I’m not going to lie, my initial impression of Tropical Islands was nothing more than a mass tourism frenzy. I pictured something similar in my home country to be something like Canada’s Wonderland or West Edmonton Mall – mass tourism at it’s finest. The moment I walked in I was sure that I would be ready to leave in less than 10 minutes. There was a sea of people (primarily from Eastern Germany and Poland) flooding through the pools, the beach chairs and the dining halls. It wasn’t until we started to find about the ‘hidden spots’ to kick back and relax.
This is probably a good moment to point you over towards my video log on why I chose to embark on my two month #TrainLineTravel trip starting with a destination you would never think to be sustainable or philanthropic.
Don’t judge a book by it’s cover, you might be surprised.
How Did We Do It?
Funny, because the best part of the trip was when we entered their Sauna & Spa area. Though at first I wasn’t sold on the whole nudity idea, I ended up finding a certain appreciation for hanging out in the nude.
***Note: Entrance to the sauna and spa area is 12 Euros per day and 100% completely worth it.
Between hanging out in the hammocks and tree swings to trying the newest fads in sauna and steam baths (including a Cuba sunset salt scrub sauna and a eucalyptus iced steam bath) I was in my glory just about the entire day.
So What Was it Really Like Being Nude?
Well, you would be surprised at how quickly you conform to the way everyone else around you is behaving when you’re fully clothed and everyone’s staring at you like the odd ball. At first I was a little reluctant to take all my clothes off, but also felt rude not following suit as it was hard to miss the numerous signs around me clearing stating no clothes allowed.
It’s not what you would think (or what I had thought), not everyone is running around and playing beach volleyball with their wieners swinging around. A little more reserved, (most) people walk around with a towel to cover up until they have reached the pool or sauna entrance.
By the end of the 2 days at Tropical Islands I felt comfortable enough to join a crowd of about 20 people in a confined sauna room and enjoy the real sauna experience. One of my favourite sauna classes was the salt scrub sauna. Ten minutes into the experience you are asked to exit the room and scrub yourself down – head to toe – with an oiled salt mix , and then re-enter for the remainder of the class… nude…with everyone else.
No only did I feel revived and refreshed at the end of my time in the resort, but I grew an immense amount of personal confidence within such a short period of time. Self confidence is something that many people struggle with and myself as well. Laugh all you want, but until you’ve experienced it… you really don’t know what you’re missing.
Is it Worth it?
The sheer ‘wow’ factor of Tropical Islands gives you a great reason to check it out. Relaxing on a beach in a dome that is 360 metres long, 210 metres wide and large enough to fit the Eiffel Tower sideways… this is quite the masterpiece.
Tropical Islands is a place you have to test out once in your life to really understand the monstrosity of the place. Check out their press kit explaining the architecture and you’ll be packing your bags in no time.
How Can You Help Give Back?
It’s important not to ‘judge a book by it’s cover.’ I am walking away pleasantly surprised by the smaller details within Tropical Islands. Take some time to do some research and try to plan a time to come when they’re taking part in one of their sustainable events.
Check out their upcoming FairPlay Soccer Tour in partnership with Sparkassen and the Deutsche Soccer LIGA.
Hosted on July 12, 2015, this event promotes the fairness, respect, integration and prevention through the use of sport. They support young children and adults in their development and ability to have an open mind.
Tips to Prepare You:
- Bring your own beach towel (charged a deposit & 2.50 Euro fee per 24 hours)
- Bring a bath robe (I thought it sounded excessive, but people really know how to embrace their time here)
- Don’t worry too much about the prices inside (they are pretty practical, I’d compare them to a city centre in Frankfurt or Munich)
- If you’re planning on using the slides, bring your own water tube (it’s allowed – I think)
- Get ready for nudity (I was the most excited for the flavoured saunas only to find out that nudity was mandatory. Mind you, I did warm up to the idea pretty fast and it was definitely an incredible experience)
- If booking a hotel is too pricey, think about purchasing a wooden chair for the night and sleeping on the ‘beach’… very cool idea!
Disclosure: Tropical Islands kindly hosted myself and my partner on a two night trip to share our experiences with you. Though funded, all videos, blogs and social media are my own words and thoughts.
