Suoi Tien
Despite being quite far away from the downtown center of Ho Chi Minh City (about 40km), Suoi Tien (Fairy Stream) is still a deserving amusement park for your Vietnam's day trips. It derives from a legend that there were seven beautiful girls died and magically became fairies in this area, which was also the inspiration for building and developing such a large amusement park as you see nowadays.
As for the structure and design of the park, it is easy to realize the oriental architectural elements everywhere, ranging from statues, buildings to outdoor games, all are based on Vietnamese’s oriental beliefs and represent their desire for happiness, fortune, and wealth. Besides entertainment games, here is also where you can take a chance to experience traditional activities as well as cultural festivals such as Hung King Anniversary, Lunar New Year, and Mid-Autumn Moon Festival.
Dam Sen Amusement Park
Long heralded as the best amusement park in Saigon, Dam Sen (Đầm Sen) is filled to the brim with fun games, arcades, and rides. With a large number of attractions, including an ice castle, an aquarium, and multiple roller coasters, it is guaranteed to be an exciting day out for anyone. There are also concerts, comedy shows and a variety of shows hosted here frequently, so do check out their website for any upcoming events.
Tho Trang Amusement Park
Tho Trang is primarily aimed at kids, but that does not stop anyone from having fun here. With loads of games and arcades including favorites such as darts, BB guns, claw machines and many others Tho Trang is as nostalgic as it gets. And did I also mention that it has perhaps the best food court of any amusement park in Saigon? Dig in a plate of banh beo, a decadent smoothie, some delicious ice cream or just a warm cup of coffee. It is absolutely wonderful, and also somehow really romantic for couples.
SnowTown
For those of you craving some snow, SnowTown is a town full of snow. It is a new amusement park based in District 2, with a vintage European design. The main draw here is snow, obviously in such a humid city like Saigon, any sort of coolness is welcomed. Some fun winter activities such as skiing or snowball fights are available, and there is also a crafts center where kids can learn to make fun toys from recycled materials. It is a nifty little escape from the heat of the city.
Thao Cam Vien
Thao Cam Vien, the Saigon Botanical Gardens, or simply The Zoo as generations of inhabitants have called it, is not an amusement park per se, but it is amusing enough to claim a spot on this list. Built in 1864 by French colonialists, the Gardens have now amassed over 590 animals belonging to 125 different species, including non-native breeds such as the jaguar, Bengali tiger, or the lemur. There are also over 260 species of flora to be found here, including 23 native orchids and 34 types of bonsai. Popular attractions such as the tigers, the elephants who will gladly eat your sugarcane and the children’s zoo, with kids (baby goats) and lambs (baby sheep) running around are must-stops for anyone. Popular with children and adults alike, the Botanical Gardens are a great way to spend a lazy afternoon, even if you are not remotely interested in botany or zoology.