What better way to cool off during your exiting summer travels than taking the plunge on a water slide with speeds that can be some of the scariest but most fun experiences of your life? The idea of going down a crazy water slide sort of like the prospect of being a kid going down the kiddy slide: kind of nerve-wracking, but also totally awesome and a thrill you immediately want to experience again straight after going on it. From the heart wrenchingly tall ‘Kilimanjaro’ in Brazil to the ‘leap of faith’ in the picturesque Bahamas, here are some of the tallest and biggest water slides and water flumes in the world.
Kilimanjaro, Aldeia das Águas Park Resort, hotel and water park, Brazil
Named after the famous mountain in Tanzania, Kilimanjaro is 49.9 meters tall and has a drop height of 164 feet. This slide is a free fall body slide and its rough speed is around 56-60mph (which is equivalent to 91km/h)! the slide was opened in 2002 and it can be found in 330 thousand square meter Aldeia das Águas Park Resort, which is located around about 120 kilometres from the city of Rio de Janeiro. The water park resort has many other things to do for all ages. It also has a place to stay as you will not experience all the fun in just one day. Kilimanjaro is the current world’s tallest water slide. The slide currently holds the record for the highest drop height on a body slide. That’s pretty insane. The slide’s structure is pretty complicated but one of the safest there is actually. The slide takes advantage of the side of a hill to safely extend it further, and it also digs into the side of it to achieve its great drop height. Currently the world’s tallest water slide, it is definitely not for the faint-hearted.
Leap of Faith, Paradise Island, Bahamas
This water slide is already kind of great because it’s in the Bahamas. The sun, lots of fun and if you come here seeing sharks as you zoom down a water slide. The Leap of Faith offers a daring and adventurous almost-vertical drop from the top of the iconic Mayan Temple. This 60-foot body slide propels riders at tremendous speed through a clear acrylic tunnel submerged in a lagoon filled with amazing and fascinating marine life. When you are descending down the Mayan temple, it is the open topped part of the slide. The drop is near vertical and 27 meters. But when going down in the water you are surrounded with many sharks. Do not worry though you are safely encased in a clear tube when near the sharks. Even though you’re completely safe it most likely still won’t stop the nightmarish visons that you will have before going on the slide.
The toboggan, Citta Del Mare hotel resort, Palermo Italy
Nature makes the best waterslides, with a little help from man. The three side-by-side slides at the Citta del Mare Resort in Sicily escort guests down a scenic cliff, into three pools finally ending you into the grand Castellammare del Golfo in the Mediterranean Sea. Each slide drops into a crystal clear shining pool. The most epic part of this entire water slide is that it ends up not in a swimming pool but directly into the Sea. Although the slide is just for hotel guests, it is worth booking into the hotel as there is a lot to see, do and have fun with. There are many wet and wild attractions at the Citta Del Mare. The hotel resort calls itself the ‘largest holiday resort in Sicily’ which is quite a big remark to make. Although it may not one of the biggest resorts, it certainly is one of the most amazing and fun resorts there is in Sicily, maybe even in the whole of Italy.
Scorpion’s tail, Noah’s Ark water park, Wisconsin, United States
Boarding this exciting water slide will make you feel as if you’re boarding a rocket about to go on a surreal adventure to who knows where! The Scorpion’s Tail gets mine and a lot of other people’s vote for most genuinely terrifying. You stand on a platform in a capsule at the entrance of the Scorpion’s Tail, close the door and wait. The space which you are standing in is enclosed and like I said before in the shape of a rocket. The wait is most likely the scariest part of the whole ride. The floor then drops away leaving you to fall into the waterslide and shoots down over 10 stories. Do not worry, the plastic in front is see through so all your family members or friends can watch your hilarious reactions as you drop down. You then complete the over 400 foot waterslide in about 5-7 seconds. As the person drops down, they can reach speeds of up to 30 miles per hour. The highest possible sped on the ride is 40 miles per hour. It’s also one of the first vertical loops in the whole of north America which is pretty impressive if you ask me. The rider has to have a minimum height of 48 inches which is around 121 centimetres. The rider also has to have a minimum weight of 90lbs which is also know as about 141 kilograms.