Tropical Islands - Europe’s largest tropical holiday world

Tropical Islands offers its guests “the best of the Tropics” and is the perfect destination for anyone looking for a short break or an extended holiday – without the need for a long plane journey. Here, Asia, the Pacific region, Africa and South America all come together under one roof with a temperature around pleasant 26 degrees Celsius. It is the ideal place to recharge batteries, relax and have a good time. The Tropical Islands Resort offers a wide range of comfortable accommodation. Open all year round, 24 hours a day, it is a unique holiday destination for families with or without children, and grown-ups of all ages, with weather that is always perfect. Tropical Islands is located in between and Dresden and it is situated in one of the largest self-supporting halls in the world.

Tropical Islands has two main areas

The Tropical World features a huge water world with fun and games for kids, the world’s largest indoor rainforest, a tropical village with authentic buildings, a shopping boulevard, a fitness club and comfortable accommodation in the dome’s 194 rooms and lodges or the many tents in the Rainforest and the Sunset Camp. The tropical Sauna and Spa Complex allows guests to relax and recharge their batteries, with extensive spa facilities covering an area of almost 10,000 square metres.

I. Tropical World

The Tropical Sea, the Lagoon, the world’s largest indoor rainforest, a tropical village and huge children’s play area; all this together makes the Tropical World. Overnight accommodation varies from rooms to lodges and tents. And that’s not all – there are also ’s highest water-slide, countless shops, restaurants and bars, not to mention the Wayang Plaza and the mini golf complex, which all provide entertainment for the guests.

The Tropical Sea The Tropical Sea covers an area of 3,000 square metres, three times the size of an Olympic swimming pool, and has a constant water temperature of 28 degrees Celsius. The 200-metre-long sandy beach with its many sun lounges offers guests a unique experience. The warming sun shines through a UV-transparent film on the southern side of the dome, meaning guests can even get a natural suntan. Younger children love playing in the special kids’ paddling pool. The High-tech filters and permanent electronic monitoring ensure that the water is always of the highest quality. Tropical Islands meets the most stringent of hygiene standards.

The Lagoon The 1,200 square metres Lagoon has a temperature of around 32 degrees Celsius. The counter-current, two water slides and whirlpools in the bays provide guests with everything they need for fun and relaxation. Where the Lagoon meets the rainforest, a grotto and a waterfall create a real jungle atmosphere. It is a unique experience to spend a night in one of the luxury rooms or lodges on the shores of the Lagoon. Made Wijaya (born Michael White) is the creator of this area. The native Australian travelled to Bali while he was studying architecture and has lived there ever since. He specializes in exotic gardens and has created over 600 (mainly tropical) gardens around the world.

The world’s largest indoor rainforest The tropical vegetation in the world’s largest indoor rainforest consists of over 50,000 plants, bushes and different types of groundcover. Up to 600 different species of plants can be found at Tropical Islands, such as palms, ferns and mangroves. Most of those plants come from the Asia Pacific region and South America. The various different types of palm trees are particularly impressive, including the betel palm, Bismarck palm, fan palm and the giant fishtail palm with its fleshy fruits. The 20,000 square metre UV-transparent film on the south side of the dome lets in natural sunlight. This allows the plants to flourish, along with many varieties of fruit such as bananas, papayas, star fruit and jackfruit. A kilometre long path winds through the rainforest’s many natural wonders, with a bridge allowing visitors to cross the mangrove swamp. The swamp is home to many exotic species of fish such as guppies, mouth brooding cichlids, red tail and shark catfish, black pacus from the Amazon, Asian arowanas and archer fish. Most of the red and yellow-eared turtles can also be seen playing in the water, while ten flamingos have now found a new home on the edge of the swamp. Large, colourful Koi carps can be seen swimming in various ponds around the tropical village and the sauna complex. Many species of birds can also to be found amongst the trees and undergrowth, including parakeets, Chinese blue-breasted quail, golden and silver pheasants, canaries and zebra finches. At the Bali-House there are also two colourful macaws living.

