Living in a country that is filled with people who have creative minds is totally absurd. One gets to experience that which seems to be impossible. Who would have thought that there would be beaches and islands in a deserted area or maybe, a snow/ski park inside the mall? Have you ever imagined yourself, doing water sports activities such as whitewater rafting or surfing at the base of a dry and rocky mountain? Oh well, I’m proud to say that all of these can be found in my second home, the UAE. Thanks to some great people behind these mind-boggling masterworks, the UAE is a place where one can experience many different activities. Meanwhile, summer is travelling really fast and one of the best ways to welcome the heat is to dip yourself in water full of fun; and when I say fun, I meant ADVENTURE! My feet have been itching to go to this water park that I am telling you, it has been for a while. It’s a good thing, I was not alone in my desires, because two of my friends felt the same way. This was a “first” for everyone, so we were all excited.
The Wadi Adventure is located in Al Ain, an area which is about a 2.5-hour drive from Dubai. Being known as the “Garden City” and the birthplace of many of the country’s most influential leaders, Al Ain is now also taking the title of being the “Adventure Capital in the UAE”. Believe it or not, this water park is situated at the base of Jebel Hafeet, a rugged mountain where no signs of water can be seen. But because of man’s brilliant mind, anything is possible and extreme water activities can now be done here. The place is a monument to the creativity of man.
When we reached the place, we were astounded by the combination of the creations of both God and man. Luckily, when we went there, there were only a few guests. This meant we could enjoy the whole place, without rushing and do a lot of photo ops. Immediately, we readied our gear and ourselves, for the first adventure – water rafting!
They claim that this is the world’s longest, man-made, whitewater channel. I know we were really exhilarated especially when had seen some videos before we actually arrived. We began with the first channel where. the current was not too strong, because it was basically made for beginners. We had come for the adventure and we knew that this channel was not for us, so we proceeded to the second level after two runs. The second run was fantastic. The rapids give off an adrenaline rush, as the water whooshes and dances through the river. Looking at my buddies’ faces, I could see, that we are all having fun!
After getting thoroughly soaked up, we rested for a while and then got ready for our next stop – the Airpark. This comprises two-level obstacles, the zip line and the giant swing! In doing the obstacle course, you should have high stamina and a lot of it. Unfortunately, I ran out of zip and the sun was really melting me down, so I only finished the first course. My friends and I only finish the first course. That was fine because the next activity – Zipline, really marvelled us.
We crossed over the channels and saw the vastness of the mountain. And then came my favourite part, the Giant Swing! Everyone was looking forward to the first drop and it didn’t fail us. It made us scream at the top of our lungs. That ride took our energy out so we decided to fuel up our hungry stomachs and rest for a while at the cafe on site.
As much as we want to try the kayaks and the wakeboards, we decided to end the day and savour the moment in the wave pool. We swam and enjoyed every wave, especially the huge ones. I felt like I was bracing myself for the upcoming surges. Looking from afar, or if you are on top of the waves, it was like a huge blanket shaking off by a giant. Everything was perfect in my sight. Good place. Good People. Good Experience.
So… What are you wading for? Call your friends and make a big splash at Wadi Adventure! Enjoy!
