In the first couple of days of our holiday we did some internet searching and came up with a couple of options. The first we tried was Kelly Park, north of Orlando itself in Apopka. We read on the internet that Kelly Park was about 20 minutes’ drive away from our villa in Kissimmee and that it was a large parkland containing a naturally fast flowing river which we could whiz down on inflatable inner tubes which we could rent at the site.

Actually getting to the park was not quite so simple as we had anticipated. Instead of a 20-minute drive, it actually took us 40 minutes to get there. We drove straight to Kelly Park (passing a sort of roadside cafe with stacks of inner tubes outside) only to find that we should rent the tubes, not at the park itself but back at the café we had passed five minutes earlier. There was also a sign at the park telling us that it was almost to capacity and could close for entry for the day in the next 15 minutes or so. We were then faced with a dilemma as to whether to go back and hire the tubes, not knowing if we could get into the park when we returned, but we decided after coming all this way, we may as well chance it. We picked up the tubes and, luckily, made it into the park.

And we were delighted that we did!

The whole setting of the park was absolutely stunning and a breath of fresh air after the unnatural colours and plastics of some of the attractions in Orlando. We made our way to the start of the flowing river and meandered our way to the beautiful tiny beach area at the end, and were hooked. We spent about three solid hours doing the same thing over and over and loving every minute of it.

Just a couple of words of warning. There was very little in the way of facilities at the park, and no food options other than a snack bar for ice creams and chocolate bars. Next time we will definitely take a picnic or even a small portable BBQ. There was also nowhere to put valuables, so I would suggest taking a waterproof plastic container which you can attached to yourselves just for the car keys and take as little else as you can possibly manage. Oh, and when you see a roadside café with a stack of inner tubes piled outside, stop and pick up your tubes then, to save yourselves a trip back!