Our latest and most adventurous dabble in the waterworld has been a day out to the AquaPark in Le Bouveret, Switzerland.
With the journey time being about 1hr30mins, you definitely want to make this an outing for the day, and as entrance isn’t cheap (CHF135 for a family of 4), it’s worth leaving early to make the most of things.
This isn’t hard – there are countless slides, some indoor, some outdoor, which you can slip down on your own or others with an inflatable carrying 1, 2 or 3 people. There’s a lazy river (a favourite if you’re like me and like the gentle life), which you can float along with an inflatable or just on your own, getting pushed by powerful jets the whole way along.
For the very young there’s a pirate ship water playground which has slides and squirty guns where you can take pot shots at the flotsom (aka Mum or Dad) traveling on the lazy river. There’s a large pool with ‘beach’ that has waves every half hour, a huge outdoor climbing frame/water area with slides for younger children, and comfy deckchairs and umbrellas nearby for Mum and Dad.
For the adrenaline-seeking swimmer there’s a slide reminiscent of a giant plug hole and the terrifying ‘Booster Loop’, where you pick up 3Gs as the ground disappears (literally) from under your feet and you get propelled into a water slide which does a loop the loop!!! See this vid for the whole ride:
Perhaps one of the best things about the waterpark is the added bonus of having a large outdoor area which is linked by a footbridge to the main waterpark. This outdoor area has a stunning backdrop of mountains, has its own cafes, lawns and a long waterfront so you can paddle in Lake Geneva after your picnic, with fabulous scenery all around. There is also a large baby pool, a swimming pool and an outdoor slide, as well as ping-pong tables free to use and a playground for younger children.
We went at peak time in the summer holidays, so it took us a while to queue up, but then once we were inside we didn’t feel as though the place was too busy, even though there was normally a queue of about 10mins for the slides.
With Lucas, our 2 nieces (aged 15) we all had a really good day, and felt that every one of our watery whims was well taken care of. Grandma would have been quite happy here too, and would most likely have spent the day with a book near the shores of the lake, enjoying the watery tales that emerged through the course of the day – all in all, a great day out for literally the whole family.
AquaPark in Le Bouveret, Switzerland