It was only in the last few years that inflatable parks started coming into the country.
With only 2 parks to choose from, I chose the one in Subic, Zambales – Inflatable Island. Said to be the biggest floating playground in Asia at 3,400 sqm., the Floating Island is just a 2-hour drive from Manila and has slides, towers and bridges. I bought a P3,830 deal voucher online for it on Dealgrocer.com and it was already good for 4 people (with lunch).
The Island itself was quite a fun experience. People are herded onto the Island in batches. Aside from the floating playground itself, there are 3 areas to enjoy – Samba beach, the Bali Lounge and Floating Zoo.
But despite having the necessary venue precautions like the life jacket and safety briefings, there are some things I wish I had known beforehand.
Sharing a few pointers for visiting this particular inflatable park for the first time:
1. Finding the entrance to the venue was confusing.
There was no direction in the voucher or from the person we coordinated with on the phone that the entrance to the Inflatable Island was through the entrance of Samba Beach Resort. We had driven past it without realizing the error. Not sure if a new entrance has been built for direct access already by this time.
2. Be ready to slip and fall a lot
Folks with balance problems, no recent fitness activity or people getting on in age may find the experience rather challenging and exhausting. With young kids sliding past or jumping up and down plus the obstacles to climb over, these folks may be thrown off or knocked down frequently. It would be advisable to wear non-slip aqua shoes to help keep one’s sanity. Not an activity for your elders!
3. Choose your timeslot wisely
People enter the Island in batches. There are about five 1.5-hour timeslots at P699 per person to choose from starting 8 am. I had chosen the 12:00 nn to 1:50 pm session and boy was it scalding hot under the sun. Best to wear a rash guard. Also, the time I had chosen meant we were hungry going into the Island and had to finish our entire 1.5 hours before partaking of the packaged lunch. May be best to have something to eat prior to entry so your energy is high.
4. Be ready for wardrobe malfunctions
Skip the skimpy swimsuit. With all the slipping and sliding, your swimsuit can possibly get pulled in unexpected directions and expose delicate parts of you (to the delight of onlookers). I saw this happen to a few people in my ‘batch’. There are a few vendors selling beachwear in the area so you can still buy before entering the Island.
There is naturally some crowding in the shower rooms to deal with. But other than that, it’s a fun trip for family and friends and is a quick getaway for a short weekend!
#inflatableisland
