Aquaventure World at Atlantis

Aquaventure World is the big-ticket family day in Dubai, and for anyone who loves water slides it is reason enough to cross to the Palm. It sits beside Atlantis The Palm on the crescent at the end of Palm Jumeirah and has grown in stages into a vast park that broke the Guinness World Records title for the most waterslides in a waterpark. There are three distinct parts. The slide towers are the headline: the original Ziggurat, a Mayan-style temple with the Leap of Faith, a near-vertical drop that shoots you through a clear tube in a lagoon of sharks and rays; the Trident Tower; and the newer Tower of Poseidon, with long family rafting slides, racers and some of the most extreme drops in the park. Around them winds a long river ride with gentle stretches, wave surges and rapids, which is the best way to rest between queues and travel across the park on a tube. Then there is the beach, a stretch of private sand with loungers on the crescent, where you can swim in the sea between slides, plus Splashers and other play zones for younger children. Next door, the Lost World Aquarium, formerly called The Lost Chambers, takes you through mock ruins of Atlantis surrounded by tanks holding tens of thousands of marine animals, and is usually sold as a combination with the waterpark. Tickets are expensive by any standard, but they cover a full day, and guests at Atlantis The Palm and Atlantis The Royal get access included. Arrive at opening, ride the big slides first, and save the river and the beach for the afternoon.

Planning makes a big difference here, because queues for the best slides build quickly on weekends and in school holidays. Arrive before the gates open, head straight for the slide you care about most, and do the towers in the morning while lines are short. Lockers and towels are available, and loungers on the beach are first come, first served unless you pay for a cabana, which is worth it for a family that wants shade and a base all day. Food is available throughout the park at resort prices; outside food is generally not allowed. Height restrictions apply to many slides, so check them before promising a child a particular ride.

Dress code is strict: proper swimwear is required on the slides, and cotton clothing, jeans, abayas and street clothes are not allowed in the water. Bring reef-safe sunscreen and water shoes for the hot paths, and plan to reapply sun cream often; even in winter the sun is strong. The park closes at sunset, and the best months to visit are October to April, when temperatures are comfortable; in summer the water is warm and the paths are scorching by midday. Children under thirteen must be accompanied.

Getting there: the Palm Monorail runs to the Atlantis Aquaventure station at the end of the line, and taxis drop at the Aquaventure entrance. If you are staying at Atlantis, the hotel includes the park, which can make the room rate better value than it first looks for a family. Combine the day with the Lost World Aquarium, either on the same ticket or as an indoor break in the heat of the afternoon, and finish with sunset on the crescent boardwalk or a meal at one of the Atlantis restaurants. If your family has only one big splurge in Dubai, this is often the one the children talk about longest.