Splash Valley: Eire’s latest aqua park goes wild in Wicklow

Splash Valley: Eire’s latest aqua park goes wild in Wicklow

Impartial.ie

‘Jumanji!’ I roar, whizzing down a slide with the surprising acceleration – and involuntary yelping – solely a wetsuit on moist rubber can convey.

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‘Jumanji!’ I roar, whizzing down a slide with the surprising acceleration – and involuntary yelping – solely a wetsuit on moist rubber can convey.

Oh properly, at the very least it’s not a curse (we’ve been warned about that on the family-friendly briefing). Jumanji it’s, as I whoosh arse-first into the River Avonmore.

Welcome to Splash Valley, a spanking new aqua-park debuting this summer time at Hidden Valley Vacation Park in Rathdrum, Co Wicklow.

The 1,800-square-foot park contains some 30 obstacles organized round a small, artifical lake. Suppose bouncing platforms, inflatable climbing frames, zippy slides, a seated swing, “tunnels of doom” (as my nine-year-old christens them, sloshing about on a skinny movie of water) and many wobbly walkways, only for starters.

Inside minutes of lifeguards giving the all clear, our session splashes down within the peaty water, swimming in direction of the course, and crawling throughout it.

How does Eire’s latest playground work?

A chook’s eye view of Splash Valley, Co Wicklow

Splash Valley Aqua Park in Co Wicklow

Splash Valley, Co Wicklow. Picture: Pól Ó Conghaile

Hidden Valley

Molly and Lloyd of Hidden Valley, Wicklow

Lloyd and Molly Williams – House owners of Hidden Valley, voted Eire’s Favorite Small Keep on the Irish Impartial Reader Journey Awards. Picture: Fran Veale

A few of these having fun with the primary weekend of Splash Valley in Rathdrum

Splash Valley is open to each campers and day-visitors, with hour-long slots priced at €20 for adults and €17 for youths (see beneath for pricing and reductions). The slots embrace a 10-minute security briefing and 50 minutes on the water.

Yep, it’s chilly. That first soar from the deck – when the tea-brown water of the Avonmore River flushes up your wetsuit – will perk you up for positive.

From there, it’s a brief swim to the primary inflatable platforms.

At first, we marvel if there are too many individuals. As much as 80 are allowed on the course in a single session, however they quickly disperse across the course, and we by no means have to attend greater than a minute or two for the perfect slides.

After cribbing a bit in regards to the chilly, we begin traipsing and toppling (I’m pushed by my ungrateful youngsters greater than as soon as) our approach across the course.

The slides are nice craic, two measure 5 metres or extra in top, and there’s a seated swing on the far finish you could soar off in mid-flight.

Splash Valley Aqua Park in Co Wicklow

Splash Valley, Co Wicklow. Picture: Pól Ó Conghaile

Hidden Valley

Molly and Lloyd of Hidden Valley, Wicklow

Lloyd and Molly Williams – House owners of Hidden Valley, voted Eire’s Favorite Small Keep on the Irish Impartial Reader Journey Awards. Picture: Fran Veale

A few of these having fun with the primary weekend of Splash Valley in Rathdrum

The entire expertise feels fresh-out-of-the-box. Wetsuits are new, showers scorching and altering rooms clear and spacious. The campus is pretty small too, which might imply the odd bottleneck at busy occasions, but in addition no lengthy walks between bases.

Employees already really feel like execs. There’s no joshing round on the security briefing, for instance (most vital be aware: do NOT swim below any of the obstacles). Attendants are spaced out properly and any questions I ask are answered shortly and authoritatively.

“How deep is the water?” is a working example.

“About three metres. You received’t be hitting the underside.”

There are many greater children and Dads (like myself) momentarily launched from the prisons of their 40-something our bodies, however the exuberance is properly supervised. We come off with a number of scrapes and rubber-burns, however nothing you wouldn’t think about beforehand.

Hidden Valley was named Eire’s Favorite Small Keep within the Irish Impartial’s Reader Journey Awards this 12 months. And strolling across the Wicklow oasis, it looks like just like the golden age of house holidays has returned for a brand new technology of households – the sort who desire a protected, gated resort the place children can ramble and cycle round as barbeques are fanned, vehicles transfer at snail’s tempo and actions vary from kayaking to cinema nights and bumper boats, all lower than an hour from Dublin.

