Luau Kalamaku

While vacationing with my boyfriend and his mom and stepdad, we were treated to a luau on our last night. Having gone to a luau last year on Oahu, my expectations were very low. I ended up being throughly impressed by luau kalamaku!
From the moment we were greeted, I knew the experience was going to be different. All the women received fresh flower leis and the men received shell leis, group photos were taken, and we were escorted to our table. There was so much activity around us! There were vendors outside so that people could shop while waiting for the festivities to start, hawaiian games out on the lawn, and hula lessons were being given on stage. The bars were open and serving drinks and that’s when I found out it was an open bar with all the mai tais, rum punch, and guava twists I could want!
The food was pretty good and there seemed to be a good variety of dishes. There were a couple dishes that were far to salty for me, but the rest was tasty. The staff did a great job directing and moving people through the lines. I didn’t have to wait long at all to get my food!
After dinner, the lights were turned down and the show started. It was a little bit like a cirque de soleil show. Lots of theatrics but minus all the acrobatics. It told the story of the journey from Tahiti to Hawaii and building a new life on a new land. The show and the dancing were beautiful!

The performers here were amazing! All so beautiful and skilled. They really brought the story that they were telling to life. The open bar before hand was great too! The overall atmosphere was really nice. My only qualm with the whole night was the food. The fish and the pork were so salty we couldn’t even eat them and I’m not picky at all when it comes to food! Over all it was a great night :)

I’ve been to 3 luaus and this was by far the best. The dinner offered good vegan options (Salad+vinagrette, lots of fresh fruit, Thai curry and jasmine rice, and haupa for dessert). The show told the story of ancestral Hawaiian migration from Tahiti and the choreographed dancing was more like ballet or modern dance than traditional Hawaiian tribal dancing. Of course there was fire-​dancing too… My favorite part of the show was the fire-​dancing cat women…

This is a pretty meh experience. It caters to a very touristy crowd. A lot of cheese, so so food, and super low quality drinks. However the performers put in their all. The final performance is quite nice, and these kids are talented .The fire dancer steals the show.

A frankly wonderful evening in so many ways! Venue is large and the grounds are beautiful. There is a fun little train ride you can take when you arive. Lasts about 40 minutes and circles the plantation. When you walk in, you get your picture taken with a few of the performers, which you can purchase later if so inclined. An open bar, coffee, and tea are available straight away and the mixed drinks were pretty and strong. You have 90 minutes or so to mingle, settle, Check out the vendors (jewelry, clothing, crafted wood items, lotiins, fragrances, etc.) Then are ushered to your seats. Dinner is buffet style, all you can eat (chicken, fish, pork, tofu) and is very good with a good variety. I ate literally everything, for reals. My wife is vegetarian and she enjoyed dinner as well. The show was the best part, very beautiful live music, singing, excellent choreography. The fire dancers are amazing! I was thoroughly entertained. My wife was formerly a Tahitian dancer, so I’ve literally seen scores of luaus, and this was one of the best in terms of enthusiasm, variety, and entertainment. In short, I highly recommend this event.

Very good and very fun luau. Food was great, and the show was lively and engaging. We also enjoyed wandering the grounds before the show and meeting the various vendors there. My only concern was that for how much you pay, we felt like we were kinda far back and didn’t have a great view. You have to pay extra for premium seating, and I suspect the better seating makes a BIG difference. (Sadly, even the far back seats are overpriced.) If you don’t mind paying, definitely get the premium seats.

Even though the Luau is intended primarily for 1^st time tourists, we still try to include it in our nearly annual trip to one of the Hawaiian islands because of the festive ambience. The food has always been barely edible be it the Kailua pork, ahi tuna, or the lo mien. The shows are usually hokey with attempts @ comedy. However this is by far the best we have experienced in the past 2 decades encompassing 4 of the islands. The show has very good performers & a real theme unlike most of the competitors. The extra for the premium seating is worth the money. Be sure to visit the stands selling local products. The setting is also more natural compared to those held in hotel resorts.
Conclusion: If luau is must in your visit, this would be it.

Great Show to go with a great feast. Customer service came strong with the true aloha spirit. My wife and in laws sat in a reserved seating and they truly accommodated my father in law who is disabled and in a wheelchair. I will celebrate with this Hawaiian family again on my next visit. Well worth the price.

