Exploring The Not So Secret Abandoned Waterpark of Hue
Once upon a time this elusive abandoned water-park was only for the well-seasoned traveller with a location shared through whispers and scrawled directions: never gracing any 'Things to do in Hue' or even found on Google Maps. Now Insta-famous and a familiar blogging subject, why should you still visit Ho Thuy Tien?
Thanks to social media its pretty hard for anything to stay a secret nowadays so the park itself is not difficult to find. Just search Abandoned Waterpark Hue on maps, tap your ruby red slippers three times and follow the yellow lined road. The park is broken up into three main areas: the show auditorium, water-slide wonderland and the dragon aquarium. Once you've made you're way around it's easy to understand why the park ended up closing down in the first place. Everything is so far spread out it wouldn't make sense to pay the admission fee to spend a hot day sweating your way from each part to the next.
Once you arrive at the dilapidated entrance gates you'll meet a security guard. This is your first hurdle as he'll repeat his rehearsed lines straight away: "No. It's closed. You can't go in. No". This is why you should still visit. The park gained traction because it was so illustrious as a secret, forbidden day-trip and we all love that feeling of being naughty. Once the park started appearing more and more online with hundreds posing with the dragon, the mysterious seduction started to melt away. A few savvy locals saw this popularity growth and seized at its opportunities, playing security guards and capitalising on this tourist market (who can blame them). It's these entrepreneurs that make this day out still so alluring. Once you're there and getting turned away it makes it fun and naughty again. You feel like you're breaking the rules and all of a sudden you're part of this exclusive traveller group who bribed the guards to explore Hue's Abandoned Waterpark.
Back to Security Guard Number One. Tell him please, tell him you won't be long and tell him you know you can go in. He'll protest and then finally give in but tell you that you need to pay the other guy inside. He will also tell you that you can't take your bike in: you can. There is a lot of friendly protesting to be had if you actually want to get inside the park. Once through the gate you'll off-road it a little bit and then as you start to get close to the park sure enough Security Guard Number Two will chase you down shouting "No!! No, you can't be here! No, you leave now!" Back to some more friendly protesting and a few thousand dong later you'll be on your merry way and he'll be chasing down the next arrival of visitors.
We travelled around almost in a big loop starting at the auditorium where they would have held shows. This is probably the least interesting part as its just overgrown and plastered with graffiti with little to feed your curiosity. The fun starts once you arrive at the slides. Think of the original Jumanji with jungle sprouting from every crack, brown stagnate pools and unusual wildlife calls in the distance. Once home to splashtastic fun, now its more of an adventure course: climb up/down/over the slides and literally any surface that tickles your fancy. Just a word of caution - probably get your basic travel jabs as this place has 'disease ridden' written all over it.
After you've had your fun on the slides you can take the short drive down to the main event. The dragon. Originally home to the aquarium you can now wonder around the vacant tanks which were rumoured to still house crocodiles until they were rescued only a few years ago. This part is definitely worthy of the title 'creepy as hell'. There are dark corners with debris littering every surface so you can't be sure what is lurking in the shadows. Follow the staircase and you'll be rewarded for your bravery. For as you ascend, from the belly of the beast right into its jaws, panoramic views of the entire park are waiting for you.
Then your adventure is complete. There are a few little quirks along the dirt tracks to stop and question but all in all it's a very bizarre, neglected little area. There was no overwhelming crowds to fight for photo-ops but you'll definitely bump into others along your way. Although not many people will be surprised at your photos with the dragon or pretending to slide into crocodile-infested waters it is still a unique day out and a chance to break the rules.
Would you take a day trip here? What weird yet kinda wonderful places have you visited? Comment below....
Love, Rachael x
Thanks to social media its pretty hard for anything to stay a secret nowadays so the park itself is not difficult to find. Just search Abandoned Waterpark Hue on maps, tap your ruby red slippers three times and follow the yellow lined road. The park is broken up into three main areas: the show auditorium, water-slide wonderland and the dragon aquarium. Once you've made you're way around it's easy to understand why the park ended up closing down in the first place. Everything is so far spread out it wouldn't make sense to pay the admission fee to spend a hot day sweating your way from each part to the next.
Once you arrive at the dilapidated entrance gates you'll meet a security guard. This is your first hurdle as he'll repeat his rehearsed lines straight away: "No. It's closed. You can't go in. No". This is why you should still visit. The park gained traction because it was so illustrious as a secret, forbidden day-trip and we all love that feeling of being naughty. Once the park started appearing more and more online with hundreds posing with the dragon, the mysterious seduction started to melt away. A few savvy locals saw this popularity growth and seized at its opportunities, playing security guards and capitalising on this tourist market (who can blame them). It's these entrepreneurs that make this day out still so alluring. Once you're there and getting turned away it makes it fun and naughty again. You feel like you're breaking the rules and all of a sudden you're part of this exclusive traveller group who bribed the guards to explore Hue's Abandoned Waterpark.
Back to Security Guard Number One. Tell him please, tell him you won't be long and tell him you know you can go in. He'll protest and then finally give in but tell you that you need to pay the other guy inside. He will also tell you that you can't take your bike in: you can. There is a lot of friendly protesting to be had if you actually want to get inside the park. Once through the gate you'll off-road it a little bit and then as you start to get close to the park sure enough Security Guard Number Two will chase you down shouting "No!! No, you can't be here! No, you leave now!" Back to some more friendly protesting and a few thousand dong later you'll be on your merry way and he'll be chasing down the next arrival of visitors.
We travelled around almost in a big loop starting at the auditorium where they would have held shows. This is probably the least interesting part as its just overgrown and plastered with graffiti with little to feed your curiosity. The fun starts once you arrive at the slides. Think of the original Jumanji with jungle sprouting from every crack, brown stagnate pools and unusual wildlife calls in the distance. Once home to splashtastic fun, now its more of an adventure course: climb up/down/over the slides and literally any surface that tickles your fancy. Just a word of caution - probably get your basic travel jabs as this place has 'disease ridden' written all over it.
After you've had your fun on the slides you can take the short drive down to the main event. The dragon. Originally home to the aquarium you can now wonder around the vacant tanks which were rumoured to still house crocodiles until they were rescued only a few years ago. This part is definitely worthy of the title 'creepy as hell'. There are dark corners with debris littering every surface so you can't be sure what is lurking in the shadows. Follow the staircase and you'll be rewarded for your bravery. For as you ascend, from the belly of the beast right into its jaws, panoramic views of the entire park are waiting for you.
Then your adventure is complete. There are a few little quirks along the dirt tracks to stop and question but all in all it's a very bizarre, neglected little area. There was no overwhelming crowds to fight for photo-ops but you'll definitely bump into others along your way. Although not many people will be surprised at your photos with the dragon or pretending to slide into crocodile-infested waters it is still a unique day out and a chance to break the rules.
Would you take a day trip here? What weird yet kinda wonderful places have you visited? Comment below....
Love, Rachael x
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