What to Expect at Hanuman World & Do You Get Value From the Package Deals?
Once you’ve exhausted all your rainy day activity ideas, a sunny day in July instantly calls for a day outing somewhere. This was our perfect excuse to finally check out the rainforest activity Hanuman World Phuket, nestled in the rainforest-covered hills in the heart of Phuket.
This is one of those spoil-yourself treats for a family holiday. It’s a much pricier activity that involves a fair amount of activity compared to a day on the beach, so let’s see if it’s worth it!
This post is not sponsored; we paid for all activities ourselves. However, the page does include affiliate links that can earn us a commission if a qualifying booking is made.
Table of Contents
What Will You Find at Hanuman World?
An adventure park nestled into the rainforest of Phuket, the set-up at Hanuman World is impressively large, offering a variety of adrenaline-pumping experiences. Let’s take a look at the main activities on offer:
Ziplining
There are several different courses you can undertake. The longest zipline is 500m on the short course with 10 platforms, through to the longest course which includes 32 platforms and a 400m zipline.
You’ll undertake a variety of ziplines, bridge crossings, and short abseils (seated and very sedat, not backward-repelling). On the longer zip lines, shorter/lighter children may be accompanied by one of the guides.
Roller Coaster Zipline
For higher-speed thrills, this continuous 800-metre track runs from the top of the site to the bottom along a metal rail. You’re safely strapped in and safety briefed, and then you take twists and turns over the forest and cafe.
The Skywalk
This is included for visitors undertaking package deals or can be purchased standalone for those who want a little more taste of the rainforest without the adrenaline rush. It has great forest views (less disrupted by other park infrastructure) and is pretty, but I wouldn’t go spending huge sums just for the experience unless you’re part of a group and can’t do the thrill rides and want something to keep you amused.
Luge
This is a relatively new addition where you can choose from one, two, or three rides down the hill over a 650-metre track in small luge carts. There are singles and doubles, so kids can sit in with an adult if they wish. From what we saw you can drive pretty slow.
What to expect on arrival at Hanuman World
When you arrive, it feels slightly chaotic, with no clear signage on where to start your experience, but the staff are undoubtedly helpful. We seemed to go through three stages of checking in, despite having already booked and fully paid online.
There are inevitable disclaimer forms to sign (which could have been issued as part of the payment process and filled beforehand if they’d advised), and the cashier step could surely be skipped if you’re prepaid.
You are then issued coloured wristbands for your activities, and you sit in a holding area until your group activity is called forward.
We were put into a combined group of 12 participants, which we believe is the maximum – with 3 guides and a photographer per group, you cannot fit any more at once!
The group of guides takes you from strapping up to returning, including a safety briefing. If you have a second or third activity, they’ll direct you where to go next. The activities end at the bottom of the hill, and you are transferred back up in the open minibuses.
What Does Hanuman World Cost?
You can choose to undertake individual activities or take advantage of one of their package deals.
At the time of writing in mid-2024, the following packages were offered:
- World A+ ฿3490 : Zipline 32 platforms + Roller + SkyWalk + Meal + Transfers
- World B+ ฿2990: Zipline 18 Platforms + Roller + Skywalk + Meal + Transfers
- World C+ ฿2490: Zipline 10 Platforms + Roller + SkyWalk + Meal + Transfers
Packages have starting times at 9:00 AM, 11:00 AM, 1:00 PM and 3:00 PM
Top Tip – if you’re not doing a package trip and just trying the luge, Skywalk or roller zipline, do not arrive at the group package times!!
- Roller Zipline for a Single Ride is ฿1000 (add ฿535 for video footage)
- SkyWalk entry only is ฿500
- Luge is ฿790 for a single ride or ฿990 for 3 turns
- Buffet lunch only ฿350
How do the package inclusions work?
We weren’t entirely clear on how the added extras work, so let us explain.
