From the cloud-covered peak of Fansipan Mountain in Sa Pa to the magnificent Ha Long Bay; from the lush paradise of Ba Na Hills to the stunning beaches of Da Nang or Phu Quoc - there’s no denying each of the five Sun World Complexes in Vietnam is a neighbor to great natural beauty.

When first mapping out their vision, the investors, Sun Group — Vietnam’s premier developer of luxury tourism projects and entertainment complexes — knew they wanted to create world class theme parks and entertainment complexes in some of the country’s most incredible locations. But the plan was not simply just to ‘entertain’. They also wanted to add something truly magical to each of these iconic destinations. In many cases, people could scarcely believe what they managed to achieve.

“A cable car to the top of Fansipan? We couldn’t imagine that such a thing was possible when we first heard about it,” said Hoang Kim, a mother of two from Hanoi. “When my husband and I showed our kids a video of the cable car riding to the top. They begged us to take them to Sapa,” she said.

When they travelled Sa Pa, the cable car ride, which set multiple world records upon opening, didn’t disappoint.   “Everyone loved it. Riding the cable car was like being in a dream for my kids. They were wide-eyed with wonder as they gazed out at the incredible scenery all around. My husband was also greatly impressed at the scale of the engineering project. It’s truly impressive,” Kim added.

Clean and green

“My kids were fascinated when they were told about the ‘Spider Men’ of Fansipan, the cable car technicians who hang around the cliffs, not just to monitor and maintain the systems, but also to collect garbage that tourists and backpackers had left behind over many years in Hoang Lien Son forest,” said Kim.

“Even in bad weather, and despite the treacherous conditions, they still do their job every week to make Hoang Lien Son forest more green and clean. It’s a big lesson for our kids to hear. We all have to do our bit to protect the environment of Vietnam.”

The more they learned about the cable car system, the more they were amazed. “We also read that many of the engineers and contractors lived in the forest for 800 days, at times carrying stones, cable, tools, and everything else they needed up the slopes of Fansipan mountain,” Kim added.

This was in fact the only solution. “Sun Group made it clear from the beginning that they would only pursue this project if they can construct it without destroying the forest. It must have been back breaking work to connect the departure station to the arrival station using only man-power, but they did it,” Kim said.

“To protect the unique natural setting in the Hoang Lien Son forest, the workers literally inched their way, day by day, and put the cable-car system together piece by piece. They crossed ravines, streams and waterfalls and in some cases faced life-threatening situations. They must have been so brave.” 

Flower power at Sun World

Kim added that much credit must be given to Sun Group for making the protection of the environment a priority. “When we arrived at Sun World Fansipan Legend, the timing was wonderful — there was an annual festival celebrating rhododendrons, a rare species of flower, which native to the Hoang Lien forest,” said Kim.

This spring, visitors Sun World Ba Na Hills — located in Central Vietnam, overlooking Da Nang — also left a deep impression on tourists from Vietnam and overseas with a stunning display of bell-shaped peach blossoms (Ericcaceae). Meanwhile, Sun World Da Nang Wonders in the city centre is known as “Da Nang’s Green Lung” thanks to its green design which features small lakes, large meadows and thousands of trees.

“As a Vietnamese person, I am proud to see that Sun World complexes are not solely focused on offering entertainment — they are also places where we can feel refreshed and be inspired by the beauty of nature. As the air can be quite bad in Hanoi these days, my husband and I won’t ever hesitate to book holidays to Sun World, where kids can breathe in clean air and enjoy a fresh environment,” Kim said.

Friendly services

At each Sun World, visitors won’t just be impressed by the green, clean ethos but also the kind, personable service. “Everyone working at Sun World says ‘hello’ or ‘xin chao’. They also smile or bow. These are small, simple gestures but they mean a lot to tourists. No matter how busy the complex was, every member of staff took the time to greet all visitors and take care of us individually. Tourism is developing so fast in Vietnam and in many popular holiday destinations, sometimes I think people forget to treat each with tenderness. But at Sun World, you can see that customer service is also a priority.”

“My friend who was visiting Vietnam from London was impressed by the world class services at Sun World Ba Na Hills as they featured access aisles and toilets for disabled person, which are unfortunately not so common in Vietnam,” said Kim.

“Throughout Vietnam we need to upgrade and modernise facilities and infrastructure and deliver world class tourism services and products all while protecting the environment to ensure that these developments are sustainable. It’s a great challenge but that is how we will create a harmonious society. I am delighted that I found that sense of joy and harmony at Sun World and I look forward to taking my kids to see the other complexes. They’re so excited to ride the cable-car over the sea from Phu Quoc to Hon Thom! But I am hoping that this summer, we can take the cable car to Sun World Ba Na Hills first, so I can see the Golden Bridge!”  

Thanh Van