Get your war paint ready

War is a terrible thing. And the thought of bullets whizzing by your head and ducking in the trenches sounds like a god-awful experience, but somewhere deep down it seems there is a visceral thrill in re-enacting it. The adrenaline pumps and the blood flows, which is exactly what we found at Súng bắn sơn paintball in Tay Ho.

If you like adventure and are not afraid of a little pain, there is little that beats mowing down a gaggle of good friends with a blitz of paint filled plastic ammo while watching them writhe in intense pain, all under the cover of wooden walls and busted vehicles. Occasionally employers decide to use paintball at team building events, which is great as you get to aim your gun at annoying co-workers, and who has not had a few of those?

Súng bắn sơn is equipped with plenty of places to hide between, such as walls, tires and an old van that seems to have been torn apart. It all feels very Call of Duty meets the apocalypse. Though a far cry from real combat training, if your skills are not up to par with the enemy team you will be leaving with some purple and blue welts all over your body. Despite the full army gear provided: jacket, pants, shoes, gloves, body armor and a face mask, things can get painful, and faux war games are perhaps not for the faint hearted.

“I thought it was fun, but the masks were pretty blurry,” said Bryan Lilly a patron at the paintball site who was splattered all colors of the rainbow after a vigorous day shooting. It is best to get here early if possible as towards the end of the day, staff are eager to go home and things can feel a little rushed.

If the idea of ducking, diving and being shot by plastic paintballs gets your heart pumping then this paintball club is well-worth checking out– truly awesome fun with a big group of mates. The company quickly responds to Facebook messages with any info you need and will make you a reservation without fuss. The prices for paintball include equipment: 250,000 VND for 100 paintballs, 350,000 VND for 200 paintballs and 450,000 for 300 paintballs.

As mentioned it probably best to go during the daytime, but if nighttime battle is your forte be prepared to spend an extra 20,000 VND per person. The arena is on the outskirts of Tay Ho next to a bar and the Westlake mini golf. Drinking and shooting are allowed, but while this might help with the pain, it is not so good for your aim (perhaps get your friends drunk and secretly stay sober to ensure victory).   

Súng bắn sơn Tây Hồ  
Số 79 đường Võ Chí Công Tay Ho
8 a.m. -10 p.m.
091 111 11 21