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Top 10 over the past 10 years.... No 7 Wild Wadi Waterpark in Dubai


This month we're celebrating our 10th birthday at Escape Worldwide, and looking back at 10 years of globetrotting in the name of bringing you great holidays - at least that's our excuse! We're having a look at our personal top 10 favourite travel experiences of the last 10 years.


Karen makes a splash in Dubai

"My first visit to Dubai was on the way back from Thailand one September, and while the weather in Thailand had been hot and humid, I wasn't really prepared for quite how hot Dubai can get in the summer! I wanted to see Dubai's main attractions in the few days I had there, but having explored the older parts of the city and finding that the only place I could cool off was on a traditional abra crossing the creek, I decided to head to the beach and to one of the best water parks in the region, Wild Wadi. 

Abra on the creek in Dubai
Take an abra accross Dubai Creek
I wouldn't normally class myself as a water park kind of person, but in the heat of Dubai it's one of the best places to cool down - although the air conditioned shopping malls are also worth a look! In fact, I'd started cooling off at the Mall of the Emirates, one of the largest malls in the world and home to Dubai's very own indoor ski slope (once you've been to Dubai a few times nothing surprises you about what they can build there!) My only attempt at skiing ended up in hospital so I wasn't going to try that again, but the mall's air-conditioning worked its magic - as did the shops! 

Great views from across the park
Great view from Wild Wadi
Wild Wadi is a great family option, so if you're taking your kids to Dubai be sure to allow yourself a full day here. There's a host of rides and slides from the gentle to the plain scary, and I tended to stick to the more sedate side of things - there's something really relaxing about floating around the lazy river of Juha's Journey in a rubber ring while taking in the Dubai sunshine and the sights of the city from the high points!

When I visited, the park was home to the fabulously-named Jumeirah Sceirah, the tallest and fastest water slide outside of North America. At over 100 feet high, you shoot down in just a few seconds and can apparently reach speeds of up to 50 miles per hour! Just climbing the stairs to the top of the Jumeirah Sceirah was hard enough in itself, and I spent a good 10 minutes at the top deliberating as to whether I could actually bring myself to hurtle down it - or just take the stairs back! Little kids were looking at me as if to say 'you're pathetic', but it's only when someone twice my age took the plunge without even batting an eyelid that I plucked up the courage! Apparently the view is superb - I wouldn't know as I had my eyes firmly closed throughout! 

the top of the Jumeirah Sceirah
Wild Wadi's great rides
Last winter the Sceirah was replaced with a new attraction to keep Wild Wadi bang up to date, so on my next visit (I'm sure to go back!) there's bound to be something bigger and more terrifying for me to pluck up the courage to ride - or not!"

Watch this space for number 6...... Angkor Wat Cambodia



Escape Worldwide - Home of Long Haul Holidays
http://www.escapeworldwide.co.uk

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