Every parent knows that a happy child makes for a happy family, so planning holidays that have plenty of kid-friendly entertainment is always a good recipe for success. And what better way to keep the kids amused than with a trip to a theme park? Luckily, Asia has plenty of award-winning theme parks to choose from, whether they be on your doorstep in Singapore or further afield. To save you the trouble of doing the research, we’ve chosen our top 10 theme parks in Asia. So get ready for plenty of thrilling memories on your fun-packed trip!
Universal Studios, Singapore
Image Credit: Rwsentosa.com/en/
Universal Studios is somewhere that everyone will probably already know. However, it’s worth a mention because it’s a top class theme park that is incredibly easy to access and offers a host of exciting attractions. Universal Studios has something for everyone across its 6 zones: Far Far Away, The Lost World, Ancient Egypt, Sci-fi City, New York and Hollywood. It has rides for small kids (e.g. Sesame Street Spaghetti Space Chase) two 4-D rides (Transformers and Shrek), wet rides (Jurassic Park Rapids Adventure), gentle rollercoasters (e.g. Puss in Boots’ Giant journey, Enchanted Airways), scary rollercoasters (e.g. Battlestar Gallactica’s Cylon/Human and Revenge of the Mummy), a live show with pyrotechnics (Waterworld), and even character meet-and-greets (e.g. Shrek, Minions). Despite being packed with so many attractions, Universal Studios is small enough that you can do every ride in a single day, crowds permitting.
Ocean Park, Hong Kong
Image Credit: Oceanpark.com.hk
Hong Kong has two fantastic theme park options. The oldest (but not the least) is Ocean Park, which first opened its doors in 1977. Two things that set Ocean Park apart are the size of the park (it covers nearly 1 million square feet) and its variety (it offers traditional theme park rides plus an aquarium and conservation-focused animal enclosures). The only problem is that you will need more than one day if you want to see the whole park! Its animal attractions include penguins, giant pandas, red pandas, dolphins, meerkats, and giant tortoises, with plenty of the sites offering interaction with animals. For those who are more interested in rides, Ocean Park offers everything from adrenalin-boosting rollercoasters, such as Hair Raiser, The Flash, and Rev Booster, to gentle rides for smaller kids, such as a Merry-Go-Round and Balloons Up-Up-and-Away.
Disneyland, Hong Kong
Image Credit: Disneyland Hong Kong via Facebook
Although it’s a relative baby in terms of age and size when compared with Ocean Park, Hong Kong Disneyland is just as appealing in its own right. It’s especially great for younger kids who will get swept up in the magic of Disney and enjoy the many opportunities to meet their favourite characters, such as Iron Man, Buzz Lightyear, Moana, Tinker Bell and the most anticipated character of all, Elsa. Indeed, the World of Frozen is the newest zone at Hong Kong Disneyland, joining the jungle-themed Adventureland, fairytale-inspired Fantasyland, mining town-focused Grizzly Gulch, town-themed Main Street USA, supernatural Mystic Point, futuristic Tomorrowland, and eponymous Toy Land Story. Kids and adults can choose from attractions that include gentle rides for smaller children, 4-D rides, rollercoasters, a jungle river cruise, a railway ride, and even a boat to Elsa’s Ice Palace!
Universal Studios, Japan
Image Credit: Usj.co.jp
Located close to the city of Osaka in Japan, Universal Studios Japan is worth a visit even if you’ve been to its sister park in Singapore as its attractions are largely different. Although this park has familiar zones such as New York, Hollywood and Jurassic Park, it has the unique ‘worlds’ that include Amity World (where you can come face to face with Jaws), Super Nintendo World (with its rides based on games such as Donkey Kong and Super Mario), and the Wizarding World of Harry Potter (where you can visit Hogwarts). Across these zones visitors can choose between stage shows, meet-and-greets with characters, game zones, 4-D rides, rollercoasters, water-based rides that will make you wet, and a host of other rides that cater for children of all ages.
