(CNN) When you think of the Caribbean, you probably think of water. The crystal clear sea, of course. Chic resort pools. And spectacular water parks. You probably don’t think of modern land-based theme parks.
But one park takes a big step outside of the usual Caribbean-oriented H²O offerings with a park inspired by a high-altitude landlocked city halfway around the world in Nepal.
Katmandu Park Punta Cana opened this week in the Dominican Republic. This is the second installment in “The Hidden Realms of Kathmandu” franchise.
DR Park is a larger sister park to Mallorca’s smaller Kathmandu Park, which is found on the popular Mediterranean island off the coast of Spain.
What are you going to do in Kathmandu
While this park is primarily focused on indoor rides where you stay dry, Kathmandu isn’t about space-eating roller coasters that loop for a mile or more.
Instead, the park offers what it calls a “big experience/small footprint” concept, with immersive, dark rides compact on a smaller lot, which is valuable in the Caribbean.
Four of the park’s star attractions, with heavy Himalayan themes, are:
Challenge of the Mad Mage is one of the star attractions in Kathmandu Punta Cana.
• Mad Mage Challenge: This ON!X Theater attraction features a character who challenges guests to a blaster duel. The park said the ride gives each player the chance “to direct the outcome of the action and even affect the narrative that unfolds before them on the huge cinema-style screen.”
The power-moving seats will give guests sensory feedback “in the form of bumps, tickles, vibrations, wind, air blast, water mist, scent, localized headrest speakers, etc.”
• EtherQuest: It is an interactive attraction in which guests try to defeat a powerful enemy with various interactive accessories.
The park said “Guests are really the main characters in their own adventure.”
• Legend of the Desirata: This is a 4D dark ride attraction that “tells the origin story of Kathmandu”.
Guests will follow an explorer in “a dynamic moving vehicle”, and the attraction features multiple projection screens, lighting effects, wind effects and “stunning scenic elements”.
• Fathom Wanderer’s Journey: This is a “suspended theater” attraction, where guests will join an underwater mission to fend off a sea monster.
The park said visitors would be “quickly but elegantly lifted into the air” and placed in front of a “giant curved screen, taking them into the story”. The park promises that the attraction “offers the unique feeling of flight in a whole new way”.
What else is available
Mini-golf enthusiasts will find a new challenge at Expedition Golf, a 36-hole course spread over mountainous scenery and inside caves.
There is also an outdoor ropes course and something called “The Quadagon”, which has four indoor climbing courses for children and adults.
The Wheel of Infinite Wonder, a Kathmandu-themed carousel with custom characters, is the centerpiece of the park plaza.
Prepare to shell out the cash for these high-tech experiences. The cheapest tickets cost $85 for children and come in three packages.
Falcon’s Beyond, a global entertainment company that operates Kathmandu, told CNN Travel that an adjacent retail, dining and entertainment complex is planned for early 2025.
The park is located on the far east coast of the island, just minutes from the ocean for those who still want an aquatic adventure.