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Maui Luaus And Shows
Stay & Play Maui
Experience a true Hawaiian feast during a luau in Maui.
Maui Luaus And Shows
Which Maui Luau to Choose?
This is everyone's big question. Here is a listing of the luau options. Many are offered at discount pricing and all of them come with Maui Luau Reviews from our previous guests over the years.
Lahaina Luau
- Old Lahaina Luau. This is perhaps the most famous in Hawaii. The Old Lahaina offers a traditional oceanfront presentation exclusively dealing with the culture of old Hawaii. Other cultures of the South Pacific are not represented. This show is so good and so famous that at peak times of year it is booked 45 days in advance. Seating is reserved.
- The Feast at Lele. This oceanfront show is perhaps the most personalized in Hawaii. Instead of a buffet, they offer table service which includes about five different courses which are presented in tapa plate fashion and each course represents the offerings of a particular culture of the Pacific islands such as Samoa, Tahiti, Hawaii, New Zealand and Fiji. Exotic drinks such as a Lava Flow or Pena Colada are also brought to you personally at your table. Seating is reserved.
Kaanapali Luaus
- Hyatt. This show is presented for you at the special gardens located right on the grounds of the Hyatt Maui. This professional presentation includes all the traditional foods at an extensive buffet. Not only is the Hawaiian culture represented but also the other cultures of the Pacific Rim as well. During busy seasons this show often books out for days in advance.
- Sheraton. This show is held on the expansive oceanfront lawn adjacent to the Black Rock right on Kaanapali Beach with a beautiful view of the sunset. The torchlight ceremony at the Black Rock is a major highlight. The show features a medley of South Pacific cultures on stage and is culminated with the Samoan Fire Knife dance.
- Royal Lahaina. One of the longest running on the island this show is found on the grounds of the Royal Lahaina Resort. It runs every evening and is great for children as it even has a child's menu and there are also special children's pricing which allows children of a certain age to attend free of charge with a paying adult.
- Westin Wailele. Located right on Kaanapali Beach this is one of the smaller sized and personalized shows in the state. This production is well known for its multiple fire dancers and both regular and premium seats are offered. With the premium you are seated in the first rows next to the stage.
Wailea Luaus
- Grand Luau and Honua'ula. Located on the beautiful grounds of the Grand Wailea Resort you will have great views of the sunset. An excellent show includes the fire-knife dance. Seating assignments are issued at time of booking so waiting in a long line is not required.
- Wailea Marriott Te Au Moana. Te Au Moana translates into 'ocean tide' and the ocean is just feet away as the sunset and ocean waves play a big part in the theme of this production. Cultural pre-show activities and a fresh flower lei are presented upon your arrival and the talented performers of the world famous Tihati Productions provide and excellent show culminating with the fire-knife dance.
Maui Luau Reviews
These luaus may be the best in Hawaii and you can judge for yourself which ones are the very best by reading our Maui Luau Reviews. Tom Barefoot's Tours has collected all the reviews from our clients for years and you can see all the ratings and comments to be able to assist you with a choice. Make your best choice of a Kaanapali, Wailea or Lahaina Luau.
Popularity of these shows
One indication of the excellence of these luaus may be the popularity of many of these shows. Depending upon the time of year, and the specific one you choose, they may be booked for over a month or even longer. If you book early you may get a great seat near the stage. If you book late you may be near the back, or not be able to attend the show at all. Tom Barefoot's Tours offers a discount however on many of your options. Make sure you book well in advance!
What can you expect to see on your special Hawaiian evening?
All the luaus on Maui will vary from one to another but there are certain aspects of each that are essentially universal:
Imu Ceremony
This is the first event to be held and it sets the tone for the evening. For hours and hours before you arrive a pig has been steaming underground in a Hawaiian oven called an 'imu' where hot rocks liquefy the banana stalks that create a steam that renders the 'kalua pork' so tender that it simply drops off the bone.You will have tons of food!
The majority of shows will offer a buffet that will almost always include Hawaiian favorites like: kulua pork, lomi lomi salmon, chicken long rice, haupia and poi but don't expect all the food to be so exotic that you might have trouble finding something you like (or something your kids will eat). Far from it. There are always so many delicious options that everyone can get their fill, and then some. Also, some shows will have an option where you will be served directly at your table by wait staff but this is somewhat out of the norm.
Cocktails, MaiTai's and Bar Drinks are available.
Yes, libations will be flowing. You will certainly have your choice of mixed bar drinks, beer and wine but in many cases you will be able to order more exotic fare like Lava Flows, a Blue Hawaii a Pina Colada or a Chi Chi. For non-drinkers there are also plenty of virgin cocktail varieties, mixers and fruit drinks.
Entertainment
The entertainment is what makes a luau so very special. Music, dancing and chants will probably provide a background ambiance from the minute you walk onto the grounds but the real magic will happen after your dinner is over, the lights dim and the spotlights focus on the first exotic hula girl of the evening. Every show is different but you are likely to see Samoan fire knife dances, warrior dancers from New Zealand, exotically enticing South Pacific men and women dancers and amazing music mastery of the first order. The sound of the drums, the glow of the 'tiki' torches in the gentle evening breeze and the the colorful pageantry of the occasion will create a night to remember.
