Safari-Themed Hotel with Massive Indoor Water Park

Halfway around the world from southern Africa’s Kalahari Desert, Kalahari Resorts- Wisconsin Dells pays homage to its scenic namesake with intricate safari decor. Kalahari Resorts’ staff members travel to Africa each year and bring back authentic artifacts to display throughout the hotel, such as hand-carved furniture, sculptures, and paintings. The lobby resembles a rustic village complete with kiosks disguised as thatched-roof huts and a watering-hole fountain with nearby statues of hippos, elephants, and flamingoes. The safari motif combined with the temperature-controlled comfort of its indoor water park—Wisconsin’s largest at 125,000 square feet—makes Kalahari Resorts the ideal base for a Wisconsin Dells getaway.

Water-park admission is included with your stay, so you can play all day in the wave pool, zip down the Victoria Falls family raft ride, recline on the lazy river, and hang ten on the FlowRider surf ride. After spending some time at the water park, check out the indoor theme park with a six-story ferris wheel, go-karts, a climbing wall, 24 bowling lanes, and mini golf. The resort has several onsite restaurants, so guests have the option of sampling Caribbean-style cuisine at Kahunaville Restaurant & Bar or choosing cocktails at Ivory Coast Restaurant & Lounge. Beyond the parks, Kalahari boasts the award-winning 27-hole Trappers Turn Golf Club.

Wisconsin Dells: Picturesque Dells and Family Entertainment

Before the Dells became synonymous with water parks and amusement rides, the midwestern destination's claim to fame was its scenery. Visitors in the mid 1940s came to see the craggy rock formations that frame both sides of the Wisconsin River. Today, the bluffs—or dells—are still visible from the downtown area, which is rife with kitschy attractions, from mini-golf courses to go-kart tracks.

Along the river, you’ll find antique stores, candy shops, and a Bavarian-themed village. At a handful of German restaurants, diners can polish off bites of schnitzel with pints of lager as musicians play glockenspiel. For a cultural side trip, the H.H. Bennett Studio museum recounts the history of the Dells through the life of the 19th-century landscape photographer whose work originally attracted tourists to the area.

Just down the road in the town of Baraboo, Victorian buildings and quaint shops lie on the outskirts of Devil's Lake State Park, a picturesque spot for rock climbing on the 500-foot bluffs.

Read the Fine Print for important info on travel dates and other restrictions.