Landscape architects and designers from South America, Sri Lanka, Great Britain and Germany have worked together to ensure that the rainforest is as authentic as possible. Haruyoshi Ono was in overall charge of landscape planning. After the death of his business partner, Roberto Burle Marx (1909-1994), Ono took over the running of their joint business (Burle Marx and Cia. Ltda.) in Rio de Janeiro. Robert Burle Marx was considered to be one of the most important landscaping architects of the 20th century and his work included the redesign of the Copacabana in Rio de Janeiro.

Attractions in Tropical World

Water slides Tropical Islands is home to Germany’s highest water slide tower. At 27 metres, it is the same height as a four-storey building. With four different slides there is something for everybody. The 76 metre power turbo slide, for example, allows the more adventurous to reach speeds of up to 70 kph, while the 149 metre giant water slide with its many twists and turns is great fun for both young and old. There is also a 21 metre long, wide undulating slide and the 112 metre long crazy river slide for inner tubes.

The Tropino Club for Kids At Tropical Islands the kids have their very own play world, the “Tropino Club for Kids”. The play area covers 4,000 square metres and includes a Lego mountain made of soft Lego blocks, a pool for bumper boats, a huge climbing frame, a go-kart track and much more. The activities team ensures there are all sorts of fun things for the kids to do, from dancing at the kids disco, treasure hunts through the rainforest, face painting and fish feeding, etc. The adjacent Tropino restaurant offers a large selection of food and drinks for both children and adults. It is also possible to hold a children’s birthday party at Tropical Islands. Further information on the birthday party package can be found at www.tropical-islands.de and on the hotline: +49 (0)35477 60 4444.

Please note: the use of kids facilities is at own risk, all kids are to be supervised by parents or guardians. Tropical Islands does not provide supervision.

Miniature golf The mini golf course wends its way through a rocky landscape with 18 different holes laid out on green artificial lawns. The course offers plenty of variety with its unique layout and varying degrees of difficulty.

Island ballooning The dome’s tethered balloon offers passengers a breath-taking view over the Tropical World and Sauna and Spa Complex. The tethered balloon flies up to 55 metres high, allowing passengers to float in the air and enjoy a view of Europe’s largest tropical holiday world. Meanwhile, the free-floating balloon is large enough of accommodate the whole family with a maximum weight of 240 kg. A member of staff takes guests on a magical journey, 22 metres above Tropical Islands.

The Boulevard The many shops on the Tropical Islands Boulevard offer a wide range of goods including swimwear, souvenirs, books, newspapers, sweets, beach toys and much more. An airbrush tattoo parlour lets visitors of all ages display a tattoo of their choice, safe in the knowledge

that it can be removed at any time. Young guests enjoy the electronic gaming devices at Treasure Island. On the first level, above the boulevard, guests can find the Tropical Islands Fitness Club, which is equipped with all the latest equipment, including state-of-the-art exercise bikes, cross trainers and treadmills for endurance training.

The Tropical Village The Tropical Village consists of a collection of traditional buildings from Thailand, Borneo, Bali and Samoa. Each of these elaborately designed buildings is both authentic and unique. They were exclusively designed and built for Tropical Islands by experienced architects and craftsmen in their countries of origin, then brought to Berlin and installed in the dome.

At 14 metres high, the Balinese Temple Gate is the largest Balinese gate outside of Bali. On the Hindu “Island of the Gods” these kinds of open gates provide access to holy places. The “split gate” symbolizes a mountain of the Gods that has been divided from the middle. The Balinese Temple Gate at Tropical Islands is a highly complex structure built by experienced Balinese craftsmen. The sandstone and brick reliefs depict lions and dragons along with typical Balinese figures and patterns.

From the Balinese Temple Gate the path leads to the Bali Pavilion. Hexagonal in shape and with three pagoda roofs, the Pavilion is modelled on a Balinese temple. The roofs are covered with palm leaves. The wood used in the pavilion’s construction is bangkirai and merbau, both extremely hard woods. On the ground floor sandstone reliefs depict scenes from the Ramayana. This epic tale of Prince Rama, his beautiful wife Sita and the Monkey King Hanuman is a classic of world literature and incorporates the philosophical principles of Hinduism.