Transfers
Transport can be included, there and back, if you book at least 4 hours before your activity. They dispatch a local driving service (e.g., Grab, Bolt, CABB, etc.) rather than having a fleet of their own drivers. If you book online with less than 4 hours’ notice, you only get a return journey.
We hadn’t received our pick up time after a couple of hours, but this was easily resolved with their chat centre, our ride came early but with enivetable Phuket traffic, we were a few minutes late for our slot – this didn’t matter as they were processing large numbers still.
You can stay at Hanuman World as long as you want, there’s no fixed departure time, you simply see the transfer desk as you finish. On our trip home, we had a 20-minute wait for an available transfer, which was still quite efficient given the crowds they were dealing with at the end of the day.
This is one element that we did find value for money in as it saved us at least a ฿1000 in fares, but it will depend on where you’re coming from.
The Meal Inclusion
Your “free meal” can be taken at any time you want. It is run as a buffet, so you can choose before or after your activity, just walk to the buffet counter and give them your booking time/reference.
The food wasn’t too bad. They offered spaghetti and plain white rice for fussy littles and some fairly standard Thai chicken, vegetables, and rice dishes with water, fruits, and spring rolls. Soft drinks can be purchased for extra.
If you didn’t book a package, there’s also a cafe serving coffees, pastries, beers, and an ice cream shop.
You can also opt to eat at the very instagrammable Three Monkeys Restaurant, but be prepared for a long wait time for a table.
Added Extras
You can choose at the time of booking to add your luge rides and photo packages for a 20% discount vs paying at the door.
Book ahead or just turn up?
It’s highly recommended to book ahead, especially in the peak dry season. You should arrive at least 30 minutes before the scheduled time to get into groups; otherwise, they advise a 5-30-minute wait for walk-ins.
Good planners (we’d only recommend booking ahead in the dry season when clear skies are more guaranteed!), we recommend you look at ticketing options, including transfers offered by 3rd party ticket sellers, to see the best value. You can try, for example:
If you’re like us and wait to see what the weather is doing before committing for the day, you’ll need to book directly and choose the 3 p.m. slot, if you want transfers!
We understand there’s no way to book the restaurant in advance; you must do this when you turn up (unless you opt for the buffet, which is available at any time, but you may have to queue to arrive over the peak lunch period).
Who is Hanuman World Suitable For?
Hanuman World is recommended from at least 4 years plus to 70. We would say wait until your kids are even older (unless you know your child is a real daredevil and won’t freak out).
It’s not recommended that you undertake these activities if you have a fear of heights, and you should not partake if you are pregnant, have a heart condition or cannot meet any of the other health limits in their disclaimer forms.
If you are only moderately fit (one slightly embarassed mum to another here!) you should be fine, the hardest work is getting up the first platform! As long as you’re not edging on obess (there’s an a120kg weight limit), they’ll have a harness that fits. And a helmet for those with larger heads😉
Is Flying Hanuman the Same as Hanuman World?
As we discovered, no! I think in my previous research I had been keen to get the kids to Flying Hanuman and assumed it was the same thing that had expanded; it’s not! They are indeed the same owners but different locations in the mountains.
Flying Hanuman only offers ziplines and is higher up into the mountains, near Kathu Waterfall. We understand you need to be a little fitter as there are more elements of hiking and climbing involved. You’ll be thrust deeper into nature, with a bit more discussion on rainforest biodiversity and learning about the native flora and fauna.
Unless the Roller Zipline and Luge at Hanuman World are high on your family agenda, I’d say consider Flying Hanuman first for a nature zipline experience.
They are very similarly priced, ranging from ฿1990 to ฿3490 for the longer course, including meals and transfers.
What to Take With You to Hanuman World Phuket
Just bring your normal day bag for travelling with the kids. We’d throw in some face sunscreen (though we felt well protected by the tree canopy), some bug spray as it is the rainforest.
