this blog post is in collaboration with Kalahari Resorts and contains affiliate links; all opinions and experiences are my own. thank you kindly for your continued support!

also, i created an Instagram Highlight titled Kalahari for you to see all the video footage we captured. thanks sooo much for checking out the blog post; happy reading.

happy birthday, daddy!!!!! on June 16th, my daddy turned 72 years old. so many IG supporters mentioned how my dad looks so young in my Stories ☺️. i agree- he works out and walks a few times a week with my mom but still loves and enjoys his fried chicken and oreos, ha.

Sonny assured me that was a number seven candle and not a number one. lol. we sang, enjoyed some cake, and told the kids we were heading to lunch.

not lunch in Houston though… lunch at Kalahari Resort😧!!! they were ECSTATIC. they have been watching Kalahari Resorts commercials on tv for weeks and immediately put two and two together. see for yourself in this IG reel! we loaded up the truck with my mommy included and hit the road to Round, Rock TX.

* their bags were already packed because we told them we would be going to visit and spend time with granny and grandpa. *

coincidently, Kalahari is the same distance from my house in richmond, tx and my parent’s house in north houston. the 2 hours and 43 minutes seemed to zoom by. probably because i stayed busy checking emails and tying up loose ends before i went OOO for a few days. the kids were so excited that baby Nosi was the only one who took a nap! the older 3 were as chatty and giddy as ever.

we’re heeeeere! grabbing a shot in front of these beautiful gigantic “doors” was a must.

check in is at 4 pm, but you can get there early and still use the resort amenities until your room is ready. also, we arrived on a wednesday and there was an extremely manageable amount of people there. we stayed until Friday afternoon and as expected, the amount of people increased as the weekend neared. I believe we never experienced super long lines or wait times though because there are simply SO many things to do at Kalahari. i never felt overwhelmed by crowds nor was there a concentrated amount of people at an attraction at any time. now this will change as more people come into the knowledge of Kalahari of course, but I would still pick an off season time to go or at the beginning/middle of the week. also, masks are worn at your own discretion but not required.

there are several life-like wildlife figures outside in front for fun photo opps (zebras, elephants, giraffes). i kneeeew we wouldn’t go back out there until we were leaving to go home (and completely done with taking pics by then lol), so i had everybody take one right after we checked in. #bloggermom

after you check-in, you will receive a wrist band which not only gets you entry to the water park, but it doubles as your room key. you can also have funds added to your wristband so you can buy things and not have to carry cash cash or cards. so convenient.

we walked into our suite and our eyes were immediately drawn to the birthday card, Tom Foolery passes, and birthday cake placed on our siting area table! we are extremely grateful for Kalahari’s thoughtfulness towards making Dego’s birthday and our visit so special and memorable.

come through, cute and comfortable! that’s where it’s at. i scooped as many bike shorts as i could find in my size before we left; they are definitely my new favorite thing. i love the high waist, the super cute patterns, and of course the price. which one would you pick?

bumbag, fanny pack— whatever you wanna call it— this thing was made for me! i always need my hands, especially when i’m out with the kids. i love that i can wear it fanny-pack style on my waist or across my shoulder. i’ve linked a few more styles below; aren’t they adorable?!

once we got settled, the kids were ready to do… EVERYTHING. keep in mind, we visited the Round Rock, TX location; here’s a full resort map so you can get a visual. the activities we did are listed below.

brace yourself and click the full list of THINGS TO DO at Kalahari Round Rock!

if you’re looking for day passes only, click here.

INDOOR WATER PARK

Kalahari is the largest indoor waterpark in America! we enjoyed the thriling 2 and 4 seater tubing rides, slides, lazy river, water basketball, and our kids especially loved the Splash Down Safari kids area & gigantic Wave Pool. there’s also a full bar and food/snacks at the Zulu Grille (located in the very center of the indoor waterpark). no outside food or drinks are allowed though and the indoor waterpark opens daily at 10a and closes at 9p.

OUTDOOR POOLS

our kids enjoyed Savanah Springs; we also shot hoops at one of the 3 outdoor pools. this area opens daily at 10a and closes at 7p. since our suite window gave us a beautiful view of the outdoor pool area, i could hear them turn the outdoor music on around 9:40a each morning to get everybody hype and excited!

