It’s snowing in Bali, and we’re not taking about the drug trade.
A shopping mall in the island’s tourist hub of Kuta has launched a winter wonderland themed tourist attraction, centered around a snow-maker.
The snow playground, Discovery Snowland at Discovery Shopping Mall, which opened to the public on June 7, marks the first “snowfall” on the island.
You can build a snowman as you’re gazing out at Kuta Beach. How bonkers is that?
As with real snow, the stuff here is going to be seasonal, too — the park will close next month, on July 7.
Located at the mall’s amphitheater, the park has quite the set up with a play area for building your own snowman and snow castle, and even a “snow slide” where visitors can ride down a short track on a tube.
Tickets run IDR100k (US$7) for locals and IDR120k (US$8) for tourists.
While we’ve got to say this is one of the most unnatural attractions we’ve seen in Bali to date (and isn’t the most environmentally-friendly concept, for that matter), at least the playground is not a permanent fixture at the mall. It does kind of make us think: oh please, Bali — don’t take the commercial development route of Dubai (Ski Dubai and artificial islands sound familiar?).
Clearly marketed towards families, especially domestic tourists, the park does, however, offer the chance to touch snow, an experience that not so many living in this country have had if they haven’t been able to travel internationally. Silver lining.