Wear comfortable clothing—shorts that don’t ride too far up your behind and clothing you could happily sweat in. No matter the time of year, you’ll get hot and sweaty😅! They recommend closed-toe shoes, though we saw many participating with only strap-on sandals. Do avoid Crocs/flip-flops, though.
We were grateful for packing our own water; there’s no restriction on this. In fact, I wish we’d pack much more (we’re never sure when our big bottles will be confiscated at Phuket attractions!). There are plenty of places to buy more, as well as snacks, soft drinks, beer, and ice cream.
You can bring your phones with you if they can be worn hands free and not obstruct your safety gear. A GoPro can also be hired if you want your own footage rather than the professional photographer.
There are lockers to keep your backpacks in during the activities. Staff look after the keys, so be careful to note your number. It goes without saying don’t take anything of too much value.
Is Hanuman World Worth It?
We think the jury is out. It’s undoubtedly a good experience and well run, but is it great and worthy of a price tag that is so much higher than other family activities in Phuket?
This is the point we may agree to disagree with others: For four of us to attend one of the shorter package sessions, it costs close to ฿10,000. That is a heck of a lot when you consider how far your Thai Baht can really stretch in Phuket (comparative; Blue Tree cost us ฿2450 a few days earlier for 4 of us all day, and you get to try so many different sports).
Did the kids enjoy Hanuman World?
They said the ziplining was fun but very slow going when you had to wait for a group of 12 to do every platform.
When we were finally called up for our group (around a 20-minute wait from check-in), it took only 1 hour to strap in, walk to our first platform, complete the course, and take the minibus back up the hill. Without waiting for others, we’d have done the whole thing in under 30 minutes.
The Roller Zipline undoubtedly delivered some of the best forest thrills, but note that your turn lasts under 3 minutes from strapping in on the top launch pad to landing. Allow 30 minutes to get ready, walk up the steep hill, and take the bus back up.
It was undoubtedly a fun experience overall, and our tour leaders were great—they spoke broken English but clearly understood. However, in our opinion, it is just not worth the excessive price tag.
What is not so great about Hanuman World?
It is still partially a construction site (I’m sorry, but putting the concrete luge track under the rainforest canopy really detracts from the nature aspect) and it is very busy. We did not feel the ambience of ‘being in the jungle’ whatsoever.
Half the massive crowds on the hillside, it turns out, are there queueing for the massively overhyped (ie the “Influencer crowd” have got to it) Three Monkeys Restaurant.
I still can’t fathom that the food can be that much better than any other Thai restaurant (I believe this is where the buffet food is also prepared), that it’s worth that line.
Added to your ‘Instagrammable ambience,’ you have roller zipliners screaming over your head every few minutes—does anyone else care to tell me if I am missing something about this place?
Don’t start me on the cost of photo packages—bring your own smartphone in a safety pouch, and you’ll be fine for some family highlights.
Unfortunately, Hanuman World is a bit of a victim of its own success. The cash registers must be churning, but it doesn’t equate to the type of serene rainforest experience you’d expect from the way it is advertised.
We’d be keen, though, to compare Flying Hanuman to it and try some of the other Phuket ziplines to see if we could achieve the more serene rainforest experience we’d hoped for. It’s a fabulous contrast to the beach but they need to work on the pricing model for me to highly recommend it.
Other Outdoor Experiences to Try in Phuket
If you’re interested in outdoor adventures, some further venues you could investigate (but please note we don’t have personal reviews on them all yet):
We avoid anything that includes elephant jungle treks alongside your zipline or ATV experience. If you want to see elephants, choose one of the ethical elephant sanctuaries, where no riding and no bathing policies are firmly in place.
Jump over to this detailed guide for a full range of family experiences to try in Phuket
Over to you now. Do you have any more questions about Hanuman World? Did you have a different experience from us that you want to share? Let us know in the comments so we can help other parents make the most of their time in Phuket!
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