Family Fun at Sahara Sam Oasis

Disclosure: My family was given complimentary media pass for our visit to “Sahara Sam Oasis”. However, all the thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

My family and I were invited to Sahara Sam Oasis few months ago but I have been so busy that we didn’t get a chance to go till last weekend. Even though I’ve lived in NJ for a little over 15 years – I have never heard of Sahara Sam Oasis, they open their door in 2009 and it’s nested in the heart of South Jersey – West Berlin to be exact, right off Route 73.

Looking from the outside it didn’t seem like much. Upon entering the location, we were in awe – couldn’t believe how they managed to fit so much into the space. Their $6.5 million two acre outdoor water park expansion is set to open Memorial Day Weekend through Labor Day with select weekends in September. The expansion includes a 25 meter leisure pool, a children’s play zone, a full service lounge, sand volleyball courts and a 12,000 sq. ft. wave pool. The project also includes an 8,000 sq. ft. building addition featuring an expanded party facility, and a recently opened 350 ft. body slide.

My 6 year old daughter, loved finding her balance while crossing the Crocodile Flats.

Our favorite ride as a family was Mount Kilimanjaro. My husband  and daughter went twice even with a long line. Although I would have loved to go more than once, I had to stay behind with my 2 year old daughter who below the 42 inches height requirement.

Both kids loved hanging out at the Lizard Lagoon. It was hard to pull them off at the end of the day, especially my two years old between this and the Tim-Buk-Tu – she was happy.

On our way to grab a bite in the cafe, we saw quite a few people in the jacuzzi (warming tub). They had pretty good selection of food, we ordered a tray of pizza, wings, fries, and soda – total was less than $50.

I’ve to say though Sahar Sam Oasis is different than any other water park we’ve visited in the past. For starters they had a full bar – yes a bar – with alcohol and all. I saw quite a few parents hanging out at the bar while their kids mingled with their friends at birthday parties.

Sahara Sam Oasis is certainly a unique spot to host birthday parties if you’re in the South Jersey area then I encourage you to check them out. When we were leaving my 6 year daughter asked if she could have her party there, sadly I had to say no, because it was about an hour and half from our house and I doubt any of her classmates will be willing to make the drive, otherwise I would have wholeheartedly said YES.

• I would suggest you rent either a big or small locker for your belongings – it’s fairly reasonable – the big one is about $6
• Make sure the kids bring their water shoes – I saw a lot of people walking around barefoot – to me it looked like an accident waiting to happen

Overall, we had an amazing time. This trip was definitely what we needed to kick start the summer. We’re now pumped and excited to see what the next 3 months holds.

If you live in either NJ or PA and you’re looking for family friendly place to visit for the summer or even all year round I suggest you check out Sahara Sam Oasis – they have something for everyone – here is a $8 coupon to get you started.