The downside to waterslides? The effort usually always exceeds the reward, at least where time’s concerned.
You climb dozens of steps to reach the slide’s entry point, huffing and puffing your way to the top, only to find yourself floundering about in the exit pool mere seconds later.
This won’t be the case with a new waterslide being built in Malaysia right now.
Stretching a whopping 1,140 meters (3,740 feet) long, the ride is now under construction at Penang’s ESCAPE theme park and looks set to smash the record for “world’s longest waterslide.”
Due for completion at the end of July, it will open to the public sometime in mid-August, staff tell CNN Travel.
A four-minute jungle ride
The current holder of the Guinness World Records longest waterslide certificate is in Action Park, a theme park in Vernon, New Jersey. It measures 601 meters in length.
But unlike the New Jersey version, which is inflatable, ESCAPE’s new slide is made of fiber-reinforced polymer and will be a permanent structure attached to steel poles.
“Breaking the world record was never our intention,” said Sim Choo Kheng, CEO of ESCAPE operator Sim Leisure Group, in a statement. “I’m always baffled by how rides are made so short and quick. I wanted to build rides that last a good few minutes.”
Once open, the slide will offer a four-minute ride that snakes its way down a 70-meter slope, passing through jungle scenery.
Huffing and puffing won’t be part of the experience either. Visitors will access the slide via a cable car chairlift.
Bringing the global spotlight to Penang
The island of Penang, off the western coast of Malaysia, is more famous for culture and cuisine than thrills.
George Town, the island’s main city, is its top draw thanks to a colorful mix of cultures that includes Hindu and Buddhist temples, street art, Islamic mosques, British colonial architecture and ornate Chinese manor houses.
Penang is also considered one of the world’s top food destinations, thanks to the presence of delicious Malay, Chinese and Indian cuisine that includes dishes like Hokkien mee (fried prawn noodles) and Penang laksa.
ESCAPE is about 30 minutes from George Town and offers a variety of adventure activities including waterslides, ziplines and obstacle courses.