The Borneo Longhouse at Tropical Islands is built in typical Orang Ulu style. These dwellings, which are typical of Borneo, can be up to 100 metres long and can house all the families of a single village. They are built on stilts as they are traditionally located nearby fast-flowing rivers. Natives of the Orang Ulu tribe are the artists among the native peoples of Borneo. Their longhouses are traditionally decorated with carvings and paintings, while their household objects are often adorned with pearls. The Borneo Longhouse was built with the help of the Sarawak Central Tourist Office and is based on a house in the historical village museum of Kuching.

The biggest and most elegant building in the Tropical Village is the traditional Thai House built from wood and bamboo. The house would have originally been home to a large family. Usually, the house is made up of three separate buildings around a central atrium: the sleeping quarters, the reception building, and a larger building for eating.

The Tropical Islands Thai House was designed and built by the Thai architect Ladda Teijavnaija, who has also worked for the Royal Family in her home country Thailand. After the construction was finalised, it was consecrated by Thai monks in a traditional Buddhist ceremony.

The Samoan Fale is a typical Polynesian dwelling known as a “fale” in Samoa. The ground plan is usually oval in shape, with large tree trunks supporting a leaf-covered roof. The houses are usually left open on all sides – even during the night. The plaited mats that serve as walls are rolled up and only let down in the event of rain or strong wind. The Samoan Fale at Tropical Islands would have served as a kind of community centre for a number of villages. It is particularly large and each of the 28 beautifully carved wooden pillars represents one of the family groups. The Fale was built with the help of the Samoan Tourism Authority.

Restaurants and bars There are 13 different restaurants and bars within the Tropical Islands complex. At the Asian Wok House, which is located at the Bali Pavilion, guests can taste delicious food from the Far East. In the centre of the tropical village, the Pasar Food Market offers a spacious setting where guests can come together to enjoy different types of food. For this purpose guests can find the Sawadee Restaurant at the Thai House, offering an extensive breakfast buffet in the morning or the Asian buffet afterwards, the Mondial, which incorporates several different self-service restaurants and the Borneo Café with its frozen yoghurt station, all located around the Pasar Food Market. Guests can also enjoy à la carte dining at the Palm Beach Restaurant by the Tropical Sea or delicious international food at the Tropical Garden restaurant right next to the tropical Sauna and Spa Complex.

Overnight accommodation at Tropical Islands Resort

…in the dome

Rooms and lodges There is an extensive selection of fabulous rooms and lodges available within the Tropical Islands dome itself. The many accommodation types are spread throughout the hall in different buildings and locations, several of them are tropically themed. There are a total of 194 rooms and lodges with 543 beds available inside the dome. They are categorized as follows: Adventure and Premium Lodges, Standard, Premium and Designer rooms as well as Junior Suites. Guests have a choice of rooms with two or four beds. Additional beds and travel cots are also available upon request.

Tents The Rainforest and the Sunset Camp nestle amongst the tropical vegetation. The comfortable two and four bed tents feature bed frames and mattresses and are either sand-coloured safari-style canvas tents or premium wooden tents. Both styles offer a real sense of fun and adventure. 138 “Safari” or “Premium” category tents are available, offering a total of 390 beds.

…outside the dome

Camping Just a few minutes’ walk from the Tropical Islands dome is the resort’s own outdoor campsite. It offers 5-star camping with all modern conveniences. The site is spread over 6 hectares and has 65 Standard and 20 Comfort pitches for caravans and campervans. 25 permanent tepees with a total of 134 beds (incl. bed frames and mattresses) are also available for hire. In addition there is also room for guests to pitch their own tents.

