La Descente du Nil, Raft ride at Parc Astérix, France
La Descente du Nil is a Spinning Rapids ride at Parc Astérix in Plailly, built by WhiteWater West Industries in 1999. Twenty six-seat circular rafts with black-and-yellow segmented bumpers climb 20 m over 70 m, then descend a 195 m slide on a 400 m circuit. In the photo, riders in a raft descend a wide, wet, tan flume between dark wooden side walls, with white water splashing at the base and a metal rail along the left wall.
Built by WhiteWater West Industries in 1999, the ride opened as L'Oxygénarium in the park's "À travers le temps" section, which was later attached to the Egyptian quarter. Its low-budget theming won the Thea Award for achievement on a restricted budget in 2001. It was renamed La Descente du Nil in 2026.
The ride tells the story of a fictional 1900 invention that purifies oxygen through a system of pipes and pumps. Guests who look carefully along the route will notice small themed details that bring this made-up story to life.
Access is forbidden to children measuring less than one metre tall, so families should check heights before queueing. The ride's twenty six-seat rafts climb 20 m and descend a 195 m slide, with a total course of 400 m. Throughput reaches 1,000 people per hour, which keeps waits shorter on busy days.
The ride won the Thea Award for "Achievement with a Limited Budget" in 2001, a themed-entertainment industry prize. Twenty six-seat rafts run the 400-metre circuit, which climbs 20 metres over 70 metres before a 195-metre slide, handling 1,000 people per hour.
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