A couple of weeks ago during the kids’ spring break, we explored Kizciti. Kizciti has been open since 2011. It is located in both Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. Then we heard about Vietopia.Vietopia opened late last year and according to Thanh Nien news, is the largest edutainment center at 30,000 sqm. And speaking of Thanh Nien, they’ve also sponsored a spot in Vietopia. 🙂

According to the same news, Vietopia had to get sponsors to keep the ticket price affordable. Ticket price for kids between 4 to 15 years old is 190kVND (~9USD) on weekdays (Tuesday to Thursday) and 280kVND (~13USD) on weekends (Friday – Sunday). They’re closed on Mondays. Adult ticket price is 45kVND (~2USD).The entrance is designed like that of an airport where you’d get your boarding pass in exchange of the Vietopia bracelet. But nope, those X-ray machines don’t work. 😛

Kids will get their cheque of 20 Vido which they’d need to have exchanged at the bank.

Just a side story of our “entrance” experience in Vietopia. I was disappointed on how we were treated. We were one of the first people in the morning and got in line entrance no. 01 above. Before us were our friends with 1 adult, 1 baby, and 1 child. When it was our turn, we were 2 adults, 1 baby, and 1 child. So you can imagine that they only have 5 tickets on their table. They got confused and didn’t give my nanny her Vietopia bracelet. They kept insisting that she didn’t pay! My nanny is Vietnamese so I knew she could handle the situation but the attendants at Vietopia just couldn’t think of COUNTING their tickets. They got frazzled easily and we were just the second batch of people coming in. After my nanny got sorted out, they again forgot that they already took the tickets of our friends behind us. What the? So came another round of argument. <insert roll eyes here>

It was not a good start of our day. But hey, it was the kids’ day so we hurried inside and got their cheque exchanged for Vido.Each kid would get 20 Vido. Like Kizciti, you pay for entertainment or school and get paid if you do work.

The central square is huge. Our toddlers had a fun time running around this area. And although it’s the weekend, there weren’t a lot of people. I guess this place hasn’t caught on yet. We were actually the only foreigners in this place.

The waiting time per job or entertainment was more due to the fact of the rules that there’s a stop time in between sessions.

And each can only accommodate 10 people. In an hour, a kid can participate in 2 activities — which felt kinda slow compared to Kizciti.

But I have to admit that I like the attention the kids get. Each activity was explained well and the kids really get to participate. With less than a year in operations, the facility is new and the kids had a fun time exploring. The plane came in with flight simulator.

The Fire Station is always popular.

I think I was more excited than the kids. I wish adults can play too!

Minus the smoke which Kizciti had, the burning hotel looked cool. 😛

Pepsi and Mirinda have their own factories here.

The kids were taught how to clean the bottle, dry, inspect, fill the bottle with caffeine and water, seal, and label.

My son who has yet to taste his first soda was ecstatic to make his first Pepsi.

The kids had to work so they tried electrical work which earned them 10 Vido.

Complete with hard hats, tool boxes, and warning devices, the kids went to work.

For working at the emergency of the hospital, you get 15 Vido.

The kids get to try to do CPR.The kids did some Car Designing too.

The attention to details is awesome!The kids filled up the cars.

The train station is for bigger kids and they are taught how operate the train via a simulator. There’s a driving school too and race track. You have to go through the driving school first before you get to race.

For leisure, there’s wall climbing —

The kids were looking forward to do some golfing and 3D Cinema like in Kizciti but I think the other attractions here pretty much makes up for those.

There’s a Science Space Institution and the Archaeological Research Institute —The kids learned about recycling in the Environment Research Institute —

They were prepped too —They did some baking at the Choco Pie Factory.

And also tried grinding coffee at the Coffee Factory —

I also saw an English Center. The teachers were native English speakers. 😀

My little one had to stay at the play area upstairs for kids 3 years old and below.

There’s a working microwave oven so we just heated Rafael’s food (from home) here for his lunch.

My nanny said, you can actually ask milk here. But we’re not so fond of formula companies. But hey, thanks for sponsoring this area.

What were in Kizciti that weren’t here? There was an actual kiddie football field in Kizciti, golf, and farming (complete with rice paddy, rice mill, and pond where you can feed the fish). But there are lots that you can’t find in Kizciti in Vietopia. The air conditioning is a plus now that we’re into the hot summer months.

The food here is good too and not at all expensive, same in Kizciti. Actually, in Ho Chi Minh City, the food is always affordable in amusement parks — even in Suoi Tien.

The kids had a blast at Vietopia and we’d gladly come back but we hope we could catch those vouchers as the cost was quite steep — especially if you have more than 1 kid.

Vietopia
02-04 Đường số 9 Khu Đô Thị Mới
Him Lam, P. Tân Hưng, Q.7, TP.HCM
(08) 6264 1777