This Indoor Forest in Dubai Is Perfect for a Tropical Escape
If an indoor ski slope wasn’t impressive enough, Dubai has outdone itself again and opened an indoor rainforest. The Green Planet is located at City Walk and welcomes children and adults to explore an enclosed ecosystem, with over 3,000 species of plants and animals. This unique glass dome is jaw-dropping, so leave the desert heat outside and enter a tropical forest in the blink of an eye.
The structure
The Green Planet is a vertical ecosystem, where visitors walk down from top to bottom exploring several levels of a tropical forest. The whole forest is built around the world’s largest indoor artificially constructed life-sustaining tree, which is 25 meters tall. The four levels of the bio-dome are known as the Canopy, the Midstory, the Forest Floor and the Flooded Rainforest. The highest is the Canopy, where visitors can see birds flying around the dome — everything from toucans to macaws — and the lowest is the Flooded Rainforest, where a massive aquarium exposes the underwater life of this intricate ecosystem. Altogether, the levels give visitors a full idea of what the fauna and flora of the tropical forest is like.
The Animals
The dome’s ceiling is populated by dozens of colorful birds, which fly around freely. If you don’t like bugs, there will be a few scary moments! The bio-dome has a full range of insects, so visitors will see millipedes and cockroaches, as well as butterflies and an entire ant farm. All of these creatures can be seen in a replication of their natural habitat. The Flooded Rainforest has a full range of underwater life, illustrating that the rainforest ecosystem is more than what’s on the ground. Additionally, visitors can also see lizards, frogs and snakes, but don’t worry, they’re not roaming free! Perhaps the most famous residents of The Green Planet are its two sloths. The charming mammals spend most of their time sleeping or eating, and all the time being adorable!
A chance to learn
The true value of The Green Planet is that it offers children and adults a chance to learn more about nature. The dome may be beautiful but it’s also incredibly educational. All of The Green Planet’s staff is well trained and more than happy to give visitors full background stories on all the animals and plants, teaching fun facts and even welcoming visitors to touch some of the animals. School field trips are welcome, and birthday parties can be held here.