WonderLa Theme Park @ Banglore

WonderLa, which is nestled between the picturesque hillocks near Bidadi on the Bangalore-Mysore highway, is said to be the largest water park in the country. It has come up on 82 acres of land, of which 45 acres is exclusively for land- and water-based rides.

The concept of amusement parks is not new for the V-Guard group, as it has successfully been running Veegaland in Kerala's commercial capital, Kochi, since April 2000. Buoyed by Veegaland's success, V-Guard decided to open another amusement park in Bangalore.

I am not a big fan of amusement parks. So I found myself thinking twice about going to Wonderla, even when it was an all-expenses-paid trip. But I did go after all. And I don't regret it one bit.

Wonderla is quite a remarkable place, a different experience altogether. Supposedly the biggest amusement park in India, it has a huge variety of interesting and thrilling rides. If you are the daring kind, there are high-thrill rides which can really shake you up. If you prefer the milder versions, you have those too. For kids, there is an entire series of fun rides. Apart from exotic, never-seen-before rides, you have the old familiars too - bumping cars, etc.

The water rides are a big hit. As I was just recovering from an illness, I refrained from going on the water rides, and that was my biggest regret of the day. Everybody else who went on those rides, especially the Water Slides and the Wave Pool, obviously had a fantastic time.

The place is very well-maintained. The whole place is spotlessly clean. The changing rooms are cleaned and mopped constantly, and despite the huge number of visitors, the toilets are very clean.

This park is said to meet the highest levels of safety and hygeine. There are boards put up in many places that proclaim that the water used in the water rides has been purified through Reverse Osmosis techniques, and heated using Solar heaters. The rides themselves are supposed to have inbuilt safety features, and undergo regular maintenance, promising a safe and tension free ride.

The other attractions are the Virtual Reality Theatre, Indoor Musical Fountain and Laser show, a Giant wheel on a 300-meter platform, etc.

There are a variety of restaurants within the park, and there is no paucity of choice. But outside food is not allowed.

Details:

Location: About 40 km from Bangalore, near Ramanagaram.
Entry Fee: All inclusive entry fee of Rs. 380 on weekdays, and Rs.480 on weekends (includes Friday). Special discounts for students and senior citizens.
Timings: 11 am to 7 pm during weekdays, upto 8 pm on weekends.

Parking space: Lots of it.
Take: A change of clothes, sunscreen/cap.
Food and drink available in plenty. (Slightly expensive, though).

Website: http://wonderla.com
Phone: 08113-394441/2/3/5

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