Thirty degrees and snow on the ground, but still wanting to swim and enjoy some warm temperatures. That’s how our family felt in mid-March. So, we surprised the kids after school on Friday and said a road trip was waiting… less than two hours later, we pulled into Kalahari Resorts & Conventions in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania.
The kids were beyond thrilled, having visited Kalahari in 2015 when it first opened (read all the general tips from that visit here), but knowing the resort and waterpark had undergone a major expansion since that time. In March 2017, Kalahari became the largest indoor waterpark in the country, as it doubled in size to 220,000 square feet.
So, what attractions are included in the expansion, and which ones were our family favorites? Read on to find out!
Note: We traveled with our 8-year-old daughter and 10-year-old son who both have no fear and will try pretty much anything.
Family Rides Rule
Two new massive family raft rides, The Smoke That Thunders and Victoria Falls, are two of the newest slides. Both of these slides can seat up to four people in a raft, which make it so much more fun to see everyone’s faces as you enjoy the drops and twists that are waiting for you. If you are riding with older teens or other adults, please pay attention to the weight limit for each raft. Victoria Falls was a gentler ride compared to The Smoke That Thunders which is labeled as a more intense thrill ride, but still TONS of fun, and definitely one of our favorites on our visit. Not new to the expansion, but still keeping in the theme of family raft rides, The Wild Wildebeest is another one not to be missed!
TIP: We tackled these slides as soon as we entered the park as the lines for these grew longer when the park became more crowded due to having to wait for rafts to come up from the conveyor.
Get Competitive
Kids can race each other – or take on their parents at the new Cheetah Race mat slide that lets four people race each other and displays the winning time at the bottom. I was surprised at just how fast these slides went, zipping through twists and turns before taking the final downhill run. A great time for kids and adults!
TIP: If you are a group of 2, or just want to ride and don’t care about racing, pay attention as you may be able to move faster through the line when they look to fill empty slots in other races!
For the Daredevils
Sahara Sidewinder was the kids’ favorite body slide. It’s a capsule slide that you step into the slide and then a button releases the floor beneath you, dropping you into a near vertical drop! Right next to this slide is the Screaming Hyena which has the steepest drop of the bunch (green slide hidden under the others in the photo below). While my kids didn’t mind the drop, they both complained about banging their back on the slide and decided one trip on this one was enough.
TIP: To help with rubbing or bumping on the body slides, consider having your kids wear swim shirts to minimize friction.
Enjoy the Waves
When you’re ready for a break from the slides, enjoy bobbing in the waves of the new Dungeons of Hout Bay Wave Pool. With a zero-depth entry point, this is also a great place for little ones to splash and play.
TIP: This back corner of the waterpark also includes a cafe and an indoor/outdoor hot tub. We found both of these to be less crowded than the others in the waterpark. There are also a lot of tables and chairs in this area if you’re looking to set up a home base for the day.
More Play Room for the Little Ones
Although we didn’t spend time there, the expansion also includes Coral Cove, which is another area exclusive for the youngest visitors. One of our favorite features was water swings, which my daughter wished she was small enough to squeeze into!
Along with the expanded waterpark, Kalahari’s expansion also included Sortino’s Italian Kitchen, Double Cut Charcoal Grill, Marrakesh Market retail area, and hundreds of new guest rooms.
Explore more of what Kalahari Resorts in the Poconos has to offer your family by visiting https://www.kalahariresorts.com/pennsylvania/.
Disclosure: I did not receive any compensation for this article and we paid for our own expenses. All opinions expressed are my own.
