Strange but fun parks to visit on your next trip abroad
If you like taking your travels to the next level, quirky and surprising destinations abroad will definitely zhoosh up your out-of-the-country experience.
From a never-before-seen offshore theme park and a place full of huge bulldozers, to an underground historical bunker and an erotic tourist attraction, these type of must-visit spots will give you, your fam, or barkada a blood-pumping, hair-raising adventure of a lifetime.
So thrill seekers, have your passports ready and hold on to your luggage because PhilSTAR L!fe is here to lead you to your next out-of-this-world adventure.
Diggerland, England
Did you watch Handy Manny as a kid and wondered what it feels like to grip real JCB and Komatsu excavators? Well, Diggerland can provide you with buckets of fun as it is the only place where children and adults can ride and operate huge and mini construction vehicles.
Diggerland houses 20 rides and drives. These includes amenities called Stackattack, Spindizzy, Skyshuttle, Mini Tractors, Groundshuttle, Giant Diggers, Dumpers, Dirt Diggers, and Buried Treasure.
Diggerland has branches located in England, particularly in Kent, Durham, Yorkshire, and Devon. To enjoy this attraction, tickets must be booked on its website before midnight prior to your visit. Ticket rates range from £12.97 to £25.95 (P870 to P1,738), while on-the-day admission costs £16 to £32 (P1,100 to P2,143).
There are no age restriction to enter the facility. However, every ride has a height requirement to ensure the safety of the tourists. Diggerland is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. until September 4, but will start to operate during weekends only starting September 10.
Jeju Loveland, South Korea
Jeju Loveland is the place where your imagination can run wild. Launched in 2004, the outdoor sculpture park aims to break the traditional taboos on sex by displaying different concepts of sensuality and eroticism.
Due to the country’s declining birth rate, the tourist attraction hopes to stimulate its visitors’ wildest dreams and imagination. It features over 140 erotic sculptures of people in sexual positions and two indoor exhibition spaces, called Baek-rok museums, with wooden sculptures of sex organs, a collection of adult toys, and more.
Jeju Loveland is also best for honeymooners as it is a huge art space with “fantastic night illuminations and exotic landscaping.
Located on Jeju Island, tourists can ride a taxi or a bus from Jeju International Airport to Loveland. Although it does not accept minros, adult who are up for some erotic sightseeing can enjoy the place from 9 a.m. to midnight for an entrance fee of 12,000 South Korean won or P510 each.
Soviet Bunker, Lithuania
Up for an eerie adventure? Time travel and experience the cold war at the Soviet Bunker in Lithuanua. Built in 1983 to 1985 five meter below the ground, this underground bunker will take you on a three-hour survival drama where you will portray a citizen of a totalitarian state.
Expect to be welcomed by guards and dogs as you enter the doors of the Soviet Bunker which, by the way, is hidden in the forest of Nemencine in Lithuania, and asked to bid farewell to your belongings, currency, and gadgets as you will undergo tension and social peculiarities.
You will then be taken to the maze, interrogated in a KGB office, taught the USSR anthem, and will be asked to wear a gas mask. The experience is not all dread and anxiety though, as you also get to experience watching television shows and shop as if you're in 1984, plus enjoy a Soviet dinner. Upon exiting the bunker, visitors will be honored a certificate and an authentic present from the Soviet Times.
The Soviet Bunker is open for non-nationals and an interpreter may be hired at an extra cost. If you wish to experience the thrill of the place with friends or family, you may email them at [email protected] for a group reservation.
The Rig, Saudi Arabia
Adventure at every scale? Find that and more when you visit The Rig in Saudi Arabia sometime in the future. Set to be built at the heart of the Arabian Gulf in Q2 2022, tourists can have the time of their lives at The Rig via ferry, yacht, cruise, or a helicopter as the epic offshore destination is surrounded by water.
Spanning over 150,000 square meters, the off-shore leisure area will offer three hotels with water views over 800 rooms and undersea dining in 11 restaurants, extreme sports like bungee, board, and base jumping; adventures, and live shows in a starlit arena.
As The Rig is originally an abandoned offshore oil platform, it is part of the 2021-2025 Public Investment Fund strategy where Saudi Arabia’s tourism and entertainment sectors will be improved through repurposing offshore oil rigs.
Even though The Rig’s completion date is still unknown, the tourist destination hopes to attract 650,000 visitors by 2030. Hopefully, by then, today's adrenaline junkies would still have the zest (and the energy) to experience this state-of-the-sport platform.