TOM FOOLERY’S ADVENTURE PARK

my boys were obsessed with the Big Room Arcade! they are also into virtual reality and truly enjoyed the VR experience. Laser tag was Sonny’s favorite and he and the boys did countless rounds. I tried the Cave of Mirrors with Chiso and ended up with a headache LOL. I got a little clausterphobic and lost patience! kudos to everyone who completes the mirror maze and makes it out in a timely manner cause🥴. there are indoor rollercoasters we will have to try next time, and there is even a soft play area for mobile babies and young toddlers. Tom Foolery’s opens at 9a and closes at 11pm.

RESTAURANTS (that we dined at)

American Provisions

sandwiches, soups, salads… we ate here twice and I enjoyed every bit of my food both times (see it below). I ordered their turkey & bacon sandwich (sans cheese) on sourdough and the 2nd time I added some tomato basil soup that was so savory and delicious. opens at 10a and closes at 9p.

Pizzeria Sorntino’s

Dego was given a free birthday pizza that we happily redeemed on his big day (June 17th)! the kids, Sonny, and my mom raved about how delicious their bacon and cheese pizza pie was. so much so that we ordered and paid for another.

The Last Bite

our kid’s whinny faces got us good after a few hours of swimming on our first night! that fresh waffle cone smell did us all in. we got them each a scoop of the ice cream of their choice. cookies & cream for Chiso and cookie dough + sprinkles for Dego. they did have some dairy-free options as well: watermelon & mango sorbet. Kosi had the watermelon sorbet and shared a few spoonfuls with me; it was sweet and packed with major watermelon flavor.

B-Lux Grill & Bar

we got the late night munchies after our 2nd full day of activities, so Sonny ventured out and brought us some goodies back to the room. we tried their bbq wings (which were overseasoned but still yummy) and fries, and Sonny enjoyed his All Blux’ed Up Burger.

RESTAURANTS (in the immediate area per request)

Chic-Fil-a, Culvers

Hat Creek Burger Company

PJ’s Coffee

Shipley Do-Nuts

Salt Lick BBQ

Torchys Tacos

Walmart

is literally less than 5 minutes away for any neccesities you may have forgotten at home. Sonny and i headed there late Wednesday night after everyone was settled to get a few quick breakfast items to save us funds on food. we also grabbed snacks, birthday gifts for Dego, and a big pack of water. (we actually forgot the water and had to go back smh!)

[i did pack a few things from home to snack on like low sodium popcorn, plantain chips, baby food, and pistachios. at Walmart i grabbed: individual cereal cups, 1/2 gallon of almond milk, big box of waffles, beef sausages, orange juice, mini bagels, cups, packaged tuna singles, and a toaster.]

we stayed in a 3 bed, 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom and there was more than enough room for all 7 of us. that was one of Sonny’s favorite things about our trip, haha.

he was able to get a nap while we all made noise and hung out in the common area of our suite. all rooms include a refrigerator, microwave, iron, ironing board, safe, TVs (we had 3; one in each bedroom and in the living room area), complimentary Wi-Fi, and a hair dryer.

the majority ruled to go eat first so we would have plenty of energy for more fun! we had no idea where to go and just started walking once we all got off the elevator🤪. we passed by American Provisions and decided to check out the prices and selections first. we didn’t want to go with our first choice so quickly though and kept walking. we passed through the arcade and ran into B-Lux Grill & Bar, but we ultimately went back up to Provisions for a light lunch. it was perfect! sandwiches for the adults, mac n cheese, hot dogs, and chips for the kids. now, keep in mind that drinks are 3.50 per bottle guys. bottled water too.

we walked around a little after lunch but ultimately the kids wanted to go get in the WATER! we headed back to the room so that the family swimwear extravaganza could begin. listen, i’m making up for 2020, ok!? Sonny took some convincing, but the kids were down to sport our suites from the jump🙌🏽.

can i tell you how many times we were stopped!? i know Sonny secretly loved it😉.