If you go to Hawaii, you have to go to a Luau.
That’s what I was always told, and so we did, and definitely are happy to have done so! This one in particular was recommended by some family members because it is theatrical and modern, but does a great job of explaining the history and culture of the Hawaiians. We have the same story to tell now, too.
We booked through our resort concierge, pricey but worth it. About $ 120/​person with discount, and we got priority seating by going through the concierge. When we checked in, we were guided to the dining room to claim our seats. After setting our stuff down we went and got a Mai tai from the bar and explored the grounds. They had venders set up out back — one was Kauai Nit Roasters, so we sampled and tried some. A nice transition to fill the time until the show started. I almost forgot, when you first come in they take your picture with luau performers and then one of just your party — can purchase afterwards.
Unlimited drinks from the bar, yay. I thought the food selection was excellent and provided a variety of Hawaiian favorites to enjoy. The Kalua pork was very salty, but it was my first time so I didn’t have any comparators. Of course there was Poi, which toned down the salt when added to the pork. My plate was heaping… Hah. And they called for seconds! I will say I remember the fish being pitiful, but the pork was great to me. (Before the dinner starts they’ll call out and give you the opportunity to see the pig get lifted from the earthen oven).
The show was spectacular — a great history lesson in fun form. Very skilled dancers and narration. You can tell they have their stuff together. Before the actual performance they did a fun dance period where the audience could hula with the hula girls. After it was all finished we were full, entertained and ready to come back again (at least I was haha). We really felt like we experienced Hawaii once our luau was complete.

Drinks were plentiful and good. Food was plentiful and average. Show was very cool and impressive.
It rained heavily the day we were there and some of the tables actually flooded! Not a big deal (more entertaining than anything) but if this is frequent, the staff should look into the irrigation system!
Overall, a pleasant evening and good value for a luau on Kauai.

The food was horrible we couldn’t even eat it. At 100 $ a person tickets we should of had at least mediocre food. The story and acting were very corny. I imagined a luau outside With fire pits, traditional dancing. This was more of a cafeteria style. It was indoors, and I felt the story line was boring and more for children. The bar tender was not very friendly. The best part of the luau was the lei we received when we entered. Overpriced, bad food and Poor entertainment. I did like that they took your pics as soon as you came in with a professional camera and gave you the option to buy them at the end.

Show is amazing, food is mediocre, free unlimited drinks (you can only get one at time). Each round table fits 10 people, when we went there was about 600 people. There are 2 bars and 2 lines for the food. Their show is Tuesday and Friday’s only.

What a wonderful place to watch a Luau. The people and the meal — awesome!
You can spend time taking the train tour before the luau. Shopping for coffee beans, tshirts, local designers I just loved having il under one roof!
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We went with a big group of family on a Friday night (they only do Tues and Fri productions). It was a full house (they said there were 700 guests that night). Despite the fact that it is a BIG group and production overall, we never felt like we were being herded like tourist cattle. Everything from check in, photo-​op, pre drinks, dinner and so on was very well organized. The space is very open and laid out well so there is never any congestion to speak of. The lines to the bar were relatively short as well.
The food buffet didn’t have a huge selection, but everything there had very good flavor. Nothing was dry or tasteless. They also bring to the table a bowl of very fresh salad with dressings, as well as fresh bread, cut pineapple, coconut chips, etc. All which were a nice touch.
I have to say that even at $ 100+pp for adults, that it was a good value: the ladies get fresh orchid leis, the open (albeit limited) bar, the buffet, live music and entertainment (which was very well done), and so on. Especially if you have kids, I’d say go for it!
The vendors set up outside before dinner were definitely a bit overpriced, but have interesting (although I don’t believe all really local) items. Several in our group got henna tattoos while there and enjoyed that very much.

I attend the luau on a Tuesday. I have to say I really enjoyed the show. We got pretty good seats and I didn’t pay the extra$ 20 dollars per person to get front row seats. There was one table in front of us. I purchased my tickets on Hawaii

The food was pretty good. It’s a buffet and open bar. They also take group picture 2 8×10 for $ 25. I went with kids so I only did luau. And went back to do the train ride another day.

First, the cast and staff were amazing. Very authentic and truly invested in their craft and sharing their art and story. That part was 1000% authentic. The drinks and food are certainly aplenty as well. The loss of two stars is because of the feel of the space… much more Vegas show room than down home island feel. Having not been to a luau in the better part of almost 3 decades my expectation may have been a little off. Amazing dance and cast, just a bit too sterile of an environment.

