Adventures in Bali Adventure Part II - Don't Miss the Fantastic Waterbom Park
Restaurant Review by Ken Stewart, The Guam Food Guy
May 2004

When you take your family to Bali on one of Continental's special package tours, be sure to plan a day of excitement and fun at Waterbom Park, located within walking distance of Kuta Beach. Opened in 1993, Waterbom Park offers a fantastic range of activities, including the Boogie Ride, Jungle Ride (a slide for nature lovers which takes you through natural habitats), Lazy River, Eurobungy Trampoline, Raft River (Indonesia's longest water ride), Race Track, Pleasure Pool, and the Bombastic Aquatic Playground & Kiddy Park, where kids can frolic in a safe, supervised setting. And, to appeal to mom while the kids frolic, there is a Mandara Spa.

The one attraction I vividly remember is the latest and fastest slide, "Smashdown." I didn't realize until after I'd seen the literature on this ride that you can actually experience a weightless sensation when accelerating to 70 km/h. I took photos of this ride from a covered observation bridge near the bottom. Our group was fascinated by the brave riders who sped down the watery jet ways, shrieking, screaming and then laughing as they made their swift descent.

Since we were only going to be at the park for a limited time, I decided that I was at least going to go down one of the slides and I determined that it should be one of the less intimidating ones. After changing into my trunks, I went over to the entrance way of the water slides; a big, towering structure with several decks and platforms for the different types of slide rides. I remember getting winded as I made my long upward journey - a climb which will give you a real work out! I asked a strapping teenage boy, who seemed to be on his umpteenth ascent up the stairs, for directions to one of the rides and he pointed upward with a smile. We talked a bit during the climb, and I remember him telling me to go up a final flight of stairs as he departed for his rafting ride.

When I got to the top launch deck of what turned out to be Smashdown, I remember seeing the magnificent view of Kuta Beach and the surrounding town. It was a beautiful, sunny day, just perfect for this afternoon's waterpark visit. Then, my heart sank and panic struck as I gazed down at the slide below. It seemed to go straight down for what looked like eternity...I felt a little queasy and nervous about putting myself through this "high risk" experience, after all, I am no longer in my twenties (or thirties or...) when a middle-aged Australian man encouraged me to do the deed. "Come on, mate! You can do this...it's a blast!" he beamed, motioning me to precede him. I sat down, folded my legs over one another as instructed, and crossed my arms over my chest (which seemed fitting for my journey into the afterlife), then laid my back down in the swirling water as I let gravity pull me along the tubular slide wall. I prayed, closed one eye, and went shooting straight down in an exhilarating rush that probably lasted no more than 9 seconds, but had the effect of 30! I made what I thought to be a "big splash" when I leveled off below in the receiving pool...I jumped up, laughing and shouting victoriously that "I did it!" I felt that I was the king of the world...such was my elation and glee from overcoming this life-challenging ride! I would have done it again had it not been for all those stairs.

Waterbom is a very large and impressive amusement park, with restaurants as well as other activities to keep you busy including tennis, boules, badminton, volleyball, and table tennis. The park was full of visitors from many countries. The Kiddy Park had body slides and twister rides designed for children under five. There really is a lot to do, with fun and entertainment galore. Although we weren't there to dine, I did have a couple of Waterbom's famous home-made donuts...in fact, these became a hit with some of our media group. I guess my conquering "Smashdown" enhanced my appetite for life so much that these donuts were much better than normal - they were terrific! Just like the fun and adventures awaiting you at Bali's Waterbom Park. For more info check out thier website.

Adventures in Bali Part 1

Adventures in Bali Part III

Adventures in Bali Part IV

Adventures in Bali Part V

Adventures in Bali Part VI

Adventures in Bali Part VII