Tucked away in the southern rim of the Valley near Chobhar, 3.5 km away from Balkhu, Whoopee Land, will be welcoming patrons beginning today. The newly-constructed amusement and water park will be the second water park in Valley after the Sangha-based Kathmandu Fun Valley. With a total of 17 rides and numerous other attractions, Whoopee Land promises to have options for adults, families, as well as children.

“There is a dearth of recreational areas in Kathmandu,” says Saurav Basnet, one of the investors, “With the construction of this park, we aim to build a haven for thrill-seekers and fun-lovers alike.”

A massive sculpture of The Incredible Hulk stands near the entrance, accompanied by Neytiri from The Avatar and Shrek, the Ogre, giving a Disneyland-esque air to the park. A Jurassic Park with mechanical dinosaurs sits on the edge as well. Two rides are reserved for the daring vistors: The Frisbee and The Ranger. Families may also relish on The Swing Ship, The Octopus or The Bull Ride. Zorb Ball, a sport in which (willing) participants are put in a large transparent ball and rolled around, is also available at the park.

Although overflowing with thrilling rides, the park also has attractions specially designed for children such as the Play Pen and swimming pools. The main attractions of Whoppee Land are its four water slides. The park will also have restaurants, food stalls and gift shops. Moreover, to avoid wetting paper money, the park will feature a cash card system, by which all purchases can be made.

The fares for the park have been established at Rs 675 and Rs 375 for adults and children respectively on weekdays and Rs 875 and Rs 475 on Saturdays and public holidays. The park will also be offering a special introductory monsoon fares to begin with.

“We look forward to providing entertainment for fun lovers,” says Jagat Basnet, co-founder of the park, “However, we also have a responsibility to uplift development around the Chobhar area. So, Rs 5 from each purchase will be used for local development projects, and we’ll try to increase this figure once our loans are paid off.” Investors believe that with the lack of other recreational spaces in the Valley and with Whoopee Land’s close proximity to the Capital’s main thoroughfare, their huge investments will eventually pay off.

Uttam Silwal, another investor, said, “I hope that this new waterpark will add value to the vibrant city that Kathmandu already is. We look forward to finally opening our gates to the public.”