Maui and Oahu
Hawaiian Islands
Hawaiian Luau
You can't leave Hawaii without experiencing at least one Luau. While it is becoming more and more difficult to find an authentic Luau, it's quite easy to find a luau that will stuff you and put on a show of Hawaiian and Polynesian dances (including a fire show).
Luaus typically include a large all-you-can eat buffet dinner with a limited bar accompanied by various stage acts. We like to think of them as dinner shows. Prices generally reflect the quality of the food and service and not the authenticity or (necessarily) the quality of the show.
Recommended
The Old Lahaina Luau is widely considered the best Luau in Maui, and with good reason. A multi-time winner of "best Luau in Maui," this Luau has superb food with a beautiful atmosphere. In addition to the traditional pork, the Old Lahaina Luau offers baked mahi mahi, steak, chicken, crab salad, poi, and a plethora of other options. We HIGHLY recommend that you book this Luau early because "seating is pre-assigned and prioritized by date and time a reservation is confirmed." Search online because you can book this Luau online.
Not Recommended
Most recently we attended the Marriott Luau in Kaanapali (1-800-745-6997). The food was decent and the alcohol in the bar flowed freely (though it was not a full bar, there was a fine selection of beer and tropical drinks, many rum-based, with friendly bartenders who were eager to please). The show had it's highs and lows.
Our largest complaint was the CONSTANT selling of items from their gift shop (tables set up in the back of the Luau). This happened regularly from the stage, as part of the Luau show. Most offensive was a "fashion show" of sarongs--after each fold we were reminded that sarongs were for sale in the back of the show. In fact, this killed the mood so badly that we would recommend that you pick a different Luau.
Discount Tips: If you're really on a budget, the BEST discounts are available for the cost of a little time--if you sit through a timeshare presentation (generally they're 1.5-2 hours long). For your time, you can get discounts of up to 90%...
For more straightforward discounts of ~10%, we HIGHLY recommend Tom Barefoot Discount Hawaii tours. When we found Tom Barefoot, we cancelled our direct booking with our snorkeling and Luau and booked the EXACT same thing with the the same company through Tom Barefoot for 10% less. No gimmicks, no catches.
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