Myself with my parents at Adventure Cove Waterpark
In general, the park is very well themed - more so than the other water parks I been to like Sunway Lagoon of Malaysia (trip report coming soon). Even seemingly minor items like handrails are adorned with mysterious symbols and sculptures. Although the first attraction we encounter was the river, we decided to head straight into middle of the park.
[tip] Change at the Wave Pool area and use the lockers there so you will be closer to the slides and most attractions.
[tip] Bring smaller bags so they can fit in the smaller $10 lockers. The larger ones cost $20. My family actually squeezed all 3 of our bags inside that 1 small locker. Lockers are valid for use for whole day
Note the extensive theming in the water park
Attraction 1: Riptide Rocket
[tip]Take this ride first thing before the crowd comes or last thing when everyone else is at the showers.
The slide itself is really dynamic. The motions are more sudden but less dramatic than Revenge of the Mummy. Be careful at the final dark tunnel - I see many people fall out of their rafts throughout the day.
Attraction 2: Rainbow Reef
However, I had difficulty breathing through the masks, so I gave up this attraction. I actually tried a couple of times at the load area but still cannot do it properly.
[tip]Do not get adventure express. It is valid for only 2 attractions and you can simply use the technique I highlighted above to circumvent the queues.
Attraction 3: Adventure River
The river itself has very good pacing, perhaps about 3-4 km/h. Depth of 0.9m is shallower than most other rivers which I visited. The theming is impressive, and there are many zones including a tunnel through an aquarium and view of the ray bay.
Floats and life jackets are available at no extra charge. Many floats simply drift along unattended.
[tip] Go to this attraction when the park is most busy, say about 2pm-3pm. This is the only ride where no queues are required
Other water slides
I do not like Dueling Racer as there are just too few lanes so (1) big groups cannot play together and (2) the queue for this 5 second slide is disproportionately long (it was my longest ride of the day)
Spiral Washout and Whirlpool Washout are located beside the grotto. Although only double float are provided, singles can also slide (though they must carry the huge 2 person float themself). I personally like the toilet bowl style Whirlpool Washout more. In fact, the funnel at Spiral Washout was quite a letdown as the oscillations are so mild and pacing of the ride really slow.
Tidal Twister and Pipeline Plunge are located between the wave pool and Riptide Rocket. Pipeline is a much faster slide but it is also very short. Tidal Twister has a more moderate pace and the ride is quite long (almost a full minute, rare for water slides).
[tip] Queue for Tidal is usually much longer than pipeline. It is better to take pipeline 3-4 times than to ride Tidal once.
Of course, this is Singapore, so no new passengers will be dispatched into the slides until the previous person has completely cleared the splashdown pool. That is no big deal for short slides like Pipeline, but the the queue for long slides like Tidal Twister moves really, painfully slow (imagine 1 person every 2 minutes)
Spiral and Whirlpool slides only provide two-person rafts
Other attractions
The wave pool called Bluwater Bay alternates between calm seas and rolling waves. I can really see many guests bored during the calm period (which lasts a full 15 minutes) so I think the park can really consider shortening that interval.
My parents tell me that Splashworks is a waste of space. I kind of agree. There are a few activities that I can do for free at West Coast Park playground without the risk of getting wet, and the requirement for proficient swimmers means many people are left out. (fyi I don't know how to swim)
The food at adventure cove comprises of a couple of food stands at a quick service eatery called The Bay Restaurant. Food is same price as USS, about $12 for set meal with drinks. Quality is mediocre - no match for the themed meals at USS. I honestly think it is more worth to simply use the water coolers provided, though take note: Unlike USS, there are NO water coolers in the queue lines, so drink before you queue
Water jump at splashworks. The one I did at OBS is like 3 times the height
Bluwater Bay with the big waves
Overall I had a good day there. My ratings are
- Lazy River: *****
- Wave Pool: *
- Kids Area: **
- Water Slides: ****
- Special Attractions: ***
- Park Operations: **
- Theming: *****
- Dining: **
- Overall: ***
Other tips:
- If you feel shy, you can choose to wear T-Shirt and PE Shorts. No need to wear revealing swimsuits
- Singapore is really hot. Do not forget your sunscreen
- Attraction may be closed due to lightning. Please do check the weather forecast before buying
- Souvenir photos costs upwards of $30 each. You may not want to trouble the photographers (politely decline them) to take photos of you using their cameras if you don't intend to buy
- Average queue lines for slides is about 20 mins on this Thursday I went. I really cannot imagine the queue during weekends
- The shoe racks outside attractions are for SHOES only. Do not act smart and place your valuables there. I seen I-Phones on the racks several times
