originally posted on 4/1/2022
All Photos courtesy of Sun World Hon Thom Nature Park. View full-sized image.
Although Vietnam boasts around 60 amusement parks, only one can claim a wood coaster — and this park is on a remote island! On February 1, 2022, the first day of the lunar new year, visitors welcomed Roaring Timbers to Sun World Hon Thom Nature Park in Phú Quốc, Kiên Giang, Vietnam. Designed by Skyline Design LLC (a division of Skyline Attractions) and built by Great Coasters International, Inc. (GCII), this twisted wooden terrain coaster is the first attraction of many planned for this lush island park.
Roaring Timbers and the attractions part of the park opened at the same time. The coaster is the first attraction in the nature park’s “Exotica” expansion. At the moment, Sun World Hon Thom Nature Park is a resort that includes Aquatopia Water Park and Roaring Timbers, but two more attractions are planned as well as new entertainment venues. In addition to these offerings, the resort offers beautiful beaches, snorkeling, diving, jet skiing and other water activities.
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Coaster enthusiasts, especially those who don’t live in Southeast Asia, might wish that Son World Hon Thom were more accessible. The only way to reach the island now is via the world’s longest (almost five miles) three-chain, sea-crossing cable car from the larger Phú Quôc Island to smaller Hon Thom Island. Once on the island, visitors are greeted by clusters of palm trees and dense vegetation that make it difficult to figure out the layout of Roaring Timbers from the ground, so let’s take a ride:
Cresting the 106-foot lift hill, the Millennium Flyer trains round a flat turn that morphs into the first of many steeply banked turns to head down the first drop. At a top speed of almost 50 mph, the train tackles a series of hills, banked turns, and bunny hops before returning to the station at the end of the two minute, 10 second ride.
Wildly banked curves are one of the ride’s coolest attributes.
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View full-sized image.
“Roaring Timbers features 14 hills and 14 exciting crossovers that pass over or under another section of track, making this one of the most twisted wooden pieces of art in the world,” said Brad Loxley, Sun World’s chief operating officer.
Twisted is right and with plenty of airtime. Roaring Timbers generates more than 3.5 vertical Gs over its 2,920 feet of track.
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Even though this new woodie is quite remote for most enthusiasts, the design looks remarkable, and fans of wooden coasters can be grateful that new wooden coasters are being built. Although the United States hasn’t seen one since Texas Stingray in 2020, wooden coaster companies continue to stay busy with refurbishment, retracking and engineering work. ACEers can be grateful these coaster manufacturers are still finding work — which only bodes well for the future.
— Lee Ann Draud, ACE Publications Director
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Beautiful scenery such as this is an enviable attribute for any coaster.
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