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Updated 18 Feb, 2016

There may be no monkeys at Chunky Monkey, the sea-themed mini-amusement park/arcade that recently opened its doors at Karachi's seaside. But there's no shortage of clownish behaviour at its multi-level premises.

I speak, of course, of my own misadventures when I paid a visit one afternoon last week. The Images team thought it'd be a good idea to review the newest 'attraction' in town and so off we went to the arcade.

Chunky Monkey is Karachi's newest attraction by the sea
Chunky Monkey is Karachi's newest attraction by the sea

Misled by the clunky rhyme of ‘Chunky Monkey’, I assumed my trip would involve spending a couple of hours fishing for candy, bopping heads with a mallet and feeling silly whilst sitting inside a revolving teacup – reliving some happy childhood memories, in other words. That is not what happened.

Instead, I was confronted with the horrifying prospect of boarding a pirate ship (I didn’t do this in my childhood). Gulp.

Adulting at an amusement park

Let me start at the beginning.

I’m not ashamed to admit that I spent the initial half hour of my visit unsuccessfully trying to convince the operator of a merry-go-round to let me on it. “You're too big. You won't like it,” he said, and pointed me in the direction of the outside arena where the older kids played.

I could have totally fit on that seahorse
I could have totally fit on that seahorse

Smarting at his allusion to my fatness, I briefly contemplated piling into the little kids’ choo-choo train while no one was looking just to prove a point.

See? So spacious
See? So spacious

But I was saved from that acrobatic endeavour when a cacophony of loud, shrill, thoroughly unmusical noises (that can only be described as several bus horns on acid) erupted from the neighbouring ride, pushing me to seek relief from the earsore outdoors.

I almost immediately wanted to go back inside.

A site for public ridicule... or you know, death

This is where the big kids played
This is where the big kids played

A scaredy-cat by birth, I found it hard to get excited by any of the rides outside. There was the plunger (that surely went whoosh at a speed that would made me forget all decorum and scream for mummy), a pirate ship (that I suspected may send me somersaulting to my death), and a spinner-type contraption (that spun live human beings at chutney-blending speed).

So I was greatly relieved when someone suggested trying the safest option first: a wheels-on-the-bus ride.

This wheels-on-the-bus ride started our adventures tamely enough. In fact, I'd recommend it to fellow scaredy-cats as a warm-up.

Our adventure at Chunky Monkey started here
Our adventure at Chunky Monkey started here

However, I did experience a moment of mild panic pre-ride when I overheard operators discuss in non-hushed tones the lack of repairs on some nearby faulty machinery that may or may have something to do with the wheels-on-the-bus. But the ride turned out to be fine. Phew.

Unless you have objections to bemused strangers on the ground watching you squeal. I mean, this isn't me at my most dignified, STOP LOOKING, jeez.

Wheels-on-the-bus is a good primer, but not as emboldening as one would like. I was ready to call it a day after this.

But the team had other plans.

Sight-seeing, thrill-seeking - what's the difference?

While the Images team wondered whether the plunger was less daunting than the pirate ship, I was ready to kill a dead relative and scamper home to avoid getting on either of those darned things.

Luckily for us (and the souls of my dearly deceased), a couple took the plunger while our debate was in progress and settled it. The plunger turned out to be... well, the anti-plunger.

Presenting the anti-plunger
Presenting the anti-plunger

Far from the dreaded whooshing motion I had imagined, the anti-plunger behaved more like an open, rotating elevator to nowhere. It ascended and descended at such a slow speed that it ought to be part of the park's geriatric section.

It does, however, offer one of the best aerial views of the city, and thus doubles excellently as a sightseeing mechanism.

So I didn’t feel completely lame on that ride, even as I played spot-my-house from 1000ft* above on the first whirl and eye-spy-the-Icon-Tower on the second.

(*I studiously avoided looking down to appreciate just how high we were, so the above quoted figure may be way off.)

