The Green Planet City Walk

This has to be seen to be believed…

Jumeirah is now home to a tropical rainforest. Yes, actually. The Green Planet in City Walk is a standalone bio-dome that is home to over 3,000 plants and animals.

Here’s a video tour:

The humidity inside the huge ‘dome’ (which isn’t really dome shaped at all) is kept at 70 per cent so that the environment is perfect for rainforest animals and plants to flourish. Entry costs Dhs95 for adults and Dhs70 for children aged two to 12 and the forest opens to the public this Thursday September 1.

There’s a resident sloth – who has free reign to roam around (but doesn’t do so too quickly)…

It’s also home to the “largest indoor, man-made and life-sustaining tree in the world” (what a record!). What does that mean? Well the tree that covers the entire height of the indoor zone is fake, but real plants have been planted all over it and they will creep and grow across it. This means that in a few years time the tree’s going to look a lot greener than this:

There are aquariums, ant exhibits and plenty of reptiles throughout The Green Planet…

But undoubtedly the most magical thing are the birds that fly from branch to branch throughout the forest:  This is the largest species of toucan in the world  A Solomon Island Eclectus (you can tell this bird is a lady as the male eclectus are green, the females red). 

These parrots are native to Brazil (and boast the country’s national colours on their feathers)

The Hyacinth Macaw is the longest parrot species in the world. 

Other critters you’ll find include porcupine (they’re nocturnal so best to visit after 6pm if you want to see them lively), crocodile lizards and bright green snakes.

There will be education programmes for Dubai’s schools at the centre too – with 15 programmes on offer for kids aged from three to 14.

“The Green Planet is an ecology museum, and we want visitors to both have a good time, see something beautiful, but also learn something important about nature, and the way nature works,” explained horticulturist Rob Halpern. “There is a great deal of life, a great deal of diversity, and that’s why this ecology museum in Dubai centres on the tropical forest as it is to best tell the story of an ecosystem.”

The Green Planet, City Walk, Jumeirah, Dubai. 10am to 10pm, weekdays, 10am to midnight on weekends. Tickets Dhs95 for adults, Dhs70 for children aged two to 12. More info on website.