WADI ADVENTURE

At the foot of the arid Jebel Hafit mountain, about 30 minutes from downtown Al-Aïn (follow the signs), when you arrive at Wadi Adventure, you don't expect to find a water park at all. It was a daring move to dig this tumultuous pool out of the rock at the foot of the jebel's western slope! This improbable aquatic tableau, with a total length of 1,133 m, may not be very eco-friendly in itself (it's hard not to think of the liters of water wasted in the desert!), but it's nonetheless a little miracle of technology, with some extraordinary attractions. A very large river for rafting and kayaking has even been reconstituted, and that's no mean feat! It's an impressive sight, and it's hard to believe that it's entirely man-made... But above all, this river is just as much for beginners wishing to take up rafting as it is for pros! In fact, during our visit, we happened to come across some French kayak champions in training: Pierre-Antoine Tillard, former French single-seater canoe champion, and Etienne Daille, former world number 1 in slalom kayaking! That's right! They had discovered Wadi Adventure by chance on the net and decided to come and train there all winter rather than go to Australia, which was much further away than Abu Dhabi... But for us, the most surprising of all the park's water attractions remains the special surfing wave pool... It's the only one of its kind in the world: this pool emits waves that can be modulated according to your surfing level. Small waves for beginners, giant waves for seasoned Hawaiian surfers... You won't believe it, and you can even take lessons! Perfect for an introduction to surfing in Al-Aïn, in the middle of the desert? Forget the waves of Waikiki! This is the place to be! All in all, a crazy, crazy park for extreme sports enthusiasts, a must-see at least once in your life. If only to tell your friends on the way home: "I surfed in the desert! No, not on the dunes! And, of course, you'll be able to pull out the photo at just the right moment to prove to them that hookah hasn't gone to your head... For young and old alike! And if surfing isn't your thing, there's also a pool for the little ones, slides, wake boarding, zip lines and climbing walls. There are several food and beverage outlets in the park to refuel and recover from all the excitement. Very well organized and well supervised.