A giant LEGOLAND sign stands proudly on a hill overlooking the vast water park, calling to mind the iconic Hollywood landmark.
But this isn't a land for film buffs, this is a splash-tacular destination for fans of the brick and is filled with more than 20 attractions including giant slides in the original and striking LEGO palette of bright red, blue, green and yellow, alongside a Built-A-Raft lazy river, LEGO-themed wave pool, and splash and play zones.
My husband's work recently took us to Singapore, and with LEGOLAND Malaysia about a 40-minute drive away and costing under £60 for a taxi booked through the Grab app, it was an opportunity not to be missed.
My 10-year-old son Odhran is a LEGO superfan, so a trip not just to another LEGOLAND resort, but the one that is home to the biggest LEGOLAND water park in the world was something he was beyond excited to experience.
The day and time of our visit turned out to be a lucky choice. We arrived on a Monday, outside of local school holidays, so it was always going to be quieter than usual. But also, Malaysia has a tropical climate, so the hot and humid weather can give way to heavy rainfall, thunder and lightening. We happened to have tickets for LEGOLAND Water Park on a day when heavy rain was forecast. This turned out to work in our favour, as the predicted heavy rain kept visitors away, and while dark clouds loomed, we had the run of the water park for a few hours in the morning before the downpour.
Odhran and his eight-year-old brother Reuben were up and down the slides and having the time of their lives. There were tube slides, racers and raft rides. Our favourite was Brick Blaster, which we could all ride in together and enjoy the twists, turns and sudden dips. Some of the slides had a minimum height of 102 cm and others 107 cm.
But there was still plenty for smaller kids to enjoy, including both a DUPLO splash area with animal-themed fountains and gentle slides, and a multi-level splash tower with slides, sprinklers, tipping buckets and water cannons. At another part of the park, Odhran and Reuben enjoyed the Build-A-Boat section, where we all designed and built a boat out of LEGO bricks before racing them down separate water channels.
Then we hit the lazy river, filled with giant floating soft LEGO bricks, which the boys attempted to fashioned into a raft, while I used a couple as paddles. We enjoyed drifting along, relaxing and cooling down in the heat, and there were plenty of LEGO brick characters to spot along the way, some squirting us with water as we floated past. There were plenty of lifeguards on duty throughout the park and there were lifejackets for guests below eight years old.
The boys were in and out of the wave pool throughout our visit. It was gentle lapping waves and ripples rather than the more powerful wave pools the boys are accustomed to, but they enjoyed having a swim and loved the giant screen, which was showing LEGO stop-motions. There were sun-loungers around the pool for a beachside feel. The park was so clean and well-maintained.
Reuben was having such a good time in the wave pool that even when the heavy rain came, he decided to stay in the water - swimming and diving. But once the thunder and lightening started, the park had to close all the attractions. This didn't bother us as we'd already enjoyed hours of fun. We took shelter at the poolside eatery, where we sat and ate burgers and chips and toasted an unforgettable few days at LEGOLAND Malaysia Resort.
The world's largest LEGOLAND Water Park is located at LEGOLAND Malaysia Resort in Iskandar Puteri, Johor, Malaysia. You can find out more here