Mommy in a nook: A day in Wild Wadi :D (Part One)

If it’s your first summer in KSA and you have done with iqama procedure and all other tidbits of legalities then I can vouch for it that you’ll end up in Dubai for Eid vacations ;P Whether you are a Saudi or an expat, the edge of being in Kingdom is that Dubai appears close like a neighboring city :D And once you are in Dubai in scorching sunny summers of Middle East, you won’t like to miss having some serious water fun. In Dubai you’ll find two really good, super exciting water parks, Wild Wadi and Aqua Venture.

Last November we got a chance to explore Wild Wadi in and out for three days. Due to our stay in alQasr we got free entry to the theme park. (All the hotels situated in same vicinity were entitled to the free entry. You don’t need a pass, they simply ask your hotel name and room number.) Out of the four days, we stayed there, firs three were spent in Wild Wadi.

Located in the midst of the grand and picturesque Madinat aljumairah, Wild Wadi offers a stunning view of Burj Alarab. You’ll find variety of rides from the ultimate Jumeirah Sceirah to calming river flow. But to keep the suspense intact I’m not planning to give you any sneak peak into the rides ;)

The very next morning of our arrival in Madinat , air was totally charged with excitement and anticipation. In past few years we visited Dubai quite often but either because of this or that reason couldn’t get a chance to visit Wild Wadi. Now was the day and kids were totally ecstatic. Kids took a quick shower, had a breakfast of chocolate sandwiches and milk while I stuffed the bag with swimming costumes and water bottles and off we went.

And remaining is the tale of truly and totally fun filled hours which I’ll narrate may be any other day ;) Here I’ll share with you a random overview of some dos and don’ts of Wadi through a mom’s eye, Have a happy reading J

Be an early riser if you are planning to explore the wadi at your leisure. You can get your tickets online or get them at the spot.

No need to bring towels as you will get them from the fresh and washed heap of towels. If you’ve brought a back pack along, guard on duty will check it. Outside food is not allowed as you can get quite a variety from inside….pretty expensive though J I had some water bottles and three packs of milk in my bag and they happily with all smiling faces let that go. Well, sweet smiles and polite words these are among those things which you’ll find in abundance wherever you’ll go in Wild Wadi. Everyone is eager to help and ready to listen to.

Either it’s a costume, goggles, socks, slippers or sunscreens …. No worries if you missed either of them, you can easily get them from inside. The burqini, I kept on finding throughout the Riyadh, was available in all sizes at the first stall I spotted in the wild wadi.

It’s a must to keep water handy and be hydrated. You can buy bottles for unlimited refills throughout the day. Don’t forget sun shades and sun screen lotions.

Specify your entire day for the fun if you want to be satiated.

All the rides are kids friendly (with different height restriction for each ride). My six and nine years old kids qualified for all the rides and took them for a number of times. But every child’s interest varies in thrill rides and parents can decide which ride is good for their child.

My dare devils right after Jumeirah Scecheira, going back to try again while poor mom was still terrified by the echo of 3,2,1...... woooooooooshhhhhhhhh :-O And here is the wrist bands which declare that these kids have survived Jumeirah Scecheirah....and seriously everyone got impressed on seeing these bands and now they are a part of our treasure chest of memories :)

There are life guards at every nook and corner to ensure that a Mom can enjoy at the fullest when her kids are busy in swimming or taking rides. Most of the time I baby sit my one and a half years old while the elders kept rushing to rides one after the other. What I used to do was to drop them on the spot. Once they got the turn, I used to rush towards the ending point to receive them. However this drop and spot policy is not valid for all the rides as you’ve to climb up an entire lot of stairs to reach there.

There is a kids’ water play area full of water slides, showers, tunnels and of course the usual huge hanging pail of water which empties itself every now and then. You can get swimming diaper for your toddler from the guard standing nearby and spend hours of fun with your baby, toddler and above.

Beside the play area, you’ll find a wave pool. And believe me, you can spend the entire day reclining on the seat, sipping margaritas, counting waves, reading a book and enjoying the wonderful view created by the magnificent Burj al Arab which keeps on peeking you from above.

There are life jackets available for babies, toddlers, children and adults. You may watch your kids rising up and down with waves or get into the water to have some real fun or if you are someone like me who doesn’t know ABCs of swimming simply stretch your legs, let water touch your toes and watch your kids swim.