Disneyland and DisneySea, Tokyo
Image Credit: Tokyodisneyresort.jp
If you’re planning a trip to Japan’s capital city, Tokyo, you might want to consider visiting its most famous theme parks, Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea. Although these parks require separate tickets, they are only a short shuttle ride apart, so you can choose between them or visit both. The best way to decide between them is to consider which magical zones your kids will enjoy most. Disneyland has the cowboy-inspired Westernland, jungle-themed Adventureland, animal-focused Critterland, fairytale-inspired Fantasyland, futuristic Tomorrowland, and the town-based World Bazaar. DisneySea offers a slightly different focus with its zones that include a fishing village-inspired American Waterfront, an ancient civilization-themed Lost River Delta, a mermaid-inspired Mermaid Lagoon, and a Jules Verne-inspired Mysterious Island. Whichever park you choose you will have rides of all types plus the opportunity to meet Disney characters.
Ba Na Hills Sunworld, Vietnam
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Ba Na Hills Sunworld is located close to the Vietnamese coastal resort of Da Nang, and so makes a great day-trip when on a family beach holiday. It’s a great theme park for kids who like transport as it features two funicular (cable-drawn) railways as well as a cable car that traverses the park and has been ranked as one of the top 10 cable car systems in the world. The park’s main rides are found within Fantasy Park, which was inspired by the Jules Verne books ‘Journey to the Centre of the Earth’ and ‘Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea’. Ba Na Hills Sunworld also has an alpine coaster ride, a 4-D theatre experience, and a wax museum. Unusually for theme parks, Ba Na Hills Sunworld also has a number of Buddhist temples, and the Golden Bridge which spans over 150 metres and is suspended by a huge architectural hand.
Legoland, Malaysia
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You don’t have to be fan of the world famous construction toy, Lego, to enjoy what is arguably Malaysia’s premier theme park, but it certainly adds some excitement if you are. Situated close to Johor Bahru at the southern tip of Malaysia, Legoland is a theme park, water park and aquarium all in one. Across its different zones, which include Miniland, Lego Ninjago World, Land of Adventure, and Imagination, the park offers over 40 different attractions. These include rollercoasters, such as Merlin’s Challenge, a Lego city which includes an airport and driving school, and a log ride up a volcano. The water park’s attractions include a wave pool, lazy river, and multiple slides, whilst the aquarium features over 120 different marine species across 11 different habitats.
Siam Amazing Park, Bangkok
Image Credit: Siamamazingpark.com
Many adults love a trip to Bangkok for its shopping, culture and delicious cuisine, but sometimes kids need something more active and exciting. That’s the reason that Siam Amazing Park was created just 30 minutes from central Bangkok. This theme park is comprised of 5 zones: Water World is the largest water park in Asia and features the world’s largest wave pool, a lazy river and multiple slides; Xtreme World is where you’ll find all the rollercoasters such as the Vortex and Boomerang; Adventure World has traditional theme park rides; Small World has the gentler rides for the smaller children; and Family World has an observation tower and Big Double Shock, a horror attraction that is definitely only for the brave!
Taman Safari, Bali
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The paradise destination of Bali, Indonesia, is ever popular with adults who love to absorb the stunning scenery, the culture, and the food. However, kids often crave activities with a faster pace. Luckily, Bali Safari & Marine Park (also known as Taman Safari Bali) ticks all the boxes when it comes to entertaining the children. Kids who like wildlife are sure to love seeing the 100+ species from Asia and Africa that include elephants, rhinos, lions, tigers, zebras, and Komodo dragons. As well as this, the park boasts a water play zone with slides and other watery activities, a rainforest trail, and Fun Zone. However, at the heart of everything in this park is the wildlife, and the star activities are the safaris by jungle hopper and 4×4 Jeep that let you see the animals in an almost wild environment.
Everland and Caribbean Bay, Korea
South Korea’s largest theme park is located close to Yongin, to the south of Seoul. Indeed, it is currently the world’s 7th largest theme park so none of the family will be short of entertainment when visiting. In fact, Everland Resort comprises two separate theme parks: Everland and Caribbean Bay. Each requires a separate admission ticket and offers different attractions. Everland is a traditional theme park with themed areas (Zootopia, European Adventure, Magic Land, and American Adventure) which contain rides that include the world’s 3rd longest wooden rollercoaster; Caribbean Bay is an indoor and outdoor water park which offers a wave pool, lazy river, nine water slides, and a spa and sauna.
There are many theme parks across Asia, often close to its bigger cities, so you can often find one close to the destination for your latest holiday. Or, alternatively, you could use our recommendations to plan your next vacation around a world-class theme park. Fasten your seat belt and get ready for an exciting experience!
Cover Image Credit: Tokyodisneyresort.jp
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