were easy enough to find. We had a great time here with everyone agreeing that the water world had provided us with a great and memorable day out. Read the complete review |
Theme Park / Zoo International |
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Theme Park / Zoo International / |
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1 review Theme Park / Zoo International / |
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Theme Park / Zoo International / |
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Noorder Dierenpark / Theme Park / Zoo International / Hoofdstraat 18 / Postfach 1010 / 7801 BA Emmen / Niederlande. |
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The Zoological Park of Paris lies on 15 hectares. It belongs to the Paris 12th district near the Bois de Vincennes. The Big Rock is open since march 1997; mountains animals lik mouflons, markhors, otters and vultures live on or around it. A new Nocturama introduces the nocturn Lemurs. 53 / Theme Park / Zoo International /... |
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Zoo Basel / Theme Park / Zoo International / Binningerstrasse 40 / Postfach / CH / 4011 Basel / Fon ++41 61 295 35 35 / Tele / Fax: ++41 61 281 00 05. |
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13 reviews Theme Park / Zoo International / |
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Theme Park / Zoo International / |
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1 review Theme Park / Zoo International / Is located on Sentosa island. Getting to Sentosa is quite easy. Take a ferry bus or the cable car across. Ferry services are available from the World Trade Centre terminal. Bus services are also available from the World Trade Centre Bus Terminal . |
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