Cable car on about. Phu Quoc – the longest cable car in the world

Phu Quoc Island boasts idyllic beaches, romantic sunsets, evergreen forests and a serene atmosphere, making it an ideal holiday destination for travelers who want to escape the city rush. It is here, among traditional villages, extensive natural parks and Buddhist pagodas, that the most long cable car in the world was recently opened.

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Recently, the opportunity to travel on the cable car between Phu Quoc Islands in Vietnam and Thom, also known as Pineapple Island (or “Pineapple Island”), has opened. An excellent opportunity to get away a truly spectacular sight from a bird’s flight, flying over the turquoise sea and coral reefs.

About the cable car

The People’s Committee of Kien Giang Province, located in southern Vietnam, and the Sun Group launched the most modern and safest three-wire cableway in the world, connecting the city of An Toi and Thom Island, the largest in the An Toi Cluster. The company spent half a million US dollars on the construction of the cableway.

The road officially opened on February 14, 2018, in anticipation of the traditional festival of the Lunar New Year.

This cable car, the first and most important project in the Thom natural park, has a total length of 7.9 km. Because of this, on the day of her discovery she was recognized as the longest in the world and entered into the Guinness Book of Records. It is noteworthy that the previous record holder, the cable car that connects the town of Sapa and Mount Fanspian, is also located in Vietnam. This cable car is located in the northern province of Lao Cai, its total length, of course, is inferior to new and is 6.4 km.

The entire system has two terminals, six cable pillars, the largest of which is 174 m high. Two towers are located on Phu Quoc Island, one each on Hon Lo and Hon Dua Islands and the last two on Thom Island. The cable car, which operates at an average speed of 8.5 m / s, has 69 cabins, each of which can accommodate up to 30 people. They have Wi-Fi and electric lighting system for the evening time.

Using the most modern and secure technology in the world today, the Phu Quoc Island cable car works smoothly, without vibrations. In bad weather, the funicular stops, after warning and disembarking all passengers.

After arriving at the cable station located in Fukuoka, the first thing you notice: everything looks like in Italian. It seems that the building was built on the Roman model, mixing different epochs.

How long is the trip?

The cable car ride from Fukuoka to Thom Island takes about 15 minutes each way, so you have time to enjoy the stunning views. In some parts of the cableway speed reaches 30 km per hour, so it seems that you are flying over the water.

Pineapple Island Natural Park

The cable car takes you to the Pineapple Island Natural Park. This name he received due to its shape, resembling an exotic fruit, although they do not grow in this area.

Here is a picturesque small beach with golden sand, there is a playground for diving, rent of sun beds and umbrellas, kayaks, a swing with palm trees and a small inflatable water park for all comers. You can also rent water skis and go parasailing on the beach.

For the safety of tourists and island guests, there are constantly lifeguards on the beach who do not allow people to be in the water without life jackets. They must be given to everyone.

There are several restaurants on the island; they all belong to the Sun Group, which built the cable car. There is also a restaurant that offers a buffet with Vietnamese dishes for 200,000 Vietnamese dongs, which is about $ 9 or 600 rubles. This price includes a somewhat strange, but interesting show with various types of dances, including people performing tricks with burning torches.

How to get to the cable car?

Getting to one of the most popular attractions in Phu Quoc is quite simple:

• You can order a taxi at the reception of your hotel, from local tour operators or through the Grab application (analogous to Uber in Vietnam).
• You can rent a car yourself.
• Take advantage of the free shuttle service.
• Rent a motorbike.

Taxi

The approximate cost of a taxi from the center to the cable car is about 250,000 – 300,000 dong. The easiest way is to open the Grab app, download and order a taxi through the hotel’s wi-fi.

Car rental

If you prefer to rest in comfort and plan to go around the whole island, including visiting the cable car, you can easily rent a car.

The rental price is quite adequate – from about 700,000 dong per day.

Bus from Long Beach

A free shuttle bus from Sun World to the cable car runs three times a day. There – 08:00, 10:00, 13:00, back – 12:00, 15:00, 18:00. The trip takes 40 minutes.

Schedule free buses

• From Galaxy Hotel: at 8:00, 10:00, 13:30
• From the Lucky Hotel: at 8:10, 10:10, 13:40
• From Long Beach Center: at 8:15, 10:15, 13:45
• From Sun Sea Resort: at 8:20, 10:20, 13:50
• From Eden: at 8:25, 10:25, 13:55
• From Novotel Resort: at 8:40, 10:40, 14:10

Rent a motorbike

In our opinion – the best way to travel, if you come to rest a couple. Rent a bike somewhere from 200 000 dong per day. You can find a rental point almost everywhere: at the hotel, at the tour operator, or just walking along the street.

However, despite the fact that the tropical island is small, the traffic in Fukuoka on the main roads is difficult. So rent a bike only if you are a confident rider.

The cost of travel

Buy a ticket and look at the Gulf of Thailand with a bird’s-eye view can anyone.

The ticket price includes a trip on a cable car to both sides, as well as a transfer to the beach on the Pineapple Island as soon as you get there.

Local residents of Kien Giang Province have the opportunity to purchase tickets at a reduced price – 400,000 Vietnamese dong for an adult and 250,000 for a child. If guests want to buy a cable car ticket at the local price, they must have an identity card confirming their stay in Kien Giang.

Foreigners who use a driver’s license must have a permanent or temporary residence permit.

The price includes the use of freshwater showers on Thom Island beach.

Schedule of the cable car

The cable car operates in 4 calls with breaks of 1.5 hours.

• 1st – 7: 30–12: 00
• 2nd – 13: 30–15: 00
• 3rd – 16: 30–17: 30
• 4th – 19: 00–19: 30

From September 2018, the last period of the cable car is from 16:30 to 17:30. In high season, the track is open until 21:00, in the off season – until 19:30.

Feedback and impressions

The trip itself is quite an interesting experience. An excellent opportunity to enjoy the view of the An Toi archipelago, flying over the green flowering islands and turquoise coral reefs. The large windows of the funicular allows you to fully admire the harbor, where the water is so clear that it is easy to see the shadows of fishing boats on the seabed. Watch fishermen wearing hats in the shape of cones float on their little boats on the sea.

If you are afraid of heights, then it will probably be a difficult experience. Booths are very high, and sometimes, despite the modern security system, it seems that they are unstable. Passing high cement columns on each island, which hold cable lines, they descend and roll sharply down, accelerating to 30 km / h.

Nevertheless, to miss the opportunity to visit one of the main attractions of Fukuoka can not afford a normal tourist. Sure, the trip will not leave you indifferent.