Regardless of the old-school method, nonetheless, homeowners Molly and Lloyd Williams (above) are on a mission so as to add new actions – starting from Christmas Santa experiences to Fight Laser Tag and now the aqua-park, set alongside a complete new lakeside restaurant advanced.

Molly and Lloyd of Hidden Valley, Wicklow

Splash Valley Aqua Park in Co Wicklow

Splash Valley, Co Wicklow. Picture: Pól Ó Conghaile

Hidden Valley

Lloyd and Molly Williams – House owners of Hidden Valley, voted Eire’s Favorite Small Keep on the Irish Impartial Reader Journey Awards. Picture: Fran Veale

A few of these having fun with the primary weekend of Splash Valley in Rathdrum

“I puzzled what the hell I used to be doing,” Lloyd confides, keep in mind a winter spend digging a inexperienced area for the artifical lake.

However judging by the squeals from the slides, and the traces of adults and youngsters queuing up for wetsuits and buoyancy vests, it has paid off.

The apparent comparability to attract is with Baysports, the pioneering inflatable aqua-park at Hodson Bay on Lough Ree (see video beneath).

Splash Valley claims to be bigger, however what that truly means it that it has a better variety of obstacles. Baysports is unfold out over a bigger space and entails longer swims between some obstacles, however the perfect slides are far taller.

The Lough Ree park is cheaper too, at €17/€15 per session.

Our different quibbles are small ones. The Lakehouse is a lodge-style hub doing an expansion of scorching meals and treats that you will dive into after the park, however as with many resorts, we would prefer to see much less single-use plastic (spoons for the ice cream, for instance).

Oh, and that man shouting ‘Jumanji! was fairly annoying.

Apart from that, a superb day trip.

How a lot does it value?

Splash Valley prices €20/€17 for adults/children per one-hour session. Double classes for day guests value €35/€29.

A multi-pass buys you 5 classes for the value of 4 at €80/€68 – useful for campers or return guests. It’s also possible to purchase aqua park and day cross packages that give mixed entry to different actions on web site.

Campers staying on the park can get higher worth once more, with second classes priced at €15/€12 and all further classes half-price at €10pp.

See irelandholidaypark for extra.

NB: Costs topic to availability and alter. Pól and household had been visitors of Hidden Valley Vacation Park.

Prime 5 ideas for Splash Valley

1. Measure the children

It’s essential to be aged 7 or over, and at the very least 110cm tall for the aqua park. Measure up beforehand to keep away from disappointment – it’s a sound restriction, as smaller children could not have the peak and power to scale loads of the obstacles. 

2. Get there 30 minutes early

Or extra. That is to park, verify in, get your wristbands and get kitted up with wetsuits, helmet and buoyancy assist. Classes embrace a 10-minute security briefing and 50 minutes on the water, so that you don’t wish to miss any valuable time on the impediment course.

three. Work forward on the waiver

One other time-saving step is to learn and signal the compulsory waiver on-line earlier than you allow house. You possibly can convey the e-mail (with PDF attachment) in your cellphone.

four. Slap on the Sunscreen!

The water is chilly, and also you’re extra prone to be shivering moderately than worrying in regards to the solar as you dress. However a few hours later, your legs and arms will appear like cuts of smoked salmon. Slap it on a half-hour earlier than.

5. End up 5 minutes earlier than the tip

This can help you beat the crowds to each the new showers and small variety of household altering rooms. We received there early, however handed a number of shivering adventurers within the queue as we left.

What to pack

3mm ‘shorty’ wetsuits are supplied, however in the event you’re vulnerable to the chilly and have an extended or thicker go well with, you’re welcome to convey that.

You’ll want togs to put on below wetsuits and towels for altering. Pack a fleece to heat up afterwards, too.

Take away jewelry or watches aside from studded earrings, and be aware that no footwear is allowed on the slides.

Go-Execs or cameras are usually not allowed on the course (although spectators can take images from the banks).

Learn extra:

20 Cool Campsites in Eire: Methods to camp like a champ this summer time 

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