Ho May Park in Vung Tau: A Traveler's Guide

What Ho May Is — and What It Isn't

Ho May (Khu du lich Ho May) is a hilltop amusement and eco-tourism park perched about 210 meters above Vung Tau on Nui Lon (Big Mountain). You reach it by cable car from the base station on Ha Long Street, and the ride alone — roughly 1.7 km over the canopy — is half the reason people go.

The park opened in the early 2000s and has expanded steadily since. It now covers a mix of amusement rides, a water park, pagoda grounds, animal enclosures, and landscaped gardens. It's not a theme park on the scale of Dai Nam or VinWonders. Think of it more as a day-trip playground that happens to sit on a ridgeline with wide views of the coastline below.

Vung Tau (붕따우 / 头顿 / ブンタウ) itself is now part of the expanded Ho Chi Minh City metropolitan area, which makes Ho May one of the more accessible hilltop escapes for Saigon residents who want ocean air without a long journey.

Why Travelers Go

Most visitors come for three things: the cable car, the water park, and the views. The cable car crossing is genuinely enjoyable — you float over dense tropical forest with the East Sea spreading out behind you. Kids love the water slides and wave pool. Adults tend to drift toward the temple area and the quieter walking paths on the far side of the park, where you can sit with a drink and look out over Vung Tau's coastline without anyone trying to sell you anything.

It's also a solid option if you're in Vung Tau with children and need something beyond the beach. The combination of rides, animals, and open space keeps younger kids occupied for most of a day.

Best Time to Visit

The dry season — November through April — is your best window. Vung Tau gets less rain than inland Saigon (사이공 / 西贡 / サイゴン) during these months, and the cable car operates more reliably when the weather is clear. Weekdays are noticeably quieter; weekends and public holidays (especially Tet and the April 30 long weekend) bring big crowds from Saigon.

If you visit during the wet season (May to October), go early in the morning. Afternoon downpours are common and can shut down the cable car temporarily. The water park is less appealing when it's already raining sideways.

How to Get There

From central Saigon, Vung Tau is about 95 km southeast. You have a few options:

• Hydrofoil (Greenlines or Vina Express): Departs from Bach Dang Wharf in District 1. Takes around 90 minutes. Tickets run 250,000–350,000 VND one way depending on the operator and seat class. This is the most pleasant route — no traffic, decent views.
• Bus: Phuong Trang (FUTA) and Kumho run frequent coaches from Mien Dong bus station. About 2–2.5 hours depending on traffic. Around 80,000–120,000 VND.
• Motorbike or car: Take the HCMC–Long Thanh–Dau Giay expressway, then cut south through Ba Ria. Around 2 hours without heavy traffic. Tolls total about 50,000–70,000 VND each way.

Once in Vung Tau, the Ho May cable car base station is on Ha Long Street, near the foot of Nui Lon. A taxi from Vung Tau's hydrofoil terminal takes about 10 minutes and costs roughly 50,000–70,000 VND.

Photo by Quang Vuong on Pexels

What to Do Inside the Park

Ride the Cable Car Both Ways

Don't skip the return trip by taking a road shuttle down. The cable car descent facing the sea in the late afternoon light is better than the ride up. The full round-trip is included in the entry ticket (currently around 300,000 VND for adults, 200,000 VND for children — check for updates, prices shift).

Hit the Water Park Before Noon

The wave pool and slides get crowded after lunch. If you arrive when the park opens (usually 7:30 AM), you'll have the pools mostly to yourself for a couple of hours. Lockers and life jackets are available.

Walk the Pagoda and Garden Loop

The park includes a Buddhist temple complex and landscaped gardens with statues and quiet paths. It's a different vibe from the rides section — more contemplative, good for photos, and usually uncrowded. The large Quan Am statue near the hilltop is worth the short walk.

Check the Animal Area (With Realistic Expectations)

There's a small zoo section with deer, ostriches, crocodiles, and birds. It's modest. If you've visited serious wildlife centers, calibrate accordingly. Kids enjoy it; adults will spend maybe 20 minutes here.

Catch the View from the Hilltop

On clear days you can see down the entire Vung Tau peninsula and out to the shipping lanes. There are a few cafes at the top where you can sit with a "ca phe sua da" and just watch the container ships crawl past. It's one of the better coastal panoramas in the south.

Where to Eat Nearby

Ho May has food stalls inside the park — decent "com tam" (broken rice plates), snacks, and drinks at mild tourist markup. But for a proper meal, eat in Vung Tau town after you descend.

• Banh khot is Vung Tau's signature dish — tiny crispy rice-flour pancakes with shrimp, eaten with fresh herbs and fish sauce. Quan Banh Khot Goc Vu Sua on Nguyen Truong To Street is a reliable local favorite. Expect to pay around 60,000–80,000 VND for a generous portion.
• For seafood, the string of restaurants along Ha Long Street near Back Beach serves grilled squid, clams, and "hu tieu" soup at reasonable prices. A seafood meal for two runs 200,000–400,000 VND depending on what you order.

Where to Stay

If you're making Ho May a day trip from Saigon, you don't need to stay overnight. But if you want a beach evening in Vung Tau:

• Budget: Guesthouses on Thuy Van (Back Beach) street start around 300,000–500,000 VND/night. Basic but functional, and you're steps from the sand.
• Mid-range: Hotels like Havana or Muong Thanh run 800,000–1,500,000 VND/night with pools and sea views.
• Higher-end: The Imperial and Pullman sit on the beachfront at 2,000,000 VND and up.

Photo by Cầu Đường Việt Nam on Pexels

Practical Tips

• Bring sunscreen and a hat. The hilltop is exposed, and the cable car cabins heat up fast.
• Wear shoes you can walk in. The park involves hills and uneven paths. Flip-flops work for the water park, not the garden trails.
• Carry cash. Most vendors inside the park don't take cards. ATMs are available in Vung Tau town, not at the park.
• Budget half a day. Most people spend 3–5 hours inside. Arriving early and leaving by early afternoon gives you time for a Vung Tau beach session or seafood dinner afterward.

Mistakes to Avoid

• Going on a holiday weekend without expecting crowds. The cable car queue can stretch past 45 minutes on busy Sundays. Weekdays are a different experience entirely.
• Skipping the water park because you didn't bring swimwear. You can rent or buy basic swimwear inside, but the selection is limited and overpriced. Pack your own.
• Expecting a full-day theme park. Ho May is enjoyable but not huge. If you set expectations for a leisurely half-day rather than an all-day marathon, you'll leave satisfied.

Practical Notes

Ho May works best as one piece of a Vung Tau day trip or weekend — combine it with a morning at Back Beach and an evening of "banh khot" in town. From Saigon, the hydrofoil-plus-taxi combination gets you to the cable car base in under two hours. It's an easy, low-stress outing that doesn't require much planning beyond checking the weather forecast.