As the Dutch proverbs so wisely intones, ‘’he who has no thirst has no business at the fountain’’.
But what if you were heading to the fountain not because you were parched or greedy, but because you wanted to enjoy the most spectacular display of engineering, choreography and music found anywhere in the world?
From Singapore to Vegas and Dubai to Seoul, we would choose to direct you here, to these 6 of the most beautiful water displays in the world.
Fountain Of Wealth, Singapore
Acknowledged in the Guiness Book of World Records as the ‘largest fountain in the world’ until 2020, when the Palm Fountain took that title, Singapore’s Fountain Of Wealth is an impressive feat of both aqua-based engineering and symbolism.
Considering the latter, water is a symbol of both life and wealth in Chinese culture, with the inward motion of the fountain’s flow representing that wealth pouring in – both into Singapore and the Suntec City shopping mall development where the fountain is based.
The fountain is used for nightly laser shows, running from 8pm to 9pm every night. During the day, the fountain is occasionally turned off, with visitors invited to circle the fountain three times on foot for good luck. Wow!
Read: The best fine-dining restaurants in Marina Bay
The Dubai Fountain, Dubai
Let’s keep the water flowing, as we move to the UAE and Dubai’s most famous fountain. As you’d expect from a city that doesn’t do things by halves, the Dubai Fountain sits (or should that be ‘floats’?) on a huge lake directly in front of the world’s tallest building, the Burj Khalifa.
Using cutting edge technology, the creation of a fountain water show every night is no mean feat; an incredible 6,600 WET Superlights and 25 colour projectors combine to offer 1,000 different water expressions in any once performance, all whilst water visibly dances to the latest pop and Arabic hits.
Incredibly, you can take a boat tour – on the Dubai Fountain Lake Ride – to view the whole experience up close and personal, taking you as close as nine metres from the fountains… Just remember to pack a raincoat!
The Palm Fountain, Dubai
Part of the iconic Palm Jumeirah and using a musical fountain design not dissimilar to its sibling water display we just mentioned, the Palm Fountain is the world’s largest of its kind, able to shoot water 105 metres into the air. Featuring over 3’000 LED lights and spanning 14’000 sqft, the multicolour spectacular here simply needs to be seen to be believed.
To see it in all its majesty, you’ll want to head for The Pointe, where some of Dubai’s best restaurants and bars have tables overlooking the spectacle.
The Trevi Fountain, Rome
Sure, the Trevi Fountain may not fire multicoloured plumes of water into the sky, but it more than makes up for it in history and splendour.
Designed and constructed by Nicola Salvi, this beautiful fountain is a tribute to Oceanus, a Roman god, who is represented riding in a chariot pulled by tritons. There are few fountains like this in the world, so take the chance when in Rome to marvel at its lavish decorations and detailed sculptures. Found near the Pantheon, both can comfortably be done in a morning or afternoon. Tradition dictates that you toss a few coins into the water for good luck when visiting. Make a wish!
Fountains Of Bellagio, Las Vegas
Feeling almost quaint in comparison to the more modern entries in our list, the Fountains of Bellagio in Vegas remain one of the most spectacular dancing fountain displays in the world.
Best enjoyed from the observation deck of the ‘Eiffel Tower’ at Paris Las Vegas, the fountains cost $40 million to build, and feature curated playlists from some of the world’s most famous DJs and classical composers. And the best part? The attraction is free to enjoy for any and all visitors!
Banpo Moonlight Rainbow Fountain, Seoul
Another record breaker, this one; the Banpo Moonlight Rainbow Fountain is the world’s longest bridge fountain, with 10’000 LED lights and 380 water jets spanning the entirety of this 1’140 metre bridge.
This being Seoul and the weather being somewhat dicey in winter, the fountain displays run here from April to October, when the weather is more agreeable. Interestingly, the water is taken directly from the Han River (and deposited back in) ensuring this is a sustainable show, from beginning to end.