Preferred or Regular Seating
Premier seating is generally available so you can sit close to the stage.
Do you want a Luau that deals exclusively with the culture of Hawaii, or do you want one that involves the various cultures of the Pacific Rim?
Although all the peoples of Polynesia stem from the same island roots in the South Pacific far below the equator, they long ago have populated the various island groups throughout the Pacific and have developed their own individual cultures, history and traditions. Most of the options in Maui will provide a medley of these various cultures as presented through song and dance but you can also find those, like the Lahaina Luau, that exclusively deal with the culture, dance, chants and customs unique to old Hawaii.
Pride of America Cruise Ship:
Luaus on Maui will not pick up at the cruise boat pier but these shows can be reached via a Rent-A-Car that can be arranged through Tom Barefoot's Tours and you can be picked up by the Rent-A-Car shuttles right at the cruise ship dock. The majority of these are available on the Sunday evening of your Maui cruise itinerary.
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Science and Hawaiian Culture Lock Horns on the Big Island Hawaii's Largest Selection of Activities On Hawaii's Big Island protests by Native Hawaiians have flared for years against the construction of an 18-story telescope atop the volcano Mauna Kea. In a sense these protests have roots in the creation story told from one generation of Native Hawaiians to the next: Wakeia, the union of Sky Father, and Papahānaumoku (Papa, for short) and the Earth Mother gave birth to the Hawaiian islands with its highest summit, Mauna Kea, as its piko or navel. Some Native Hawaiians consider Mauna Kea to be their living elder sibling. Mauna Kea’s summit is believed to be where the gods reside. Some families still place umbilical cords on the summit after childbirth because of a living connection to their ancestry tradition. The conflict between Native Hawaiians, scientists, government and its legal system over construction of The Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) is very complex, involving issues of indigenous rights, sovereignty and environmental stewardship. The TMT is not the first such project to break ground on Mauna Kea. Rather, over the course of 50 years, thirteen telescopes have preceded it, ever since Hawaii and the University of Hawaii foresaw the possibilities of an astronomy boon for the economy. For scientists, Mauna Kea’s summit is an ideal site in the northern hemisphere, even the world, for astronomy and its quest to find signs of extraterrestrial life. The Hubble space telescope can see objects 200 times sharper than Galileo’s telescope. The TMT will be able to see objects three times sharper than the Hubble: planets orbiting stars, details of the galaxy at the beginning of time. Understandably this is all very exciting for scientists, but even current astronomy facilities already threaten Mauna Kea's fragile ecosystem and have destroyed habitats for native species. The summits of both Mauna Kea and Haleakalā are home to unique ecosystems and rare and endangered species, many of which are found nowhere else on our planet. These summits are themselves part of the larger ecosystem of the entire Big Island. And each of these volcanoes is part of a complex and uniquely Hawaiian eco-cultural system involving freshwater, land, plants, animals, ocean, and people. Managed today by the state of Hawaii and the University of Hawaii, Native Hawaiians have never relinquished their claims to either Mauna Kea or Hawaii’s almost 2 million acres of land. No surprise, therefore, that TMT has resulted in Native Hawaiians mobilizing around aloha 'aina, their core philosophy that translates into deep love of the land and guides the relationship of Hawaiians to Mauna Kea and the rest of Hawaii’s environment. Guided by aloha ‘aina, protesters refer to themselves as “protectors” making a stand for their native land and Hawaiian culture. They view TMT as an act of cultural desecration that also is detrimental to the ecosystem. Protests that began locally have gone global, especially after the Supreme Court of Hawaii validated TMT’s construction permit a year ago. Adding to the complexity of the conflict, polling has consistently shown that a majority of Hawaii voters support the construction of the telescope by a margin of more than 2-to-1. Polls even have shown that a majority of Native Hawaiian support the TMT project. So what really is at stake? How should visitors to Hawaii interpret the conflict between Native Hawaiians and most of Hawaii’s population? Is this just a case of native beliefs versus modern science or is something more fundamental in play? For those of us who help visitors find their way to and experience Mauna Kea, this great mountain symbolizes the conflict between different ways of knowing and experiencing the world. For many Native Hawaiians and other indigenous peoples elsewhere, sacredness means much more than merely a concept. It is a lived experience of oneness and connectedness with both natural and spiritual worlds. Native Hawaiians are not protesting science. They are embracing some of the same core values that attract visitors to Hawaii. Visitors are attracted to the Hawaii because it lies far out in the middle of the Pacific and far off the beaten path. Yes, the atmosphere is much cleaner and mountains like Mauna Kea are the best places on the planet for astronomical observatories. But since climate change and other mounting environmental issues are pushing more and more people to view our planet’s environment as challenged and even in jeopardy, increasing numbers of non-indigenous peoples are coming to places like Hawaii in search of a genuine respite and, at the same time, are truly respectful of the need for stewardship for our planet and its special places like Hawaii.
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