I went to the world's largest water park in Dubai. Aquaventure is a thrill-seeker's dream and even has a 60-foot water slide.

Aquaventure is part of the resort Atlantis, The Palm, which opened in September 2008. It's since become the biggest waterpark in the world at 22 hectares, or 54 acres, following an expansion completed in 2021. A new water slide tower and splash pools were added, bringing the total number of attractions to 105.

I made the mistake of buying a day pass at Aquaventure. Save yourself $12 and use it toward other purchases. A daily locker rental is about $7. I bought a $20 waterproof pouch for my iPhone to take photos. It was worth it. My phone survived at least a dozen slides and a swim in the Persian Gulf.

I recommend taking a cab if you're short on time to get to the water park and not staying in Palm Jumeirah. Local cabs (not Uber) are pretty affordable, depending on where you're staying. I rarely paid more than $15, including tip, unless I was going toward busy downtown Dubai.

I traveled on public transportation from my hotel in Dubai Marina, which took more than an hour. The monorail that travels across Palm Jumeirah is $8 roundtrip but isn't connected to the city's larger metro system, so the transfer involves a long walk.

Once you get off the monorail, you must walk through a mall to get to Aquaventure.

We started our day with the Leap of Faith, a 60-foot body slide. The clear tunnel apparently propels riders through a lagoon filled with sharks, but I closed my eyes — both out of fear and to avoid water in my eyes.

Poseidon's Revenge was the most extreme — and exhilarating —vertical drop at Aquaventure. You stand in an enclosed tube, a countdown begins, and then the floor pulls out from under you. It's free fall into windy loops at nearly 40 miles an hour, or 60 kilometers per hour. Prepare for a slightly sore back from the water jets that help carry you down the slide.

Aquaventure says Blackout is "the tallest vertical drop in the Middle East" at 48-meters tall, or about 157 feet. It's located at Trident Tower, the newest addition to Aquaventure that opened in 2021 as part of the expansion.

One of the best parts of Aquaventure is that riders don't have to lug heavy tubes up the stairs to most group slides. The tubes are sent up on conveyor belts on the side of towers.

We got five people into a tube for the Odyssey of Terror. We cruised down a steep drop before speeding up a tall wall and plummeting down again. Our hearts were racing and we couldn't stop laughing.

I loved Zoomerango because you fly up a tall wall before cruising down into a splash pool. It's one of the most popular slides at Aquaventure.

During our visit, we prioritized taking all the high-adrenaline slides.

But there's much more to see for those who want a calmer day. An area called Splashers Lagoon is only for families with kids. There's also a dolphin show, a large aquarium, lazy rivers, and a beautiful beach with calm, warm waters for swimming.

It's fun to spend the day outdoors and beat the heat if you're in Dubai during hotter months.