Wanderlust: Expat Life & Style in Thailand April / May 2015 - The Health & Wellness Issue | Page 57

Travel & Lifestyle for the grand finale— the exhilarating Abyss and Boomerango. These slides are all about height, speed, tossing, turning, and hanging-on-fordear-life. My youngest son, a selfproclaimed daredevil, described the Abyss and Boomerango as ‘the most exciting, thrilling and nerve-wracking rides’ he had ever tried! It was absolutely a grand finale to a fantastic day of family fun. There is no doubt that the rides at Vana Nava Water Jungle are out of this world. Parents will appreciate that it’s a clean, nicely laid-out, organized, safe park. Brightly dressed lifeguards posted at each slide are there for safety and fun—they dance in the water and splash the kids, while keeping a watchful eye. The food is what you would expect at such a park. It’s mediocre at best, but at least they have variety, some good coffee, and refreshing ice cream! One thing to be aware of is that our kids got stuck in one of the slides. It’s probably just a question of having to pump through a little more water. The kids thought it was amusing that a guy in boots came down the slide to rescue them, no harm done. For these reasons, I rated the park as an 8/10. Our children gave Vana Nava a 9/10. They absolutely loved it! LOCATION & CONTACT INFO Vana Nava Water Jungle, Hua Hin 129/99 Soi Moo Baan Nong Kae Nong Kae, Hua Hin Prachuap Khiri Khan 77110 Tel. [phone] [email protected] www.vananavahuahin.com OPENING HOURS Year-round from 10:00 am — 9:00 pm in high season and during long weekends and from 10:00 am — 6:00 pm in low season. SUITABILITY The park is suitable for children of all ages who can float with or without a device. There are little slides and water play areas for the tiny tots and intricate slides that will give even the most daring grown ups a jolt. Each ride has clearly indicated height, weight, and length guidelines, found on the park’s map. WHAT TO BRING ©© Sunscreen: Apply before you go in. ©© Flip-Flops: The floor is pretty hot in certain areas! Don’t worry about losing your shoes, though. The park has a nifty little tube storage in which you put your flipflops before going up the stairs for a waterslide. WHAT NOT TO BRING ©© Towels: For a refundable deposit of 100 baht, you can borrow a fluffy, blue towel, www.wanderlustmag.comWANDERLUST  55