Looking for the most fun place to be on the Desaru Coast? Look no further! This is it!
The Desaru Coast Adventure Waterpark is located in the heart of Desaru just over an hour’s drive from the centre of Johor Bahru or two and a half hour’s drive from central Singapore.
With one of the world’s largest wave pools and twenty different slides, rides and attractions, you’ll get to cool off and have a lot of fun here.
Of course, working out where to go and what to spend your time and money on when you’re travelling can be tough. There are so many choices. So is this Desaru water theme park worth your time and cash?
I think yes! I had a great time here with my kids.
To work it out for yourself, keep reading this full Desaru Coast Adventure Waterpark review. I go through everything you’ll find here and exactly what it’s like so you’ll know what to expect. I also have the Desaru Coast Adventure Waterpark opening hours and the Desaru waterpark ticket price.
Click here to see the latest ticket prices.
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Contents
Desaru Coast Adventure Waterpark Review [2024]
I wrote this Desaru Waterpark review after visiting with my 6 and 11 year olds. We visited on a Sunday on a long weekend! So not the best time to go, I imagine, from a crowd perspective.
I was concerned beforehand that it may be too busy to do things with long queues. However, I worried for nothing, and we did everything we wanted easily, although lines did get longer as the day progressed.
Since we were visiting this Desaru Coast theme park from the Hard Rock Hotel, our day started well when we could enter the theme park directly from the hotel.
We had already bought our tickets using a Desaru Waterpark promo on Klook so this was easy to do (you can find the discounted Desaru Coast Adventure Waterpark ticket price here and make a Desaru Waterpark online booking).
We simply showed them our booking and they gave us wristbands, and we were there right as the park opened at 10am. Another plus point of staying at the Hard Rock Hotel Desaru is that you can also leave and re-enter the park during the day. Otherwise, you cannot do this.
There are lockers for RM20 to store things. I somehow missed the lockers at the Hard Rock entrance and used the ones at the front of the park. Either way, they are easy to use.
I highly recommend that you arrive for opening at 10am.
We were able to do so much in our first hour and a half at the park. We did all the main water slides, some multiple times, the roller coaster and Surf Wall and pretty much did not line up. And this was a Sunday of a long weekend/school holidays/Eid celebrations. It was great!
There are five zones at this Desaru theme park:
- Penawar Falls
- Penawar River
- Shipwreck Reef
- Tidal Wave Beach
- Kids Ahoy
I break this Adventure Waterpark Desaru Coast review up by each of these zones to describe them further.
Penawar Falls
We headed straight to the first zone, Penawar Falls, when the park opened. My kids badly wanted to try the Surf Wall, and we were worried how long the line might get given only one person can use this at a time. My kids were keen to try surfing on this surf simulator where you can learn to surf on artificial waves.
We were the only people there and used it for 17 minutes until they were ready for something else – no one appeared even then! And actually, I never noticed lines for this, so I’m not sure most people realise it is there.
We soon realised that surfing would be impossible – the kids struggled enough using the boogie board!
There are paid surfing lesson sessions in the afternoon for RM60. If you want to get really into this attraction, I suggest you sign up for this.
This area also has a swinging ship which seemed a bit random as you don’t get wet on it (well your butt might from the wet people on it beforehand, but that’s it!). Still, we had fun on it.
You can also find the entrance here, guests services and simple places to get food. There is also the main shop with plenty of swim wear, towels and anything else you might need.
Shipwreck Reef
We most wanted to try Kraken’s Revenge, the combination roller coaster and flume ride that, of course, gets you wet. We had been on a similar ride in Europe the previous year and loved it. There it was called a “wet-coaaster” which seems appropriate.
This is because it’s like a roller coaster, but through the water.
The ride basically takes you up 30 metres, before spinning you around and diving you down 27 metres into the water.
We did this after the Surf Wall, and it was great. The first time, we were the only people on it. So we did it again! Without lining up either. So much fun, although we didn’t get that wet which was a little disappointing 🙂
It was also great getting to this in our bathers, instead of in jeans like in Europe 😀
There’s not much else of interest here except a restaurant that didn’t seem to be open.
Penawar River
This zone is the place for the two big water slides – Riptide and The Tempest. So we headed here next.
Riptide is designed to make you feel weightless as you go down steep angles at high speeds. The Tempest has two funnels and a big 24-foot drop. You need 2-4 riders for these.
These were so much fun!
I actually read on their site before our visit that these slides would be shut for our dates, but thankfully, they were open. The three of us went down together and loved it so much we did it again.
They are thrilling, but in a good way. You need to be 122cm for these slides (and the next two). My 6 year old is 128cm, and he absolutely loved it.
We only stopped doing them because the line got a little longer, and there were plenty of other things we wanted to do.
There are also the Wild Whirl and Super Twister water slides. These are both on rafts too but thankfully, you can be a solo rider on these ones.
Wild Whirl takes you down a steep entrance so you gain speed then shoots you into a big bowl, before you slow down and exit through a drop chute with a corkscrew-like shape. Super Twister has enclosed tunnels, a funnel and more.
My kids absolutely loved these as well and did them multiple times.
What I also loved in this zone is the Penawar River – this Desaru Resort Waterpark’s lazy river. We all absolutely love a lazy river, and this one didn’t disappoint.
First of all, this one was a lazy river – as in you are pushed along with jets so you can just float and do nothing while you do a circuit. I have been disappointed a few times in Asia where a water park (or hotel) will say they have a lazy river when they don’t actually as you have to swim yourself (which is far from lazy).
It’s 350 metres long and took us past the bigger water slides and fishing village scenes. We loved it and went round about 8 times 😀
My hot tip is to wear one of the life jackets even if you don’t need it. It makes it so fun and easy to float around it. There are also rings to float in, but it’s hot and much more pleasant to be floating in the water than above it.
