(CNN) When you think of the Caribbean, you probably think of water. Crystal sea of course. Nice resort swimming pools. And great water parks. You probably don’t think of modern, land-based theme parks.
But one park takes a big step outside of the Caribbean’s usual H²O-oriented offerings. The park is inspired by a high-altitude, inland city halfway around the world in Nepal.
Katmandu Park Punta Cana opened this week in the Dominican Republic. It is the second part of “The Hidden Realms of Kathmandu” series.
DR park is a bigger sister park to the smaller Katmandu Park Mallorca, located on a popular Mediterranean island off the coast of Spain.
What are you going to do in Kathmandu
While this park is mostly focused on indoor rides that keep you dry, Kathmandu isn’t all about space-eating coasters that circle for a kilometer or more.
Instead, the park offers a “big experience / small footprint” concept, with compact immersive and dark rides on a smaller plot, which is valuable in the Caribbean.
Four of the park’s marquee attractions with heavy Himalayan themes are:
Challenge of the Mad Mage is one of the marquee attractions in Katmandu Punta Cana.
• Crazy magic challenge: This ON!X Theater attraction features a character who challenges guests to duels. According to the park, the ride allows each player to “control the outcome of the action and even influence the story unfolding before them on a massive cinema-style screen.”
The powered seats provide guests with sensory feedback “in the form of jostles, tickles, vibrations, wind, blasts of air, water mist, scent, local speakers in the headrests and more.”
• EtherQuest: This is an interactive, walk-through attraction where guests try to defeat a powerful enemy using a variety of interactive props.
The park said that “guests are truly the protagonists of 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 “dynamically moving vehicle” and the attractions will feature multiple reflections, light effects, wind effects and a “spectacular landscape element”.
• The journey of the Fathom Wanderer: This is a “suspended theater” attraction where guests join an underwater mission to fight off a sea monster.
According to the park, visitors are “quickly but gracefully lifted into the air” and placed “in front of a giant, curved screen that guides them inside the story.” The park promises that the attraction “offers the unique feeling of flight in a whole new way.”
What else is on tap
Fans of miniature golf will find a new challenge in Expedition Golf, a 36-hole course in a mountainous area and inside caves.
There’s also an outdoor ropes course and something called “The Quadagon” with four indoor climbing courses for kids and adults.
The Wheel of Infinite Wonder, a Kathmandu-themed carousel with unique characters, is the centerpiece of the park plaza.
Get ready to pay some cash for these high-tech experiences. The cheapest tickets are $85 for children and there are three package options.
Falcon’s Beyond, the global entertainment company that operates Kathmandu, told CNN Travel that an adjacent retail, dining and entertainment center is planned for early 2025.
The park is located on the Far Eastern shore of the island, just a few minutes from the sea for those who still want a water adventure.