Dubai: The Tower of Poseidon has risen from the seas at Aquaventue Waterpark – and we donned our trunks for a first spin on its new, more terrifying attractions.
This Dh100m addition to the Atlantis attraction is filled with record-breaking rides, we are told (of course, this is Dubai after all), including the world’s largest waterslide, the world’s first dual waterslide within a waterslide, the UAE’s only dual racing loops and the longest zipline in the Middle East.
‘Wait, did you say zipline?’ you might well ask. Yes, Atlantean Flyers is just that. Those who want to see the whole park from above can now clip themselves to what is essentially a bit of wire dozens of feet above the park. Unfortunately (depending on your perspective), this feature was not offered to us during our visit.
Neither was the super-scary Poseidon’s Revenge ride, which sees riders fastened into a capsule standing on a clear piece of acrylic which – yep, you guessed it – disappears from under your feet, sending you speeding round a disconcertingly narrow tube (32 inches in diameter, I am told – I think I have wider jeans). Maybe next time.
What we did sample on our visit was Aquaconda, a six-person raft ride clearly designed with families in mind. A couple of fun dips and turns aside, it is pretty tame by the standards of the other slides in the park, though great for big families or groups bereft of thrill-seekers.
Slitherines, the duel waterslide, was much more up-tempo. From the moment you shoot yourself down the enclosed tube, you are hurtling towards who-knows-what as a constant stream of water rushes into your eyes, making the experience that much more disconcerting. When you splash into the ‘catch pool’, you are greeted with a big red timer that tells you how fast you were – and how fast your slide buddy in the next tube was too – which is great for those with a competitive streak.
The Tower of Poseidon is certainly a fun addition to the waterpark war heating up in the UAE, with Yas Waterworld in Abu Dhabi blowing open a field that was previously dominated by Aquaventure and Wild Wadi in Jumeriah.
