Fun with Ben and Jake

PARENTS WANTING to keep toddlers, tweens and even teens happy this coming New Year holiday could do a lot worse than take the gang along to the newly opened Cartoon Network Amazone at Pattaya’s Bang Saray.

The latest in a series of theme parks to put down roots in Asia after Disneyland and Universal Studios, Cartoon Network Amazone is operated by Thailand-based developer Amazon Fall – hence the name – and is the first of its kind both in Asia and the world. Spread over 35 rai of prime coastal land and costing about Bt1 billion, it features more than 150 customised water attractions, all of them created by leading Turkish waterslide manufacturer Polin Waterparks.

“My boss is Canadian and has lived in Thailand for decades. He wants to draw tourists back to Pattaya and promote it as a family destination,” Amazon Fall’s deputy chief operating officer Kingkaew Puengjesada says. 

“The waterpark is perfect for family outings thanks to the wide range of entertainment on offer and we are planning to add to it by starting work on a resort zone next year. Our water attractions have been built by a leading supplier and meet international safety standards. Our design is top class too and we were recently recognised with the Edge Design Award from Las Vegas. Our staff are thoroughly professional and on hand all over the park to take care of visitors.”

The waterpark is divided into 10 zones, all of them inspired by the network’s favourite cartoon characters. Superhero Ben 10 is very much in evidence fighting off his alien alter-egos while Jake and Finn from Adventure Time explore the kooky Land of Ooo on a vertical slide. Gumball the cat and his best friend Darwin maintain their sense of misadventure while the Powerpuff Girls and Johnny Bravo invite kids to join them on a mission to save the world.

Ben 10, Chowder and the Powerpuff Girls are on hand to greet young visitors at the Cartoonival, an aquatic paradise reserved for children between the ages of three to 12. It’s safe and a great place for the little ones to have fun with splashtastic slides, fountains, buckets and tubes.

Everyone can hang out at the Mega Wave, a gigantic pool with artificial waves in six patterns and levels. The area is great for sunbathing too with private shaded cabanas and a beach-like space boasting colourful deckchairs and tables.

The Pepsi-sponsored Surfarena invites adrenaline seekers to test their flow riding skills to cool dance spins from the resident DJs. Waves roll out at 35 miles per hour, generating 30,000 gallons of water per minute in this dual flow ride, posing a challenge to anyone not accustomed to a board. World-class instructors are however on hand and happy to help beginners learn how to balance.

“Cartoon Network Amazone is a good partner for Pepsi,” says the soft drink maker’s senior marketing manager Siremorn Supachanya. 

“We have the same target group – young people who want to have fun. Flow riding was introduced to Thailand a few years ago and is now popular with the young generation. We’ll be opening a PepsiCo Mixology Bar soon that will offer the full range of our signature Pepsi-infused mocktails.”

Judging by the decibel level of the shrieks, the most popular zone is the Omniverse, home to six of the fastest and steepest water roller coasters known to man. It’s as high as an eight-storey building and designed to resemble the alien world of Ben 10. We line up for the gravity-defying Goop Loop roller coaster and clamber into an enclosed capsule before dropping into a 12-metre free-fall that generates maximum g-force and are then propelled into a 360-degree loop. As exhilarating as it is scary, this is not a ride for the weak of mind or stomach.

The tallest and steepest ride, the XLR8TOR, draws its inspiration from Ben 10’s lightning-quick reflexes and ability to reach speeds in excess of 300mph. Again not for the faint-hearted, it plunges vertically from a height of 18 metres before accelerating at lightning velocity to a splash landing.

Ben 10 aliens NRG, Cannonbolt and Swampfire take us on a wild ride through a 110-metre-long tube slide known as the Alien Attack. It twists and turns, defying gravity as jets of water blast us uphill through a series of hair-raising drops and breathtaking curves before spiralling through three darkened alien space shuttles. 

And the fun still isn’t over. Humungaslide sees us in two rafts racing each other in circular slides 23-metres-high, speeding through twists and turns then dropping into the clutches of the Ben 10 alien known as Humungousaur.

The four-lane Intergalactic Racers slide seems tame in comparison as it accelerates through a series of bumps, twists and serpentine tubes to the final open flume.

Less scary though every bit as exhilarating is the Adventure Zone, where the Jake Jump offers an exciting combination of rafting, mega drop and vertical burst. Here a dual raft shoots us vertically up Jake’s stretchy body then pauses before gravity takes hold and it crashes with a giant splash into the pool below. 

Inspired by the half-unicorn Lady Rainicorn, the super tube slide called Rainfall Rainicorn combines tight turns with steep drops to catapult the rider into a splash pool landing, while Johnny Bravo offers a thrilling drop through a high-speed tube and keeps you high on the wall for several turns before diving into a Banana Spin bowl. 

After so much excitement, it’s a relief to grab an inner tube and drift along the 33-metre-long Riptide Rapids River surrounded by jungle. Soon though, we’re in uncharted Amazon territory and about to discover what’s hidden behind this magic jungle. 

The waterpark’s spa and food area are yet to open though they should be up and running in time for the New Year holidays. 

 

 

SPUN AND SHAKEN

>>Cartoon Network Amazone is in Bang Saray to the south of Pattaya. 

>>It’s open daily from 10am to 6pm. 

>>Admission is Bt890 for children, students and seniors, Bt1,290 for Thai citizens and residents, including expatriates with work permits or student visas, Bt1,590 for foreign adults and Bt1,190 for foreign children.

>>Call (038) 237 797 or visit www.CartoonNetworkAmazone.com