When Larysse awoke her father Bako with the exciting news, he didn’t quite believe her at first.

“I said, ‘Come on, are you joking me?’” Bako recounted to us upon hearing the news. Despite the skepticism however, his daughter was adamant.

“No, no, they really called us! We are the winner!” she told him, displaying all of the giddiness and exuberance you’d expect from a 11-year-old girl whose just found out her wildest fantasy had come true.

Bako eventually came to believe his daughter, as they soon set off on a dream holiday at Atlantis The Palm, Dubai.

Larysse and her father were the lucky winners of the Atlantis, The Palm Aquaventure Scream competition. The competition invited people from all around the world to share their best scream in celebration of the new adrenaline-inducing rides at Aquaventure Waterpark. And the prize? A two night stay for two at Atlantis The Palm, Dubai, along with a variety of exciting extras.

Many people entered, but it was Larysse’s scream that stole the show.

From the moment they arrived at Atlantis, Bako told us both he and Larysse were in awe.

“It’s like a dream,” Bako said. “It feels like we are characters in a fantasy novel. It is truly amazing here.”

According to Bako and Larysse, they both made the most of their time here in Atlantis.

“We had a lovely breakfast in Kaleidoscope this morning, with a great choice of different foods from all over the world. It was a wonderful experience and we really loved it!” Bako said, describing just one of the many restaurants they dined in during their stay.

“We also spent the day in Aquaventure Waterpark, which was lots of fun. There are so many things to say about it, but I am speechless.”

Bako and Larysse were also one of the first people to participate in Atlantis’ new diving experience for unlicensed divers – the Atlantis Dive Discovery in the Ambassador Lagoon.

“It’s like you’re in the sea,” Bako told us. “You see all the fishes, all the sharks… They are swimming all around you. It’s unbelievable.”

While their time in Atlantis was short-lived, Bako and Larysse were incredibly grateful for the chance, saying they wouldn’t trade the experience for anything.

“It’s incredible. It’s something you have to do once in your lifetime,” Bako said.

“Thank you Atlantis, The Palm!”