Wow. This bridge has been seriously doing the rounds on Instagram this year – and I can see why! It’s amazing to behold. The bridge, which has been nicknamed ‘the hands of God’ gives the illusion that you’re being held up by two enormous stone hands. Full disclosure, these hands are more like paper maché than stone.
If you’re planning on visiting the ‘golden hands bridge’ in Vietnam, read on for all the information you’ll need.
Know Before You Go
The bridge is located in a weird sort of theme park. It is not just a bridge you can rock up to. It’s out of the way, it’s about $20 entry and it’s so much more than just a bridge. You can buy tickets there. If you’re going with a driver, they will likely try to gain some commission from you, it’s not necessary. Save money by hiring a scooter for the day and drive yourself.
Tip: When you rent a scooter in Hoi An, they will ask you where you’re going. If you tell them you’re going to Ba Na Hills they will try to charge you more for rental. Just say you’re using it to go around Hoi An… Unless you’re feeling generous.
Location
The Golden Hands Bridge is one of the attractions at Ba Na Hills ‘Sun World’. It’s a 45-minute drive from Da Nang. We did the drive from Hoi An on scooters and it took us an hour and a half to get there.
Cost
We were staying at Sunflower Hostel in Hoi An. Before we planned the trip, we spoke with a lot of backpackers who had already been. It was a mixed bag of reviews. A lot of people didn’t think it was worth the $20 entry fee. But, we felt it was.
Attractions
To reach Sun World you have to take the 6th longest cable car in the world. For me, that was worth the $20 alone. The views are amazing. Sun World is like a European town built into the Vietnamese mountains. There are some basic rides, arcade games, a beer plaza and street performers.
Once you arrive off of the cable car, you can go check out the bridge. But don’t plan on having it to yourself – no matter how early you arrive. There are (presumably pricey) hotels situated in Sun World itself, so there will always be people there before you.
Attractions Continued…
If you have the weather, the place itself is entertaining enough to wander around. Especially, if you’ve been in Asia for a while. European feels everywhere. There’s a huge Beer Plaza – your entry ticket should get you a free beer. There’s an indoor arcade area with a lot of weird stuff going on. Pay extra and you can enter the wax work museum. There’s plenty of arcade games and even a few fairground rides. Dodgems, spinny things and that ride that raises you up and drops you down real fast. Outside there’s a sad looking roller coaster.
Food & Drink
There’s plenty of places to get food and drink when you’re there, but be warned. It is pricey. You’re paying inflated prices for food, if you’re going for the whole day on a budget, pack a lunch and bring it with you. Banh Mi is King! You’ll find a selection of Vietnamese & Western food. Although Western food is always more expensive, we’re talking $9 for a pizza here.
The grounds are huge and this is definitely an all dayer if you’re keen for it. We got lost on our way out and were the last to leave, meaning we had to do the hour and a half scooter drive home in the dark. Bare this in mind if you’re coming from Hoi An. You really don’t want to miss the last cable car down.
Final Word
Sun World is a totally bizarre place. If you’re just going to see the bridge and you’re on a backpacker budget, you may be disappointed. We knew there was other stuff there before we visited and so, we weren’t disappointed at all. We were also in a big group which always makes things more fun. Grab some pals and make a day of it.
