Siam Park (Tenerife)

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Siam Park is a Loro Parque-owned water park currently under construction in Tenerife. It is located on the TF1 highway in Costa Adeje. When it opens, it will be Europe's largest water park at 18.5 hectares.[1] Siam Park features Siamese theming and most of the ProSlide water rides.

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[edit] History

Siam Park's construction started in 2004[2] and cost 52 million euros.[3] Originally slated to open in May 2007, it has endured construction delays and is now expected to open in summer 2008.[4] The park's plans also originally included a roller coaster,[2] but the park has opted to focus on developing the first phase of the park in order to open the park as soon as possible. [5]

Siam Park has full Thai theming, including theming on all of its rides, park buildings[3], and restaurants. The park's 25 buildings will be the largest collection of Thai-themed buildings outside Thailand.[4] The park's designer, Christoph Keissling, received permission from the Thai royal family to use the park's name and theming; but, to respect the family's wishes, he did not copy royal palaces, temples, or statues of Buddha in the park's theming.[5]

In addition, the restaurants will serve Thai food; and the park will have a Thai floating market.[3]

[edit] Attractions

The park features most of the rides in ProSlide's catalog, including the following:

  • The Volcano, a four-person ProSlide Behemoth Bowl slide with a laser inside which produces a flashing image of a dragon[3]
  • The Dragon, a ProSlide Tornado with a light show inside the 20-meter-wide funnel. The first Tornado with a light show inside was Brain Wash, which opened in 2007 at Wet 'n Wild - Orlando.
  • Wave Palace, a wave pool with an artificial white sand beach. At 3 meters high, its waves will be the highest of any wave pool in Europe and will be comparable to the 9-foot (2.7 m) waves in Poseidon's Rage at Mt. Olympus Water & Theme Park. The park's surfing school will give surfing lessons at the Wave Palace.[6]
  • Naga Racer, a six-lane racing slide
  • The Giant, which are twin ProSlide Bowls, one moving clockwise and one moving counterclockwise
  • The Tower of Power, a vertical, transparent slide which sends riders through an alligator pond, is similar to of Faith at Atlantis Paradise Island.[7] Riders climb 235 steps to board the 28-meter-high slide.[5]
  • River Sawasdee, the world's longest lazy river, which also has the highest elevation of any lazy river at 8 meters[4]
  • Jungle Snake, four twisting slides which follow the park's terrain
  • The Lost City, a children's play structure with 120 games[3]
  • Mekong Rapids, a river rafting ride with five-person rafts[4]
  • An amphitheater
  • A sea lion pool near the park's main entrance

[edit] Technical information

The park is built on a hill, which permits the slides to follow the park's terrain similar to terrain roller coasters. Hence, they lack the prominent support structure present in most water slides.

Siam Park will be the world's first green water park.[6] The park's water is heated to 25 degrees Celsius. Keissling calls Siam Park the "first air conditioned outdoor aquatic park in the world".[7] To conserve the island's water, Siam Park will have a desalination plant on site which will de-salt 700 cubic meters of sea water per day.[7] After the water is used in the rides, the park will recycle the water to water the park's plants.[6] In addition, Siam Park will have the first natural gas plant in the Canary Islands.[5]

[edit] References

  1. ^ Tenerife News. Adeje's "Siam Park" will use "channeled gas". Retrieved on January 1, 2008.
  2. ^ a b The Tenerife Sun. Parrot park for South is under way. Retrieved on January 1, 2008.
  3. ^ a b c d e Tenerife News. Siam Park - A unique water theme park. Retrieved on January 1, 2008.
  4. ^ a b c d Tenerife News. Siam Park on course to give Tenerife an oriental boost. Retrieved on January 1, 2008.
  5. ^ a b c d Tenerife News. Sharing the secrets of sensational Siam Park. Retrieved on January 1, 2008.
  6. ^ a b c Siam Park. trivia. Retrieved on January 1, 2008.
  7. ^ a b c Goodfellow, Emily. Tenerife Tourism Corporation. Siam Park - the biggest water theme park in Europe – due to open Spring 2007 in Tenerife!. Retrieved on January 1, 2008.

[edit] External links