Many of us will remember the summer days of our youth spent rocketing down a waterslide at the local pool! But how keen would you be now to brave these unusual and sometimes death-defying waterslides from around the globe?
Boeing 747 Waterslide, USA
If you’re sick of sitting of planes, how about getting wet and sliding through one? The Evergreen Wings and Waves Water Park in Oregon features a Boeing 747 jumbo jet that sits on its roof and is the starting point for four amazing waterslides. You’ll slush your way through the insides of the jet before emerging into the waiting pool below. Neat!
Kilimanjaro Waterslide, Brazil
It’s quickly gained a reputation as one of the world’s craziest and most adrenalin-fueling waterslides – and according to the Guinness Book of Records, it’s also the tallest! The Kilimanjaro Waterslide in Rio de Janeiro stands at a whopping 50 metres high and sends keen sliders zooming down towards the pool at the bottom at around 90km an hour. Ride it if you dare!
Leap of Faith Waterslide, Bahamas
Leap of faith indeed – you’d better be praying as you slide down this thing! On the gorgeous Paradise Island in the Bahamas, the ‘Leap of Faith’ waterslide will have you sliding down the front of a Mayan Temple. Next, you’ll shoot into a clear tube, where you’ll whiz through a lagoon filled with sharks! Luckily, the sharks are of the smaller kind (reef and nurse), rather than the ‘Jaws’ kind…
Città Del Mare Resort Waterslide, Sicily
If you love to waterslide in style, there’s no better place on the globe than at the luxurious Città Del Mare resort in northern Sicily. These breathtaking on-the-cliff slides are divided into three levels and ensure that you plunge straight into the beautiful Mediterranean waters. Of course, you don’t have to descend all at once – there are two separate pools to relax in on the cliffs, which are great if you prefer your slide action in shorter bursts!
Summit Plummet, USA
Trust those Americans to create a waterslide that’s supposed to be set in the snow! Simply head to the Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida, and Summit Plummet (on ‘Blizzard Beach’) will have you whisking 36 metres down “Mount Gushmore.” At the bottom, a digital clock will even report your fastest speed! Other waterslide attractions at Blizzard Beach include the Downhill Double Dipper, Slush Gusher and Runoff Rapids.
Aqualoop Waterslide, Beijing
Who says you can’t top the 2008 Olympics? China has turned its ‘Watercube’ (otherwise known as the Beijing National Aquatic Center) into its first-ever indoor waterpark. The venue is home to 13 waterslides, including the Aqualoop, where visitors step into a cube and wait for a trap door to open beneath them. They then freefall straight down into a waterslide tube. We don’t know what’s more odd though – the crazy adrenalin rush or the fact that the waterslide is situated in a weirdly colourful, fantastical setting with jellyfish hanging from the roof!