Best Amusement Parks to Visit in Asia

There are some things in life that children and adults alike can enjoy, one of them is amusement parks. For the young people, the delight and amazement of a visit make for an awesome childhood memory. For older people, it gives an opportunity to de-stress and recapture that feeling of wonder they once had when they were kids. There's a reason amusement parks are often included in the list of best travel destinations; they have something that absolutely everyone is looking for when going on a trip; fun. The industry is big in Asia and here's a list of some of the best amusement parks that are worth a visit.

Universal Studios Japan

If you are a big Harry Potter fan, but you can't visit Harry Potter London anytime, there is an equally amazing theme park that is just as magical in Asia. Universal Studios Japan (USJ) in Osaka is best known for its Wizarding World of Harry Potter. The theme park was established in 2001 and since it's opening, it receives and an average of 8 million visitors per year. It is often described as Asia's version of the Universal Orlando Resort because of their similarity in attractions. USJ has the following attractions: Universal Wonderland, Ride attractions, Show attractions, Stage shows and Street shows, and the most popular of them all, the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. The park is open from 8:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Universal Studios Singapore

Another Universal Studios park in Asia that is equally if not more popular than USJ is the Universal Studios Singapore. The 49-acre theme park is one of the major attractions of Resorts World Sentosa on Sentosa Island. It opened in 2010 and has since been getting over 2 million visitors yearly. The park is divided into 7 themed zones; Hollywood, New York, Sci-Fi City, Ancient Egypt, The Lost World, Far Far Away, and Madagascar. Its operating hours are 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Hong Kong Disneyland

Dubbed as the happy place, Hong Kong Disneyland opened in 2005, sitting on an area of 27.5 hectares along Penny's Bay, Lantau Island. It has 8 major attractions, such as Main Street, U.S.A., Fantasyland, Adventureland, Tomorrowland, Grizzly Gulch, Mystic Point, and Toy Story Land. Here, people can meet their favorite Disney characters, watch a spectacular float parade, see the nightly fireworks based on Fantasy in the Sky, and join park celebrations. Hong Kong Disneyland is open daily from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Tokyo DisneySea, Japan

In Urayasu, Chiba lies a 176-acre theme park called Tokyo DisneySea. The park opened in 2001 and is the 5th most visited theme park in the world with over 13 million visitors per year. As the name implies, TDS has a nautical concept with over 7 areas they call, "ports of call", such as Mediterranean Harbor, American Waterfront, Lost River Delta, Port Discovery, Mermaid Lagoon, Arabian Coast, and Mysterious Island. It is worth noting that there is no other DisneySea in the world but the one in Tokyo, making it a one-of-a-kind amusement park. It is open all week, from 8:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.

LEGOLAND, Malaysia

Malaysia's first international theme park is every LEGO lover's dream. LEGOLAND Malaysia Resort, which opened in 2012 is the 6th LEGOLAND park in the world. It is located at  Iskandar Puteri, Johor, Malaysia. What makes this theme park unique from the rest is the fact that the infrastructures are made by lego, a construction toy that can be built by interlocking these plastic blocks together. The place is best known for its lego versions of some of the most famous landmarks in the world like the KL Tower, Cambodia's Angkor Wat, the Forbidden City in China, India's Taj Mahal, among others. LEGOLAND's other amazing attractions are the Dino-Island, Ancient Egypt, the Land of Adventure, etc. Moreover, it has a water park. Opening hours are from 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Everland, South Korea

The largest theme park in South Korea, Everland Resort can be found in Yongin, Gyeonggi-do. The park is old; it was opened to the public in 1976. Formerly named, Jayeon Nongwon (Natural Farm), Everland garners over 7.38 million visitors per annum. The park has 5 zones; Global Fair, Zoo-Topia, European Adventure, Magic Land and American Adventure. The most popular ride at Everland is the T Express, a wooden roller coaster that is 5,838 ft long and runs at a maximum speed of 104 km/h. It's considered as the world's steepest wooden roller coaster with a 77 degrees tilt. Everland is open from 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.

Chimelong Paradise, China

Zhangmoon618, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Image Resized

Nobody in Asia seems to love amusement parks better than the Chinese. China is said to build parks faster than any other country in the world with nearly 300 theme parks to date. One of its most popular theme parks is Chimelong in Paradise. Located in Panyu District, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China, the park started operating in 2006. It has 7 themed areas, such as Whirlwind Island, Screaming Zone, Happy Kingdom, Kids' Land, Rainbow Bay, Water World, and Phantom Zone. The most famous ride at Chimelong is the 10 Inversion roller coaster inside the Screaming Zone. Chimelong is open from 9:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Marjorie Gavan is a writer by profession and by passion. She has a degree in B.S. Journalism and now has 15 years of writing and editing experience under her belt. She currently works as a knowledge specialist in an IT company in Quezon City, Philippines. She chronicles her travel adventures in her blog, Coffeehan.