Luau

My husband and I will be traveling to Kauai from 1/28/06 to 2/11/06 for his birthday. I have read about several different luau(s) Help!!!

Luau

Aloha! Well, like everything on tripadvisor, it%26#39;s subject to opinion. The Ultimate Kauai Revealed goes into pretty good detail about each one . . . so, get a copy of that if you don%26#39;t already have one. I went to the Smith Luau and loved it. I have since been to a luau on Maui, but really enjoyed the Smith luau better - just seemed more down home - rather than being entertained, I felt like the dancers were having as much fun performing as we were watching, if that makes sense. Hope that helps a bit and a few more folks jump on w/their opinion. Good luck and I hope your husband has a Happy Birthday - I turned 40 on Kauai and it was wonderful! :)

Luau

Coal, did you go to OLL on Maui? What did you like about the Smith%26#39;s luau?

I just turned 49 in CT. It was less than wonderful.

pzp: Nope, didn%26#39;t do the OLL, though that sounds good and so does the Feast of Lele. We were meeting friends and they thought the Hyatt would be fine. It was a nice evening -good food, good dancing, but I guess the difference seems to me like the differences btw Kauai %26amp; Maui. At the Smith%26#39;s, we got to see everything - the lovely grounds, watching them remove the pig from the ground, the food, and the dancing. Nothing fancy - just more down home, and I guess that is what I feel, too, about the differences btw Maui and Kauai. Kauai just feels so homey - I felt the luau in Maui seemed more Hollywood like, whereas the Smith%26#39;s was just so easy going. Don%26#39;t know if that is making sense. While I really enjoyed my time on Maui, it wasn%26#39;t at all like Kauai - I didn%26#39;t want to go home after 16 days and can%26#39;t wait to get back.

Next birthday, you need to go somewhere special!! I even got a free upgrade on my car - I had reserved el cheapo econo, and for the same price, they gave me a sporty little 4 wheel drive. :) Never used the 4 wheel, but it was a nice treat. I didn%26#39;t realize the cost difference until I check on line - several hundreds of dollars more. :) Anyhow . . . I really enjoy your posts on the Kauai board - just thought I should mention that, too. Fun to visit Kauai in the winter, even if it%26#39;s only on this forum! Aloha! :)

I shouldn%26#39;t complain. We were just there in November and already have our spring trip booked. I%26#39;m just looking forward to the day when we can pick up and move.

How was the food at Smith%26#39;s? I keep thinking about trying the luau at Kilohana just to see if the food is better. I%26#39;ve done the one at what used to be the Coconut Coast resort. It was pretty touristy, weak drinks, OK food, but heck, it was free. (%26#39;Course we did have to sit through the timeshare presentation for Kaua%26#39;i Coast Resort.) It%26#39;s not like I need to see another commercial luau ever, but I%26#39;m always curious.

If you really enjoy the dancing, make an effort to get tix for the Merrie Monarch Festival on BI Easter week. Fantastic dancing!

yes, you are fortunate to enjoy Kauai so much - I hope to go again this summer, if all works out. The food reminds me of buffets everywhere - some great, some not so great and never quite worth the price you pay. The pork is just incredible and I enjoyed poi for the first time there - but nothing remarkable. There you go! :)

We went to the Smith%26#39;s luau, too, and loved it. I agree that the dancers seemed to be having fun. It seemed like they were quite young---still in high school---and they had lots of enthusiasm.

I thought the food was very good---but then I%26#39;m not too picky. The pork may have been the best I%26#39;ve ever had. I also enjoyed the mai tais very much.

THe grounds are beautiful. We got there early and did the free tram ride around the grounds and wandered around them on foot, too.

We did the Paradise Cove luau on Oahu, but it was a whole lot more structured and theatrical than Smith%26#39;s. Enjoyed it, too, but they were definately a lot different from each other. Smith%26#39;s makes you feel like you just attending a big party while Paradise Cove made you feel like you were attending a show.

We also had a very enjoyable evening at the Smith%26#39;s Luau.

It%26#39;s family run and felt very friendly. The food was great. There was loads of choice - my husband was in his element, and he%26#39;s a really fussy eater. The terriyaki (sp?) beef, ribs and shredded pork were yummy. There was lots left over and we were encouraged to go up to the buffet again and again.

We made the most of the free drinks - I had nine mai tai%26#39;s (I think... I did lose count after a while!), so I%26#39;m guessing that they must have been quite weak or maybe I picked up non-alcoholic ones by mistake!

The show was really classy - the entertainers look as though they%26#39;re enjoying the experience.

Hope this helps. U2fan

The mai tais do get watery after sitting out on the table in the warm air. The trick is to pick a glass from the BACK of the table. However, if you%26#39;re planning to have 9 drinks, you probably should drink the watered down ones!

I vote for Smith%26#39;s too. Best all around display of food and entertainment from all the cultures that contribute to the population of the early inhabitants of Hawaii

bumping info for theclash 10! :)