This luau is so wonderful. From the moment they pick u up in nice buses to the beautiful property it’s on. I went with my husband and 3 year old daughter and she was so into it. We were greeted by the sound of drums. When we got closer they let my daughter join in and hit the drums. Go early. U do have assigned tables but the seats are first come basses. They have an open bar till the show starts if that’s what ur into… the show its self is so good. I left wanting to know more about the culture.
I love that the performers come back out after to take pictures with them. Everyone is so nice. I can’t wait to go back. I recommend going. …

So fun! We got the plantation owners evening for extra. We started at gaylord’s (separate review), then we went to the luau guided by torch men. We got front of the row seating that was reserved.
The show was a story of how a daughter had to deal with her love and father going to the new land (the shores of Kauai) and then later journeying over.
The show was filled with fire and our seats were right next to them so it was scary, but fun. During the main fire show, the stage had nets around it to protect you but during the end, they were right in the aisles which was fun.
Over all it was an amazing luau dinner and show!

We attended the luau as part of a shore excursion package from M/​S Pride of America, that also included a three-​mile docent-​narrated spin around the plantation grounds on the narrow-​gauge Kauai Plaintation Railway. (Most amusing feature: the train was paced by a herd of feral pigs, who had obvious expectations of being thrown food.)
The luau itself was in a large, barn-​like structure, with rather crowded tables The actual pig roast took place outside; while there was presumably a traditional imu ceremony as the pig was brought forth, the guests inside couldn’t see much of it.
Dinner included coupons for two drinks each; full bar, but of course featuring excellent Mai Tais and Blue Hawaiis.
Salad and bread were served at the table. Tables were then led, one at a time, to the buffet, which consisted of pretty typical tourist-​luau fare. Highlight was, of course, the tender, smoky pork, but there were also fish and chicken options, as well as a local specialty, poke fish, and a number of sides. Good selection of dessert pastry. Hawaiian may not be one of the world’s great cuisines, but the luau lived up to expectations and past experience with other similar operations.
After-​dinner entertainment included a very professional-​looking stage show, with an actual multi-​scene plot line.
Restrooms (in a separate building) appeared woefully inadequate for the size of the dining hall. The men’s room consisted of two urinals and one stall, this for a crowd of about 800 people (presumably about half of them male), mostly from the ship. Bus loading for return to the ship was rather slow and backed up.

A-​L-​O-​H-​A the time spent here was well spent, as was the price. The talent of an amazing & beautiful cast brought a legendary story to life. It’s well choreographed and the costume design is Vegas style. The round stage-​in-​the-​middle of the 1000-​seat– theatre makes every seat a good one. The story line is one of a father, remembering a time of struggle, recalling a decision and a journey to the new land.
The contemporary and not-​so-​traditional luau items were tastier, healthier, and more appetizing — Lomi Lomi with tofu; roasted chicken; and table-​set green salads. The desserts of banana-​crème-​pie; coconut cake; and rice pudding were all very good — according to the malahinis seated at my table of 10. The food & luau score a 10.
The open bar shuts once the show starts, serving only beer & wine from that time forward. One bartender, female dampened (Ms T) our group’s experience this night due to her over-​aggressive bouncer-​want-​to-​be behavior, nothing that supervisor Dante & Manager, Chris could not produce smiles. Lū’au Kalamakū is all about good-​times and an aloha-​feeling.
Oh yeah this kane, wanted a floral lei upon entering and not a cheap seashell one but was denied by staff but made right by Management. Gender shouldn’t dictate a greeting from a friend, especially a business, anywhere really? if it is a respectful regard — it should be the same-​for-​all or none-​at-​all. This is Hawaii.

I can’t compare to other luaus, as this is the only one I’ve attended. That said, we went because of our 4 year old daughter, who was thrilled. The whole thing felt a bit like a tourist trap, but I have to admit that it was well done. We went for the show only, which was definitely the way to go. Instead of $ 100+ per person we paid $ 40, which included dessert, open bar and the best seats in the house (they added seats to the front instead of putting us in the back, which is what we expected). I definitely recommend doing it this way! As for the show itself, the actors were talented, the show was well-​crafted and –executed, and the fire breathers alone were worth the price of admission. Recommended for anyone looking for a decent luau experience. The only reason I don’t give it 4 stars is because of the overall Disneyland-​type context.