Three. Two. One. Launch. As the floor falls out beneath you, you freefall at an 80-degree drop before plummeting into a downward spiral for around 200 feet until you hit the water with a big splash. This enormous trapdoor water slide was one of the many fun rides I went on at the Kalahari Indoor Water Park in Round Rock, Texas. 

Considering I went to a waterpark on a 30-degree day in the middle of February, it was probably the most fun I’ve ever had. I’ve been to Schlitterbahn nearly every summer since I was able to swim, and have gone to Great Wolf Lodge, another indoor waterpark. Honestly, I will never be able to look at either of those the same.  Kalahari blew my standards out of the water.

A limitation of indoor waterparks is size, but Kalahari goes all out with its water slides and rides. There’s a slide with a trap door that falls out beneath you, and another ride that’s a 200-foot vertical drop. There are plenty of rides for singles, doubles and even quads wanting to ride together. Not to mention the lazy river they have that isn’t small in the slightest. If all else fails, you can jam out in the wave pool listening to music while watching the accompanying music video on its enormous screen.

Outside of the main attractions of water fun, there are many side attractions. Kalahari has everything you could name –  bars, restaurants, coffee shops, ice cream stores, an arcade, a bowling alley, indoor and outdoor waterparks, and even a spa. The best part of everything is easy accessibility, as you can buy and access almost everything with your wristband. It even opens the door to your room. Speaking from experience, no other waterpark has this amount of selection and accessibility. Parents can rest easy being able to enjoy a drink at the pool, walk back to their room and open the door with their wristband while their kids continue having fun at the waterpark.

The arcade alone is enough to take up all of your time, as there is a great selection of games and a fun prize. I especially loved the game where you get to throw rubber axes at a board with a bullseye, which I was naturally good at and won a lot of  tickets in. With all of the tickets I won, I went to the prize shop and bought lots of great candy and even a little plushy Among Us doll, only one selection among plenty of other great prizes. While it is an arcade, there are also escape rooms, rock climbing, miniature amusement park rides, and even a maze. 

Although there are many reasons to attend Kalahari instead of another waterpark, the biggest reason is that you’re able to attend it year-round. The indoor heated pools and area allow for a cozy, comfortable environment year-round. The greatest example of this luxury is the half indoor, half outdoor hot tub. First, you start indoors in the heated air and water before swimming toward the door leading you outside, the freezing cold air reacting with the hot water to create a nice steam. I personally love the part where you can stand up, be cold and then sink into the steamy water. Another great experience you can enjoy is the nice gas fireplace outside, there was a nice family that even shared their s’more with me and it was such a great experience.

I strongly believe everyone should try out Kalahari over any other waterpark, as it blew my expectations out of the water and I think it’ll blow yours too. There are too many things outside of the waterpark for you not to enjoy your time there, in addition to the killer indoor waterpark with amazing rides.