Wild Wadi Waterpark Dubai Dubai United Arab Emirates

Wild Wadi is the older of Dubai's two big waterparks, opened in 1999 on the beach at Jumeirah with the Burj Al Arab standing directly behind it, which gives it the better view of the two. It is themed loosely on the story of Juha, a folk character from Arabic tradition, and built around a system of water jets that push riders uphill between slides, so the whole park connects into one circuit rather than requiring a climb between each ride. Jumeirah Sceirah is the headline: two parallel free-fall slides with trapdoor starts, dropping thirty-three metres at eighty kilometres an hour. Around it are a wave pool, a surfing machine, a long lazy river and a large shallow area for small children.

It is a day ticket and a smaller, more manageable park than Aquaventure — the whole thing can be walked in ten minutes and the queues are shorter outside weekends, which makes it the easier choice with young children. Guests of the neighbouring Jumeirah hotels get in free, which is why the composition of the crowd changes through the week. The beach next door is public and the view of the Burj Al Arab from the top of the slides is the reason many people take the photograph they do.

Practical. The best months are October to April; midsummer is bearable only early and late in the day. Weekdays are quieter than Friday to Sunday. Book online for a lower price than the gate. Lockers and towels cost extra and cash is not used inside — the park runs on a wristband tied to a card. Height limits apply on the drop slides. There is little natural shade, so a rash vest matters more than sunscreen that washes off. Modest swimwear is expected: bikinis are fine in the park, but a cover-up is needed to leave it.