With temps practically below zero last week, I wanted nothing more than to hop on a plane to get to some warm weather and let the kids release all that pent up energy from being stuck inside the house. Unfortunately school schedules and work obligations just won’t allow that so I resorted to the next best thing, an indoor waterpark! Friday after school, we packed our bags and drove to Kalahari Indoor Waterpark in the Poconos. It’s less than two hours from New York City! It’s been three years since our family visited Kalahari. Looking back at the blog post from that trip, my seemingly big kids were just babies then!
The hotel
It’s amazing what a difference three years makes. The same goes for the grounds and attractions at Kalahari! With a new hotel wing and additional on campus restaurant options, it’s much bigger so we honestly didn’t know what to do first when we arrived! Ryder remembered the arcade floor from last trip, so he asked to make that the first stop after check in. We dropped our bags in our African Queen Suite. With two bedrooms, a queen sofa sleeper in the living room with a fireplace, and two full bathrooms, it offered plenty of room for the five of us.
The arcade center
The arcade center offered tons of arcade games, simulators and redemption games for the entire family. The Mini Bowling lanes are similar to traditional bowling, with smaller balls and short lanes. Black light Mini Golf was a fun indoor spin on mini golf in the dark. The 7-D Motion Theater plays different flicks throughout the day, so you drop in anytime to watch a movie and relax.
There were Virtual Realirtyexperiences, Escape Rooms, and more! And lets not forget about all of the regular games in the arcade. I don’t know what it is about kids, but they simply go nuts for these games. They’re certain that they can win every claw style game, to collect as many tickets as possible to be redeemed for prizes. To keep these anxious little gamblers in check, Jason and I gave each kids their own game card with set amounts. Once their money ran out, that was it for the entire stay! Siella and Gemma joined forces and shared all of their tickets for one big prize. Ryder played games slow and methodically, so he didn’t blow all his money early.
The waterpark
The next morning, we put on our bathing suits and headed downstairs for a quick breakfast before tackling the waterpark! Fortunately, Kalahari offers plenty of dining options right on the property. Guests generally don’t need to get back into their cars until its time to go home. Whether you are looking for a cafe, pizza joint, steakhouse, or buffet style, there are plenty of dining option for the entire family. For breakfast, we opted for the Great Karoo Marketplace, which had a huge breakfast buffet.
Next it was off to the waterpark. Kalahari is the largest waterpark in the United States, boasting over 220,000 square feet of wet and wild fun. The park offers something for all ages, with waterslides big and small, a kiddie park, wave pool, lazy river, flow rider for surfing, and plenty more. If you are traveling with a large group or celebrating a special event, guests can rent out private cabanas for the day. And if you need a break from the kids, there is even an adults only section, where you can enjoy a cocktail and chat. My favorite thing about Kalahari is its cleanliness, and well maintained water attractions. During our first visit three years prior, the park had just opened, and it still felt clean and new.
Both of our trips to Kalahari Resorts have been during the colder months, but they offer plenty of outdoor activities during spring, summer and fall. With outdoor pools, outdoor waterparks, mini golf, and a Gorilla Grove Tree Top adventure, we may need to make another trip back when the spring rolls around.
The weather has been absolutely dreadful here in New York. Sure, we were still indoors. But this experience was just what our family needed to beat the winter blues. Thank you Kalahari Resorts for hotel and accommodations!
11 thoughts on “A Splashy Escape: Indoor Waterpark Fun”
I would love to take the kids there! There’s so much to do! We love indoor parks like this.
This is great information! I’ve seen this park several times but have never been there and wondered what it was like. Clearly, it’s a place my family would love!!! I can’t wait to check it out for ourselves.
This waterpark sounded like a great choice for a little getaway. I like that there were plenty of other fun options at the resort too!
I have to see where our local resort is! This looks so darn fun!
I would love to take our family there! I’ve heard a lot of great things about the Poconos in general, but this indoor water park is perfect!
Indoor waterparks are the best for when it’s too cold to swim outside! This one is on our bucket list for our big family of 8.
wow! This is the perfect winter break! I think every kid will go crazy over this Indoor Water Park!
Their smiles are enough proof that this place is fun! There are lots of activities here, surely kids will have fun!
We have gone to Kalahari a few times with our family. It is always a fun weekend away.
Wow, this place looks awesome! Will say, some of the indoor parks are better than outdoor parks. We loved our visit to Kalahari.
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