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Why should kids have all the fun?
Aquatica (Orlando, Florida)
Operated by SeaWorld, the South Pacific-themed Aquatic Orlando has no shortage of water-soaked fun. The park is home to not one but two wave pools, plus several raft slides and eight-lane racing slides. And for those seeking rest, there’s a sprawling 80,000-square-foot, white-sand beach area readily equipped with deck chairs, sun beds, and umbrellas.
Jungle Aqua Park (Hurghada, Egypt)
With 35 water slides and 14 outdoor swimming pools, you won’t run out of things to do at Jungle Aqua Park. Set on the Red Sea in the breezy beach town of Hurghada, the park is a cooling respite from city life just a five-and-a-half-hour drive south of Cairo. The park also features a hotel with more than 800 air-conditioned guest rooms, so there is no need to make this visit a day trip.
Siam Park (Costa Adeje, Canary Islands)
If your first thought this Thai-themed water park was located in Thailand, think again. The coastal suburb of Tenerife in Spain’s Canary Islands is the setting for Siam Park, which features the largest number of Thai-themed buildings outside Thailand. The rides here are the real draw: Slip through the wide turns of the four-person Kinnaree slide, drop down the vertical funnel of the Dragon slide, or chill out under an umbrella on the white sand of Siam Beach.
Waterbom Bali (Kuta, Indonesia)
You’ll find a few water parks as lush as Waterbom Bali. At this certified carbon-neutral park, more than 50 percent of its 3.8 hectares are dedicated green spaces. Between the palm trees, guests can hang ten in the Flowrider wave simulator, have a massive water balloon fight in the Water Blaster Course, or speed down any of the park’s heart-pumping waterslides.
Yas Waterworld (Abu Dhabi, UAE)
Yas Waterworld has a remarkably cohesive theme, unlike most parks on this list. It’s designed around the story of a fictional Emirati girl named Dana, who hunts for a legendary pearl lost in a strong storm. (That “pearl” is also a central design element of the park; it lights up magnificently at night.) Her journey is told through the park’s 40-some rides, including the Bandit Bomber (the longest suspended roller coaster in the Middle East, allowing riders to shoot water at targets along the ride), the six-lane Sebag slide, and the Al Raha lazy river ride.
World Waterpark (Edmonton, Canada)
Chances are that your local mall can’t compete with Canada’s West Edmonton Mall. Beyond its more than 800 stores and 100 dining venues, the shopping complex features—we kid you not—an entire water park. The huge World Waterpark can accommodate 5,000 guests and is home to the world’s largest indoor wave pool. There are also slides that range from family-friendly to extreme, not to mention a death-defying indoor zipline.
Wet’n’Wild Gold Coast (Oxenford, Australia)
Located in the suburb of Oxenford on Australia’s Gold Coast, Wet’ n’ Wild Gold Coast isn’t only a summertime destination. Heated water courses through the rides year-round, which means you can splash down any of the park’s massive slides even in the depths of winter. Careen through the white water on Mammoth Falls in a six-person tube, slip through a trap door and plummet down the 40-foot drop of the Aqualoop, or chill out in the wave pool. Your pick!
Tropical Islands Resort (Halbe, Germany)
East Germany may not precisely shout “the tropics,” but that’s what you’ll find in this cavernous former airship hanger in Halbe, a municipality just outside Berlin. Tropical Islands Resort holds the world record for the largest indoor water park and is open not only 365 days a year but 24 hours a day for overnight guests. The massive complex, which spans several themed indoor and outdoor areas, features attractions from a 250-meter-long faux whitewater river to a high-powered “turbo slide” that shoots riders at speeds upwards of 40 mph.
Beach Park (Aquiraz, Brazil)
Spread out over nearly 2 million square feet is Brazil’s Beach Park, set in the coastal city of Aquiraz. Its most famous attraction is the Insano slide, which tosses riders at speeds upwards of 65 mph down a 14-story free fall—not feeling so adventurous? The Acqua Circo area, studded with a variety of cannons, jets, showers, fountains, slides, tunnels, fixed peddle boats, and seesaws, provides hours of skin-soaked fun.
Aquaventure Waterpark (Dubai, UAE)
Now, this is what we call an oasis in the desert. Nestled inside the massive Atlantis The Palm luxury resort Dubai, the Aquaventure Water Park is 17 hectares of high-adrenaline action. Standouts include the Aquaconda, the world’s first slide-within-a-slide; the enclosed tube snakes in and out of another flume-style ride. Poseidon’s Revenge also boasts two dueling slides that propel thrill seekers up to 37 miles per hour.
