Wanderlust: Expat Life & Style in Thailand April / May 2015 - The Health & Wellness Issue | Page 56
Travel & Lifestyle
Splish, Splash, Slide!
A Handy Guide to Vana Nava Water Jungle
by Rose Swagemakers
Photos: Shutterstock
O
n our kids’ latest school break,
we visited the recently opened
Vana Nava Water Jungle in
Hua Hin. My friend Sylvie and I—with
our combined total of five, ecstatic kids
—hopped in a van for the 3-hour drive
from Bangkok to this highly praised
water park.
As we closed in on Vana Nava,
we eyed the colorful structures
of the grounds, including
a huge, exciting-looking funnel.
Once inside, armed with tickets
and nifty wristbands with RFID*
technology, we were ready
for our day of adventure.
We began at the innocent Aqua
Course, a cool obstacle course with
loads of water guns and ropes.
When one of my friend’s children
was feeling apprehensive, I went
with him to the Lazy River to chill
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out. We bobbed along on a tube
through tropical jungle and waterfalls
for at a leisurely pace for 345 metres.
Then we visited the Rain Fortress,
where a huge bucket tipped
an enormous amount of water
every five minutes, completely
soaking us, and making us all burst
out in laughter.
Working ourselves
up to the big slides, we headed
to Coconut Beach, a man-made
beach with lovely white sand,
comfortable lounge chairs,
and an infinity pool with a great
bar. We enjoyed the wave pool
at Coconut Beach, which is ideal
for all ages, as the waves are mild
and tubes are provided for floating
and relaxation.
Finally, it was time for the slides.
The variety of colored tubes
and ride experiences to choose from
was wonderful, but our group—kids
and moms alike—favored the Super
Bowl slide. The Super Bowl ride
tossed and turned us and made
us laugh when dropping us into
a giant bowl.
The one we didn’t try was the Free
Fall slide. Not for the faint of heart,
the Free Fall takes you up 18 meters
high and then drops you straight
down at speeds up to 50 km/hr.
I saw proud fathers, boyfriends,
and some brave girls shake with
nerves and excitement while telling
their friends and family what this
ride felt like. Although it gets rave
reviews from adults, the Free Fall
slide is not something I am trying
in my lifetime!
We were totally drenched, having
a great time, and feeling prepared
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