After a long, cold winter, my family was longing for some good old-fashioned summer fun. So we grabbed our bathing suits and drove less than two hours from NYC to Sahara Sam’s Oasis, a fantastic indoor water park where it’s always 80 degrees and sunny!
As we drove up to the water park, the first thing we noticed was Snake Eyes, two eight-foot twisting slides that wrap around the outside of the building. Needless to say, we were completely excited as we entered and stood in front of the Tim-Buk-Tu Tree Fort, the main attraction that has a giant 1,000-gallon bucket of water that dumps its contents every five minutes. We took a few runs on the Congo Bongo, a tube ride down a lazy river full of waterfalls and geysers before heading over to Crocodile Flats, a cargo rope obstacle course suspended above a lagoon.
My husband and older son made their way to the FlowRider, New Jersey’s only indoor surfing/boogie-boarding simulator while my younger son and I took off for the Lizard Lagoon, a playground with low-depth water, a slide, and bungee swings. We all had a blast and the best part is…the water’s warm!
After a family game of water basketball at Sam’s Slamdunker we were ready for some lunch. Luckily, the café lines had dwindled by the time we got there and we were able to quickly refuel with pizza, sandwiches, and frozen fruit drinks. Then, the kids and I hit the arcade while my husband quietly snuck off to the adults-only Warming Tub.
It was a fun and active day spent at one of the coolest water parks we’ve ever been to—plus, we learned a few things to help us plan an even better trip for our next visit…
Arrive early: The facility gets crowded, especially on weekends and during school holidays (like spring break when we visited). Plan to arrive either 15 minutes before the doors open so you’re the first inside or take advantage of the Twilight Ticket and enter after 3:30pm, when the morning crowds have left.
Pack light: There are lockers to rent but they’re small so wear your bathing suits, bring towels (they’re not supplied but can be purchased), and pack a light change of clothes. Towels can be left on chairs throughout the facility while you’re on the rides. There are changing rooms on site.
Make a food plan: There’s no outside food or drinks allowed in the facility and the café lines can be long, so plan to eat early or on the later side when the crowds have dissipated.
No need to carry cash: The park has a wristband system where you can load any dollar amount onto the band so there’s no need to keep running back and forth to the lockers every time someone gets hungry or thirsty.
Big announcement: This summer, Sahara Sam’s Oasis is opening a brand new two-acre outdoor water park! The outdoor expansion will feature The Blue Lagoon, a 25-meter leisure pool; Splish-Splash, a children’s splash park; The Rip & Roll, a 12,000-square-foot wave pool; volleyball courts; and a full-service bar. The facilities will be open Memorial Day through Labor Day with select weekends in September.
For more information, check out saharasams.com or call 1-856-767-7850