Savannah Springs is where we spent most of our time when outside. there were water slides, water basketball, and swings for the little bitty babies. safety first; Kalahari provides free floaty vests for your littles as well as free towels (that you must return to the specific area you retrieved yours from).

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after the outdoor pool area closed, we headed inside for some rides.

get you some matching family swimwear! i also get bows and turbans for baby Nosi from the same place.

tubing with my twin! we are so similar. going up the stairs to ride the tube rides, we were both silent and became more and more nervous the higher we climbed. after that initial ride though, we were immediately relieved, giggling again, and ready to confidently ride ALL the rides… so we did!

this man right here, on the other hand, knows no fear. he chose the darkest, scariest ride he could find and told us nonchalantly, “i’ll be right back”. seconds later he’s torpedoing out of the tube into 9 feet of water below and hopping out like it’s no big deal. the Dungeons of Hout Bay tubing rides are directly above the adult-only Grotto! you must be 21 yrs. or older to enter and hubs and I will have to try it out on our next trip.

we headed back to our room to relax and hang out with my mom and Nosi. the kids were still wired by up by midnight, so I had to go and officially tell Dego happy birthday! Kosi & Chiso even sang him the sweetest birthday song (hear it in the Instagram highlight).

i’m always the last one to go to sleep these days😳.

happy 7th birthday, Odego!!! we sang, presented him with a few gifts, then headed downstairs to eat some birthday pie at Sorntino’s Pizzeria.

their bacon and cheese pizza earned 5 stars according to the boys, Sonny, and my mom. back outside we went!

birthday flex!

Granny & Nosi had some fun in the sun and someone even sprouted 2 teef!! I didn’t notice them until i was pushing her in the swing! gaaaaaah, time slow all the way down.

if your little one is not walking yet, i would recommend bringing a wagon (or at least a small fold up stroller or a baby wearing carrier but even that becomes a hassle taking it on and off). i saw a dad pulling his little one through the arcade in a radio flyer wagon and thought it was genius.

we’re back and in blue 💙

for Dego’s birthday we enjoyed a very full day of swimming indoors, outdoors, and the arcade.

Dego received a very special birthday zoom call from his uncle Thew before bed💙.

definitely fronting😜. i didn’t plan on working out but just wanted to go check out the gym for you guys really. y’all know i typically do workout on vaca but i just wanted to sleep in and actually rest! honestly with all the walking and swimming we did, i felt like i was already working out daily anyway.

the gym is BANANAS. it’s located on the first floor and you can take the elevators or the stairs down as if you were heading to the beautiful Baobab Social Lounge. so if you see those cool/scary looking gargoyle bells on your right then you’re going the right way.

i mean, the variety is unmatched; very impressive! so much so that I got me a little 13 min workout in, took these pics, and bounced😆. slam balls, box jumps, resistance machines, bands, kettle bells, squat rack, cardio machines…. well done, Kalahari.

we spent a good while in the wave pool listening to music and watching music videos! that screen is huge, right?! if you’re under 42” you must wear a life vest or floaty in the wave pool.

the kids wanted to LIVE at Kalahari and i don’t blame them!

checkout is at 11a but i wanted to share a tip with you guys passed on to us from friends visiting Kalahari the same time we did. go ahead and pack up all your things, check out on time (they come around to check and make sure), then ask the front desk to hold your bags (or go ahead and load up your items in your vehicle but at your own discretion of course.) then go back and play some more because your wrist band is active for the remainder of the day (except for room access of course). we did just that and stayed until 3ish on Friday afternoon.

ok guys, just one more outside shot🙌🏽.

for first timers, i would definitely recommend staying at least 2 whole days. you’ve gotta get there and get familiar with where things are, then you’ve got to actually go do and experience those things! i totally wanted to stay a 4th day but Hubs had to get home and handle some business. soooo that just means we’ll have to come back, no biggie😉.

oh and remember i mentioned Hat Creek Burgers earlier? it’s almost directly across the highway from Kalahari and we hit them up before heading back home to houston. we have Hat Creek in Katy and we love eating there. mom got a chicken salad, Sonny and Chiso got cheese burgers, Kosi and Dego got chicken “flashers” (tenders) and i enjoyed a cheese-less turkey burger.