TheThemeParkGuy

Review

This is a refreshingly different and fantastically bizarre water theme park in the heart of Europe.

Situated in a huge hangar originally intended for the construction of zeppelins (though the venture went bust before any living zeppelin made it out of the hangar), Tropical Islands is just off the Berlin-Prague highway, about 60 kilometers (37 miles) south east of Berlin, in the middle of a dark wood in Brandenburg. A Malaysian investor realized the potential of the abandoned structure and brought the jungle of his home country to Germany. I remember when Tropical Islands was under construction: I was living in Berlin at that time and used to visit the site quite often.

The press was critical about this transformation (everything that opens in Brandenburg, Germany's communism-loving high-unemployment area, has a tendency to go bust), but initial predictions of failure proved wrong and Tropical Islands eventually turned into a big success due to later expansions.

The more recently added water slides are surprisingly fast and the absence of lifeguards makes for a chaotic and extra fun experience. The long, steep blue slide with the mad curve accelerates you to such a colossal speed that you feel like you are facing your imminent death as you zoom down. You'll be thinking, 'Yikes, I'm a bit too fast and uncontrolled now... this can't be right... how are they going to stop me??'. But, everybody survives with a smile. Other highlights: a walk-through jungle; a panorama balloon; a huge pool with a sea vista and a cave-like lagoon with some little slides in a jungle setting. You'll find a wild mix of Germans, Poles and Czechs here since the nearby borders are all open: walking around Tropical Islands sometimes feels like witnessing an Eastern European modelling contest.

I highly recommend visiting the park. It's a unique experience! You can reach it via car or even train. The staff might be a bit unfriendly, but ignore them and enjoy the pool landscapes in this futuristic James Bond setting!