A Fun Day at Sahara Sam's Indoor Water Park in Berlin, New Jersey! @usfg @saharasams {Giveaway}

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We spent today having a blast at Sahara Sam's Water Park in Berlin, NJ.  Sahara Sam's is New Jersey's largest Indoor Water Park. They totally take fun to the next level! We arrived a few minutes after they opened at about 10:20 am today on Sunday and they were open and ready for guests to enjoy the day.  We were greeted at the door by a friendly young man who provided a quick bag check for safety.  He also politely reminded customers that New Jersey state law does not permit Sahara Sam's to allow outside food and drinks inside their facility. Good to know ahead of time. They also post this information on their website.

We passed through the turnstiles and headed into the water park for an afternoon of fun! I was pretty impressed right away. Their website boasts 58,000 Sq. Ft of Splashtastic Fun, SAMAZON Adventure The WORLD'S tallest Ropes Course (an outdoor attraction), A 3,000 Sq. Ft Modern Arcade with great prizes - no admission required.  They are not kidding. This is a nice sized park but not too big...just the right size to keep track of the kids but enough space to spread out and have a ball. The kids were super excited about  the FlowRider indoor surfing simulator too. My little one had done this a few years ago down at the shore but I didn't realize that Sahara Sam's had this ride too.  If you want to do the Flow Rider or the Ropes Course I suggest you print and fill out your waivers ahead of time.  You need to sign them and fill in your driver's license at Sahara Sam's so leave those fields blank.  It will save you a few minutes and you will thank me.

The Flowrider was a popular attraction and did not disappoint. Check it out in action above! It was a chilly winter day though so the outdoor Ropes Course was not open. We are going to have to return to go on that one when it is warmer.  It looked like fun but there was plenty inside to keep us busy all day long.  Inside, Sahara Sam's had several areas to grab a bite to eat and a bar area for the adults. They also had a bright and airy full-service restaurant called the Desert Palm Cafe with lots of seating.  It had plenty of options for snacks, soft drinks and quick meals.  Nothing fancy but fun foods appropriate for a day out and about. They did have some healthy salad options if you are trying to keep it light too.

I saw as I went in that they have an annual pass and membership deal going on now which you can take advantage of online or at the door. $59.95 per person for an annual pass which means you can pop by Sahara Sam's all year long as many times as you like for essentially the price of about two visits.  That is one great deal. If you live even sort of close by that is a perfect option for the spring, summer fall and winter....keep the kids busy and you can relax with a magazine while they have fun all day long rain, shine or even snow.  Check their website for coupons and deals.  Once the weather gets warmer they have a whole outdoor Beach Club where you can even rent cabanas. They do have a a few indoor cabanas for rental as well. Tons more rides outside too so a wonderful destination year round.

I was impressed as I walked through Sahara Sams because it looked extremely well maintained. It even smelled clean...not a chlorine scent, just clean and fresh.  The floors were clean as well. I was reassured to know that they seem to keep the facility clean.  You could be sure by the afternoon it was kind of wet but, well, it is a water park and with kids around and in and out of the water some water on the floor during the day is to be expected. So, expect that. It actually looked pretty decent even by the afternoon. I saw staff out there cleaning and tidying up all day long.

I suggest flip-flops or water shoes but I always like to bring them to any pool indoors or out. Good idea for when you have to go into the restrooms as well. Just common sense. By the way, the restrooms and locker rooms were very clean too. I am such a clean freak I always notice these kinds of things. The ladies room had plenty of soap, paper towels and tp thank goodness. There were even spacious private changing rooms outside of the men's and ladies room which made it so much easier to change into or out of the bathing suits! Lockers galore too...available for a nominal rental fee.

There were plenty of open chairs and we settled in for the day. We found a spot with some chairs by the Flowrider area. Several lifeguards were set up in strategic spots to monitor the riders. The kids hopped on the Flowrider line which was almost non-existent. They waited about 4 minutes and were on. We got some great videos of their surfing safari.  I liked that the lifeguards were totally all eyes on the the Flowrider and the kids.  Extremely attentive. In fact, I noticed lifeguards were out all over the water park and there were plenty of them too. It sure made me feel more secure. I saw tons of lifeguards pacing their assigned areas by the different water attractions including the lazy river.  They were all equipped with appropriate safety equipment in a fanny pack.

The kids and all of us enjoyed the NileMile body slide. 350 feet and tons of fun. The kids went on this a bunch of times after we went on it with them. I liked that the lines were very short even as the day went on. There was a good crowd but it was very well maintained. The kids said that everyone was very nice...no pushing or poor behavior by anyone which makes for a fun day for everyone.

Hubby got roped heehee into Mount Kilimanjaro--the family slide. A quick walk up the stairs and they were there. Good exercise too! The kids and hubby reported that it was fun but be ready for a little dark and twisty turns. Not for me who gets kinda motion sick...I have to pick and choose my rides. Fun for them.  I like a straight shot so the body slide was better for me.  Everyone gets inside a big round rafts for the family slide and holds on for fun. You can get up to four people in a raft. They just LOVED it.

My friend and I enjoyed a little relaxing run on the Lazy River with the girls. It can go faster or slower depending on how many people are in the water but it is a fun way to pass a few minutes.

I liked that the park was nice and warm all day long.  We have been to other water parks in the winter and I was always so chilly. I noticed that I was very comfortable the whole day.....I think they had the thermostat set perfectly.  We brought our own towels...if you forget you can buy them there.  They do have complimentary life vests and I saw a few of the younger children wearing them.

The kids had a super fun time and got to go on all the rides they wanted. The wait times were minimal to none which made for a pleasant afternoon. A really nice bunch of guests too. We can't wait to go back and are looking forward to another fun filled day! I have a giveaway if you want to see for yourself, you can enter here to win a Family 4 Pack of tickets to Sahara Sam's.