Kids Ahoy
Next up for us was Kids Ahoy!
I have been to quite a few water parks, and this one has the best kids area I have seen. It’s great for kids who don’t meet the 122cm requirement for the bigger waterslides or who are hesitant to go on them.
In addition to some crazy good water playgrounds, there are also great water slides that are like smaller versions of the bigger slides. So the kids don’t just go down a slide with water, they can try out raft slides, racing slides on mats and more.
There are two different water playgrounds aged at different age groups. The big one is just fantastic as it’s massive with 13 water slides. My boys just loved it. You do have to be over 122cm or go with an adult.
Sadly, a big group of adults decided to take it over when we first got there. It made it hard for the kids, but thankfully they didn’t stay too long.
We all thought this area was great. My kids went on every single slide they could.
Tidal Wave Beach
Finally, we finished at the Tidal Wave Beach which is all about the humongous wave pool. It’s nearly three acres big and is one of the largest in the world! There’s also a 170 metre long beach at its edge.
The waves can be up to three metres in height! Although they were all around 1.5 metres when we were there.
It was tons of fun. You can’t go to the area where the waves are bigger, sadly, and there can be a loooooong time between waves. But it’s still great.
There are life vests you can wear if you want. I recommend this as it’s fun to just bob around even when you can swim.
Food And Shops
I thought there would be plenty of places to eat scattered throughout the theme park after looking at the theme park map before I went.
However, not much was open, even on a Sunday on a long weekend or they just didn’t seem to really exist.
The only option I found beyond snacks was the Octo-Bites Cafe in the Kids Ahoy zone. It did not have many options – it was basically a few snack options like chicken nuggets or fish balls or pasta.
That was it!
Thankfully, the prices were ok for a theme park and the pasta tasted good.
Most people seemed to have brought food with them, and there are many tables around the park where you can sit and eat.
There were lots of small stores with drinks, ice creams and items like that.
You also have chances to buy souvenirs or anything you forgot to bring like a towel in the main shop near the entrance as mentioned above.
Overall Thoughts
So what did we think overall? We really loved it here. We had a great time.
The park is somewhat spread out, and there’s not really all that many things beyond the Kids Ahoy area, but I did find it to be a good range and we really enjoyed ourselves.
I thought the kids area was the best I have seen. I have been on more thrilling water slides, but the ones here are great fun and thrilling enough. I thought it was superior to the Legoland Water Park which we had just been to two days before.
Many rides have height restrictions. This is often 122 centimetres. So if your kid is under this, they won’t be able to do everything and may need you with them on the kid attractions.
The lines were a fantastic length given the timing of our visit. I imagine if you go on a regular weekday, you’d really enjoy it. Getting there at 10am is definitely the way to go. I was very impressed how much we were able to do when the park first opened even at a busy time.
My only complaints are that I wish there were more eating options with some more filling foods. I also wish there was more shade in areas where parents are likely to wait. There is a lot of shade in this park, but it never seemed to be where I needed it.
At one point, I was huddled under a tree with a group of other parents in a garden where you obviously weren’t meant to go from lack of other options by a kids’ waterslide.
I wish I had taken a hat with me. It would have been annoying when I wanted to get in, but very good when I was watching.
Adventure Waterpark Desaru Video Walk-Through
In the following video, you can experience what it’s like to visit Adventure Waterpark as well as the whole Desaru Coast for a weekend. This is a video walk-through of all the top attractions in Desaru (including this water park) and a stay at the Hard Rock Hotel Desaru. It’s the best way to get an idea of what you’ll see at this park.
Make sure you subscribe to our channel for more Malaysian travel videos.
Where Is Desaru Coast Adventure Waterpark?
Desaru Coast Adventure Waterpark address: 82200 Bandar Penawar, Johor, Malaysia
The Desaru Coast Adventure Waterpark location is a handy spot surrounded by some of the top hotels in Desaru and near the beaches. Buses run here from the surrounding area, but if you’re not staying close by, you are best getting a taxi to save time.
If you stay at the Hard Rock Hotel, you can enter this Desaru beach water park directly from the hotel.
Desaru Waterpark Opening Hours
The Desaru Coast Water Park opening hours are 10am to 6pm daily. It is closed on Tuesdays except in school holidays.
Adventure Waterpark Desaru Coast Ticket Price
The standard Desaru Coast Water Park ticket price is RM151 for adults and RM113 for kids aged 3-11 or seniors 60+ at the time of publishing. If you are Malaysian, it is RM75 for each person.
However, if you are happy to book ahead, you can get a Desaru Waterpark promotion where tickets are only RM110 per person at non peak times or RM125 at peak times by clicking here and buying on Klook.
This is what we did to book our tickets. We visited on a long weekend in school holidays, and it was still considered non-peak.
Click here to see the latest ticket prices.
All prices are correct at the time of publishing.
Final Words
I hope you enjoyed this Desaru Adventure Water Park review, and it helps you work out whether to visit here and what to do when you get here.
Overall, we had a great experience here. It was a very fun day.
While there isn’t a huge amount of attractions here, there is plenty to do to have a whole lot of fun. The kids area, in particular, is fantastic, and the wave pool is massive! Add in a great roller coaster, some thrilling water slides and a cool lazy river and there is a lot to love here.
I hope you enjoy it as much as us!
Click here to see the latest ticket prices.
Looking for other things to do in Desaru? Find our full guide here. You can also find our full guide to where to stay in Desaru here and all full guide to Desaru here. You can also read about the Desaru Fruit Farm here.
Planning a trip to Malaysia? Have any questions? Join our Malaysia Travel Planning Facebook group here now! It’s the perfect place to ask any questions and to be inspired!