Haven't had enough of sightseeing? Try the pirate ship
Haven't had enough of sightseeing? Try the pirate ship

The pirate ship also happens to swing high enough to offer an interesting vantage point of Karachi's seascape and adjoining areas, but of course I had my face scrunched into a permanent wince through most of that ride. It should be noted that half the horror lies in the squeaking of the pirate ship’s machinery. They should really oil those things.

The spinner we didn't dare get on - Photo courtesy Chunky Monkey's Facebook page
The spinner we didn't dare get on - Photo courtesy Chunky Monkey's Facebook page

There was also the vomit-inducing spinner that we didn't dare get on. We liked the pace of the plunger, thank you very much.

Other attractions

There’s also an arcade in the basement, which was mostly deserted when I visited. It was the very stuff of horror movies, complete with music imported straight from Japan and killer-hiding shadowy nooks. But it does boast a fair share of games, so I imagine one could die happy there.

Lots of games in the arcade to try out - Photo by author
Lots of games in the arcade to try out - Photo by author

We briefly considered taking the bumper cars for a whirl, but when we saw a gang of kids turn on their dad, we decided that it wouldn't exactly the best team-building exercise.

The bumper cars, proven to turn family into foes
The bumper cars, proven to turn family into foes

Having forced ourselves into an adrenaline rush, we retired to the food court for some comfort food aka pizza. That felt much better, and more like my childhood.

Food court is serene and offers options ranging from burgers and icecream to Arab cuisine
Food court is serene and offers options ranging from burgers and icecream to Arab cuisine

Chunky Monkey's entry tickets cost Rs50, and an e-card to accumulate points for rides is purchased for another Rs50. Rides cost between Rs50 to Rs200.


