The brand-new Kalahari Resorts and Conventions in the Pocono Mountains, an authentic African-themed resort, is nothing short of amazing. You'll be greeted with "Karibu!" (Swahili for welcome!).
I know many families who have upcoming trips already planned, or are considering booking a visit for this fall or winter, so I'd like to share some advice for making the most of your stay!
There's no such thing as too young or too old!
A one-stop shop for the perfect family getaway, we traveled with our 5-year-old daughter and 7-year-old son, and my mom came to meet us for the day on Friday (yes, you can purchase day passes to the waterpark!).
I noticed A LOT of multi-generational families, and Kalahari makes it even easier with traditional Desert Rooms that can sleep up to six, plus two- and three-bedroom suites. Our Desert Room included two queen beds and a pull-out sleeper sofa. All rooms also include a fridge and microwave (more on this later).
For the waterpark, infants and toddlers can find fun over in Tiko's Watering Hole. There are seats built right into a water table! Toddlers can enjoy a variety of slides, and there are a few that mom or dad can slide down right alongside them. This area also has its own mini lazy river!
Taking a grandparent who doesn't want to do the slides? I LOVED that the indoor waterpark had plenty of tables and chairs that had great views of all the fun! Plus, I appreciated having my mom to hang out with my daughter, who was just an inch shy of the biggest slides, so I could check out some of them with my husband and son. I think I'd have to say the Wild Wildebeest was my favorite!
Utilize the full range of waterpark hours.
We visited Kalahari Friday into Saturday, which means the 100,000-square-foot waterpark (the largest indoor waterpark in PA!) was open from 9 a.m. until 10 p.m. Check-in time is at 4 p.m., but with your overnight stay, you can start using the waterpark as early as 12 p.m. We were lucky that our room was ready earlier than 4 p.m., so we could go right up and change and hit the park.
But, if your room isn't done, you can talk with the valets about luggage stowing options. You will get a text message alerting you when your room is ready. There are also locker rentals available for $10/day in the waterpark area. I used this on Saturday for my camera bag, credit card, and phone.
On Saturday, we started around 10 a.m. and as you can see below, the basketball area was empty (compared to not being able to get a ball by late afternoon), we could ride the bigger waterslides repeatedly since there were not any lines, and Tiko's Watering Hole was empty. The 7-10 p.m. range after dinner is another great option if you have older Macaronis, or if little ones nap in the afternoon and can go later into the evening.
Eat at least one meal in the waterpark.
Delicious fresh pizza, burgers, real white-meat chicken tenders, and other lunch and dinner options are available to eat right in the waterpark. There are tables and chairs everywhere, so mark your territory early. Then, when your family is ready, you can walk into the Safari Grille and place your own order to take to your seat, or you can look for a cocktail server (wearing bright blue polo shirt uniforms) who will take your order and deliver it.
For us, this was a great option for lunch on our last day since checkout was at 11 a.m., so we could stay later and enjoy the waterpark.
Save time for the Family Entertainment Center.
After a long day in the waterpark on Friday, we enjoyed dinner at the Ivory Coast Restaurant, one of three full-service dining experiences. (Brandberg and the Great Karoo Marketplace Buffet are your others.) Ivory Coast had a varied menu with juicy burgers, fish tacos, chicken sandwiches, and salads. Their kids' menu had about six options, with sides including applesauce or fruit cup instead of just french fries.
Then we headed into the 30,000 square-foot Family Entertainment Center. First up, was black light mini golf. This fun nine-hole course was the perfect size for two tired Macaronis, and they loved posing for photos with all the animals! (Note: If you have little ones who startle easily or don't like loud noises, beware of the tiki god on the ninth hole.)
Everything in the Family Entertainment Center can be paid for at once with credits for arcade games and the other activities being loaded onto a prepaid card. Mini-bowling utilizes 20 credits for a one-player, 10-frame game (we let our kids alternate frames, which was enough for them that they weren't bored by the end).
The arcade games include traditional favorites like skeeball to sports games to claw machines and other fun video choices. There is an enormous prize room to redeem your tickets when you're finished playing, and thankfully a handy ticket station that counts them all for you. Keep in mind that some games put tickets on your card versus giving you strips of tickets, so you may want to ask the attendant to scan your card so you have an accurate count of how many tickets you have to spend.
Consider authorizing room charging via wristband.
When you check in, each guest (age 2 and older) receives a plastic wristband that serves as your room key as well as your admission ticket to the waterpark. You can choose to authorize room charges via your wristband for food, games, shopping, and anything else at the resort.
Instead of having to carry your credit card or cash, you just sign your room number and name to your receipts and it will be added to your final bill. (Note: You must have a credit card on file to use this privilege. Debit cards will not work.)
If you have older children, you can choose to also authorize charging privileges for their wristbands, or just limit it to the adults. Upon checkout you will be provided with a final statement left outside your door that morning, so be sure to verify that all of the information is accurate.
Other Tips
Weekday travel would be ideal. Based on our experience and what we heard from Kalahari staff and friends who have visited, it sounds like right now weekdays are a less crowded time to visit if you can make it work with your schedule. If you do a weekend visit, see our note above about maximizing the full range of waterpark hours!
Ask about special children's activities including cookie decorating and storytime. We personally didn't fit these into our schedule, but be sure to ask about them when you arrive.
Consider packing your own towels. While they do have complimentary towels in the waterpark, they are smaller than full-size towels, so you'll need multiples if your Mini Macaronis are cold when they're done swimming.
Think about having breakfast in your room. I think this is the easiest meal of the day to do quickly on your own. Java Manjaro, the coffee bar in the lobby, has a variety of muffins, bagels, donuts, and other breakfast grab-n-go items. Kalahari Outpost also has an area with granola bars and cereal. It's a great way to get a quick start to the waterpark!
Use the clothing line in your bathroom to dry your swimsuits overnight! You may also want to consider packing two swimsuits since they aren't likely to dry completely and may be chilly to put on in the morning.
Checkout time is at 11 a.m., but you can stay and enjoy the waterpark all day. Use the dryers available in the changing rooms that are great for taking that suit from sopping wet to just damp with a quick spin!
Children under 48 inches will need a life jacket. U.S. Coast Guard-approved life vests are available at several spots in the park.
Learn something. When Kalahari says authentic African-themed, they mean it. Our room was at the end of a long hallway, giving us a chance to enjoy all of the stunning photographs from Africa. Many of them were captioned, too.
Thinking about an adults only getaway? You can take advantage of Kalahari's fitness center, Spa Kalahari and Salon, and awesome swim-up bars, including the Thirsty Turtle! I can't tell you how fun some of the drinks looked coming out of there!
Get more tips and see additional photos in our facebook album!
Book Your Stay
To book your getaway, visit www.KalahariResorts.com/PA. Furahi (Swahili for Enjoy!)
Disclosure: My family received a complimentary overnight stay and waterpark admission to facilitate this review. However, all opinions expressed are my own.
