Traveling can be challenging when you are a homebody! Today we’ll be going over three outdoorsy locations for indoorsy people! I’m talking about large-scale resorts and theme parks; instead, it’s inside. We’ll be browsing through locations outside of the USA, so if you’re a U.S. resident, you’ll have to obtain a new passport to visit.
The Tropical Island Resort, Krausnick, Germany
Located just south of Berlin is our first stop on today’s adventure. The resort features a beach, that’s right, a massive indoor beach that generates waves to simulate the experience of being at a beach. On top of that, this tropical paradise is also chock full of tropical foliage and fauna, making it the world’s largest artificial tropical rainforest and the largest indoor beach! That’s a two-for-one!
The park was created by a Malaysian investment group that assumed that the people of Germany deserved a beach despite not living in a country with one. The investment group thought right, and this park now sees almost 1 million visitors yearly!
Now, most people interested in attending such a place are going to be German since that’s the target audience, but don’t let that stop you from checking out this spot! In addition to a massive indoor beach and artificial rain forest, Tropical Island Resort also has a zip line.
Remember that if you’re traveling to Germany in the winter and want to escape the typically cold weather, you can always head to this resort. Be wary, however, as you may find it harder to get a slice of this tropical paradise when the locals are also attempting to escape the cold.
Harbin Wanda Indoor Ski and Winter Sports Resort, Harbin, China
If the cold is your thing and you’re wondering if there’s anywhere– ANYWHERE in the world that can satisfy your 24/7 need for a place to roll around in the snow, we have news for you. The Harbin Wanda Indoor Ski and Winter Sports Resort is the exact opposite of our first entry. Built in the Chinese city of Harbin, which coincidentally is known as “The City of Ice” and is also the location of the world-renowned “Harbin Ice and Snow Festival,” this massive indoor ski resort is the largest in the world! The total cost to complete this complex came to about 4.6 billion dollars.
The first thing you should expect to find in this winter wonderland is ski slopes, which, thankfully, the resort has many of, six to be exact. The slopes vary in length and width, so there’s something for beginners to experienced skiers! If skiing is too much for indoors, you’ve got nothing to worry about. The Harbin Wanda Indoor Ski and Winter Sports Resort has everything you need from movie theatres, ice hockey, and fabulous restaurants.
IMG Worlds of Adventure, Dubai, UAE
If neither sand nor snow tickles your fancy, something more commercial might appeal to you. IMG Worlds of Adventure, located in Dubai, is the world’s largest indoor theme park. The complex is so large that it’s classified as the single largest temperature-controlled environment in the world. Enjoy all the fun as if you were in Orlando in the summer, except you don’t have to wear sunscreen!
IMG Worlds features a variety of activities and rides as one would expect a theme park too. The IMG Group created the park. The park currently features five distinct sections. Two of these sections are based on the American enterprises of Cartoon Networth and Marvel comics. The remaining sections have a “main street” style strip called IMG Boulevard, a Jurassic Park-inspired section called “The Lost Valley,” and finally, a large movie theater with 12 screens called the Novo Cinema.
There are currently 17 attractions in the park. Some are winding roller coasters for thrill seekers, and others, such as LazyTown, located in the Cartoon Network section, are aimed at a much younger audience. You can stop by one of the 37 shops and restaurants to pick up grub and souvenirs. Conversely, if you’ve had enough walking for hours, just stop by the Novo Cinema and catch a flick, with 12 screens, there’s bound to be something playing that you’ll like.
There are already talks about expanding the park to include a variety of other zones, including areas dedicated to (but not limited to) Nickelodeon, Pokemon, Disney, Mattel, Sabban, Anime World, Ubisoft, TV Tokyo, and Legends of Arabia. As well as all of the just mentioned zones, this expansion would include a new Cartoon Network and Lost Valley area. The recent locations would in a large complex adjacent to the existing one. This unique park extension will be called IMG Worlds of Legends, and you can see a concept image by clicking here. No doubt that once construction is complete, it’ll be decades before another indoor theme park comes close to the size and scope of IMG Worlds of Adventures.
But what if you don’t want to go to any of these places?
You might not have plans to travel to any of the locations we’ve mentioned thus far, not because the crazy indoor locals don’t impress you, but because you have no plans to visit the country it’s located in. That’s fine! As mentioned in each entry, these are the “largest” in the world of their particular kind. That means there are others sprinkled about the world that might not be as large but might scratch the itch you’ve been trying to for years. If you need a new passport, you may visit some of these places as an alternative.
Skiing
The Harbin Wanda Indoor Ski and Winter Sports Resort are only one of many in China. There are an alarming 27 indoor ski slopes in China, including some currently developing. And that’s just in China! Several European countries also have indoor ski slopes, such as Belgium, Germany, France, The Netherlands, Norway, Spain, and the UK. Two are currently in development here in the states, so don’t experience FOMO if you aren’t planning on traveling out of the country soon!
Beaches
As far as indoor beaches go, those are a bit tougher since several countries already have beaches. However, there are still a few to be spoken for! Naturally, China has one in Chengdu. This one rivals Germany as it also features a beach with a wave pool. There are also locations in Japan and Kazakhstan. The Fallsview Indoor Waterpark in Canada is a good option if you live in the Northern USA and want to see what all this indoor beach nonsense is about. Fallsview is close to Niagara Falls, which is only a short distance from the U.S.-Canada border. This makes Fallsview your go-to, assuming you have a U.S. passport or passport card to cross the border.
Theme Parks
You can find a few of these sprinkled throughout the states The Adventuredome in Las Vegas, Nevada, offers many of the amenities that IMG Worlds do, and all without leaving the country! However, if you want to go all out on your U.S. indoor theme park vacation, we’d recommend the one inside The Mall of America. Located in Bloomington, Minnesota, it is the largest mall in America when you account for the theme park attached to it is known as ‘Nickelodeon Universe”. While Nickelodeon Universe is no IMG Worlds, it’s still the largest indoor theme park in the States and has three unique roller coasters. The best park? When you’re done riding those three roller coasters five times each, you can easily spend the rest of your day browsing through the biggest mall in the country.
What if You Need a New Passport?
If you are traveling soon and your passport has or is soon to expire, you will need to apply for an expedited passport. You can apply for a new passport at a post office or courthouse. However, passport processing time can take 6-10 weeks.
Please consider a private courier if you don’t want to wait long for your expedited passport. Private couriers like The Passport Office can get you an expedited passport in as little as three days! You can apply with The Passport Office today for your new passport in Orlando, Miami, Tampa, and Hollywood.