Photographs by Zoya Anwer, Hamna Zubair and Mehreen Hasan

Comments

Angry Feb 18, 2016 12:33pm
This looks like so much fun! Had no idea it existed
Recommend
faryal Feb 18, 2016 01:17pm
why entry ticket.........
Recommend
Anil Hasanali Feb 18, 2016 01:57pm
It was indeed a very informative and experienced based article. I hope the Chunky Monkey management had a chance to go through it. The only observation about the article is that there is a use of too heavy vocabulary /jargon which a common person would unable to digest.
Recommend
Qazi Feb 18, 2016 02:16pm
They opened this monstor! without taking into account the parking, as usual that's not part of these developer equation!! We the residents face a lot of problems, as there is a service road for residents, which the visitors use as free parking lane, and the whole lane gets blocked for 1000 meters, and there is no way two cars can cross, ( coming and going), writer should make points on these aspects also not just write good stuff !!!
Recommend
Mubashir Mahmood Feb 18, 2016 02:30pm
It's a good place for children but too much noise for sure...
Recommend
Consulting Feb 18, 2016 04:19pm
best in asia
Recommend
Qazi Feb 18, 2016 04:51pm
The music is blaring at full sound till late at night!! the residents have complained several time, but the monkeys are not listening, they are just concern of chunking out money!!! DHA should take a notice and close this place!!, this is no place to open a thing like this!! I
Recommend
Madiha Feb 18, 2016 05:20pm
A good place ! However, there is a serious lack of security. No purse/bag check , no car checking ....infact no checking at all. Chunky Monkey's management should pay attention to this.
Recommend
Yusuf Bhatia Feb 18, 2016 05:41pm
I went to Chunky Monkey 3 weeks ago with my wife and brother and we absolutely loved it! We went on the 'spinner' and it was a lot of fun! We also went to this 7D cinema and did a adventure ride .. thrilling! If you love having fun, then I am sure you will leave your critical side at home and find something that will amuse you - teleport you back to your childhood :p
Recommend
analyses Feb 18, 2016 05:45pm
It's a great place for Kids fun and Karachi needs such places. Better for kids to go out and have fun playing with other kids rather than just be on TV or internet or on their mobile phones all the time! The best thing about this place is that it is secure and very well maintained. Also the view just by the sea is just amazing.
Recommend
Ramesh Feb 18, 2016 07:25pm
Nice place to visit. I have visited last week and enjoyed it. 7D experience is great. Need more such places.
Recommend
mani Feb 18, 2016 07:57pm
lovely
Recommend
Bisma Feb 18, 2016 10:14pm
The "new place in town" opened at least 4 months ago. Did you guys even google it?
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Asad Feb 19, 2016 12:24am
Is it comparable to Disneyland?
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Ahmer Feb 19, 2016 12:55am
@faryal All the amusement parks have entry tickets around the world and are priced usually around 50 US dollars or so. This is merely 50 PKR, so I guess they accompanied it with top-up to go on the rides.
Recommend
Ahmer Feb 19, 2016 12:56am
Maybe you shouldn't have written a review about the place. Clearly you did not enjoy, so maybe someone who is more enthusiastic about the trip, should have hit the keyboard. No offense though.
Recommend
Mrs. Phannay Khan Feb 19, 2016 01:14am
@faryal Its not a charity park. They gotta feed their kids as well
Recommend
Omrna Feb 19, 2016 03:38am
never knew there is something like this and price s are ok
Recommend
ayaz ali Feb 19, 2016 10:30am
Admit it! you are too old for swings and rides - its an amazing place and my kids love it - period.
Recommend
SSN Feb 19, 2016 10:45am
No maintenance at all!!!
Recommend
Nida Feb 19, 2016 10:57am
You have described your adventure/misadventure with a very good sense of humor covering all the details of the place and what to expect.
Recommend
Ati Feb 19, 2016 01:45pm
Love the place , concept is very good location is very nice , I think management did a wonderful job it's time for Dha to give them Extra parking space
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Abeera Arif Feb 19, 2016 02:08pm
I appreciate that the writer chose this topic and provided a detailed description of the park (Y)
Recommend
Shane Feb 19, 2016 03:55pm
Is there anything you guys ever appreciate, complaining Pakistanis? Yes the neighborhood issue needs to be addressed. I failed to understand that there is an ample space for the parking on the Chunky Monkey side of the road, why people needed to park their cars on the Sea View apartments service road?
Recommend
anonymous Feb 19, 2016 04:24pm
I personally visited Chunky Monkey with my niece and nephew and my siblings last week, and found it as exciting as i thought it would be. i pictured it in my mind way before i could even visit it and found it way better than my imagination. All the amusement parks around the world have entry tickets which is way more pricey then this and this is merely 50 PKR, not a huge amount at all and one shouldn't even brag about it. People to stir to provide themselves entertainment create such kind of hype so that the general public could find the same kind of excitement as theirs. whereas if one loves having fun, then I assure you will leave your critical side at home and find something that will amuse you. Remember in a place like Karachi it is very had to find entertainment and this place provides both a safe environment and amusement.
Recommend
Clancy Faria Feb 19, 2016 04:32pm
It's a great place for Kids fun and Karachi needs such places. Better for kids to go out and have fun playing with other kids rather than just be on TV or internet or on their mobile phones all the time! Maybe you shouldn't have written a review about the place. Clearly you did not enjoy, so maybe someone who is more enthusiastic about the trip, should have hit the keyboard. No offense though. The best thing about this place is that it is secure and very well maintained. Also the view just by the sea is just amazing.
Recommend
Stephanie Feb 19, 2016 07:32pm
It's freakin awesome!!!! Sure it is crowded but it's fun filled and so colourful. I would go there over and over again.
Recommend
Audrey Feb 19, 2016 07:36pm
Chunky Monkey is one of the bestest place in Karachi so far all the rides are fun kids enjoy themselves and dnt want to leave once thr. All the best chunky monkey management .
Recommend
Jogi Feb 19, 2016 11:33pm
Lahore is lacking such amusements....I wish to go to some place other than joyland at fortress but in vain
Recommend