Mobile Homes On a separate area of the campsite, 83 mobile homes are located. Up to six people can stay in those fully equipped mobile homes. On an area of 35 square metres, there are two bedrooms, a living area with sofa bed and kitchenette, bathroom with shower and toilet as well as another toilet. The mobile homes deluxe feature a sauna and can accommodate up to two people. All mobile homes have a terrace with barbecue and garden furniture.

Holiday homes There are 47 comfortable holiday homes just a stone’s throw from the Tropical Islands dome with space for four to eight people. The houses are furnished to a high standard and have fitted kitchens, gardens and parking spaces. Some of the houses even have their own sauna

and a wood-burning stove. For more information on the holiday homes and to make a booking please visit www.novasol.de.

There are also a wide range of other accommodation options available in the vicinity of Tropical Islands. For further information please click on “Visitor Information” at www.tropical- islands.de or contact the hotline on 03 54 77 / 60 50 50. Detailed information on the various types of accommodation can be found in the brochure “Staying the night in and around Tropical Islands”.

II. The Sauna and Spa Complex Visitors of Tropical Islands can choose from seven different spa areas in the 10,000 square metres Sauna and Spa Complex. Here, guests can indulge themselves with saunas, steam baths and a range of Far Eastern spa ceremonies, massages and beauty treatments in a totally unique setting. The saunas, steam baths and treatment rooms are all set in a stunning tropical location in buildings inspired by the architecture of various famous cultural sites around the world, including the Angkor Wat temple complex in , the Waiotapu geysers in New Zealand and the Elephanta Temple in .

Opening times The tropics never close, so Europe’s largest tropical holiday world is also open all year round, 24 hours a day. In the period from 01:00 – 06:00 a.m. day visitors have no access. Special rules apply on 24 December and New Year’s Eve.

The Sauna & Spa Complex is open every day from 09:00 – 00:00 p.m. (subject to change).

Admission charges

Pure Tropics (incl. the outdoor area Tropical Islands AMAZONIA)

Adults €42.00 Reduced1 €33.00 Infants (under 5 yrs) Free of charge 1children (age 6-14); students, senior citizens over 65, disabled registered min.70% - Free entry for accompanying person for the severely disabled. This discount cannot be combined with other discounts.

For guests wishing to cross over from the Tropical World to the Sauna and Spa Complex there is an additional charge of €14.00 per day. For children between 6 and 14 years and concessions crossing over to the Sauna and Spa Complex there is an additional charge of €8.00. There is no additional charge for children under 6 years crossing over to the Sauna and Spa Complex. More favourable is the ticket Tropics & Sauna:

Tropics & Sauna (incl. the outdoor area Tropical Islands AMAZONIA & Fitness Club)

Adults €49.00 Reduced1 €39.50 Infants (under 5 yrs) Free of charge 1children (age 6-14); students, senior citizens over 65, disabled registered min.70% - Free entry for accompanying person for the severely disabled. This discount cannot be combined with other discounts.

Use of the car park and changing facilities are included in the price.

Family ticket “Pure Tropics”: €125.00 For two adults and up to four children (6 – 14 yrs) (only available online and at least one day in advance of the visit)

Birthday special offer: Children of any age get in free on their birthday. An identity card showing date of birth must be provided.

Accessibility: Tropical Islands is also accessible for wheelchairs. Wide paths, wheelchair-friendly toilets, changing facilities and ramps ensure maximum accessibility throughout the complex. It is also possible to explore the Rainforest with a wheelchair as the paved paths and maximum 6 per cent inclines mean it is always easy to move around.

Getting there

By car Tropical Islands is on the A 13 (Berlin-Dresden), approximately 35 km south of Berlin- Schönefeld, just off the Staakow motorway exit.

By train The Regional Express RE 2 runs hourly from Berlin and Cottbus to Brand Tropical Islands. For example, the journey takes around 50 minutes from Berlin Alexanderplatz. The RB 24 regional train also runs hourly via Berlin-Hohenschönhausen, Berlin-Lichtenberg, Berlin Ostkreuz- and Königs Wusterhausen or from Senftenberg via Lübben to Brand. There is a free shuttle bus from Brand Tropical Islands station.

As at: December 2016