Forest City

Forest City is perhaps the most surreal place we've been to so far—a $100 billion "Eco-Paradise" that feels more like a post-apocalyptic movie set than a thriving metropolis. Built on four man-made islands reclaimed from the sea, it was envisioned as a futuristic smart city for 700,000 wealthy residents, complete with vertical gardens, autonomous cars, and "forest" skyscrapers.

As of 2025, Forest City has been dubbed the "Ghost City," the result of a perfect storm of economic crackdowns and political shifts. Originally built by Chinese developers for wealthy mainland investors, the project collapsed when China restricted capital flight, preventing buyers from moving money abroad, while the Malaysian government simultaneously tightened foreign visa regulations. The 2020 pandemic served as the final blow, halting construction and isolating the islands just as the tropical jungle began to aggressively reclaim the empty luxury towers. Today, it stands as a $100 billion "solarpunk" ruin: a city with world-class infrastructure and lush vertical gardens, but almost no people to inhabit it. 

The Eerie Highlights:

• The Silent Skyscrapers: The sheer scale of the empty buildings against the quiet streets set the apocalyptic vibes to an all-time high. It was so creepy walking down the empty streets, looking up and not knowing if somebody was staring back at you. 

• The Vertical Forest Reclaimed: The city’s signature "vertical greenery" was meant to be an eco-feature, but without constant maintenance, the vines have grown wild, shrouding the buildings in a thick, dark cloak of leaves that makes them look like ancient ruins from a sci-fi future.

• The Maze: Weirdly enough, this city has a perfectly maintained maze. You can see gardeners going around pruning the hedges and tending to the flowers, even though no one is there to appreciate it.