Valerie had done a bunch of searching to get us into a Luau that wasn’t going to break the bank with 3 kids in tow. We had it on good authority that the Old Lahina Luau was the best, most authentic. But, at $250 for the adults and 1 child, it was a bit steep; especially since there would be no seats for the twins. It just wasn’t the one for us.
Instead, we went for the Royal Lahina (Resort) Luau. We found a deal through Hawaii Activity World that offered “front-row” seating for $62/adult, and kids 5 and under are free. With an oceanside location, “free” open bar, and fire dancers, it sounded like a good find.
Luau time!
NIKON D200, ISO 200, ƒ/2.8, 1/1600sec, 29mm focal L. ~15mi from prev photomap
The tickets said to show up early since the seating selection was first-come, first served. What we didn’t realize was “check-in” meant standing in line before they started seating. We spent nearly a half hour corralling small, restless children. The twins made great pre-show entertainment for the crowd as they toddled around and carelessly attempted to find trouble wherever they could. The term “herding cats” comes to mind. Had we known we’d be standing around, we’d have put the toddlers in strollers.
They finally began to let people in and proceeded to take group photos and seating the guests. This is when we learned what “front-row” seating meant: there are 2 rows of ~24′ tables, one close to the stage, and one farther away. With our troop of kids, the host decided to seat us at the far end of the “front row”, even though we were near the beginning of the seating line and could have been seated next to the stage. I was miffed at first, but, in hindsight it worked out great since they brought out 2 highchairs and we put them at table’s end in the isle. Also, I think the fire dancers may have been too scary had we been next to the stage.
A mini Mai Tai for Mini Maia — relax, it’s guava juice.
NIKON D200, ISO 200, ƒ/2.8, 1/1000sec, 42mm focal L., map
Promptly after being seated, the beverages were flowing. Mai Tai’s for the adults and juice for the kids. After drinking 2 Mai Tais, I was certain that any booze content was purely accidental due to wild yeast fermenting the sugars in juice. Getting the beer would have been a better bet.
No duck on the menu tonight — Doesn’t seem to bother Stella.
NIKON D200, ISO 200, ƒ/2.8, 1/1250sec, 28mm focal L., map
They ceremoniously showed off a pig in a pit, but, the reality is that none of the patrons ate this particular pig since the food came out very shortly after this photo was taken.
The main course — but, not the pig we really ate.
NIKON D200, ISO 100, ƒ/2.8, 1/200sec, 55mm focal L., map
We decided to fork over the $15 for a carved out pineapple filled with (actual) boozy goodness. It was quite yummy and well worth the price since it came with free refills for the duration.
Forget about the “free” drinks — they didn’t forget to booze up the pineapple!
NIKON D200, ISO 100, ƒ/13.0, 1/15sec, 27mm focal L., map
They even had milk for the kiddos and we were able to refill their sippy cups.
Unfortunately, the food was rather rather disappointing. The Kalua Pig was flavorful, but dry. The Lomi Lomi Salmon was mostly tomato and not enough salmon. They served plain white dinner rolls instead of Poi bread, or something more authentic. There was sufficient variety that I didn’t go hungry after trying most of it, but, I didn’t go back for seconds of anything.
The array of beverages
NIKON D200, ISO 100, ƒ/5.0, 1/180sec, 24mm focal L., map
The program starts with a brief intro to what hula is, and they invite anyone interested up on stage to learn.
Let’s all learn the hula
NIKON D200, ISO 100, ƒ/5.0, 1/50sec, 52mm focal L., map
And, remember, if you are bringing your small children — it’s best to schedule a luau for an evening well after the kids have had time to adjust to the timezone. We went on the first full day on the island, and the kids were very much still on mainland time. This was after 9 PM at home and the over-tired grumpies were kicking into high gear.
Jet lag + late night = cranky, tired kiddos
NIKON D200, ISO 100, ƒ/3.2, 1/400sec, 38mm focal L., map
Around 7:00 the main event got started. The Royal Lahina Luau is all about the origin and variations of the Luau dance, starting with the Tahitian traditions.
The show gets started
NIKON D200, ISO 800, ƒ/3.2, 1/60sec, 70mm focal L., map
They have 2 stages. 3 year-old Maia was very much impressed by the “Ocean Stage”.
Sundown over the “Ocean Stage”
NIKON D200, ISO 800, ƒ/2.8, 1/160sec, 70mm focal L., map
Twilight over the “Ocean Stage”
NIKON D200, ISO 800, ƒ/2.8, 1/5sec, 70mm focal L., map
After variations of Polynesian themes, they brought us across the Pacific to the Hollywood idealization of Luau.
Hollywood hula — One of the many themes they progressed through.
NIKON D200, ISO 800, ƒ/2.8, 1/90sec, 70mm focal L., map
The fire dance drew the crowd in with few exceptions.
The fire dance finale
NIKON D200, ISO 800, ƒ/3.2, 1/45sec, 70mm focal L., map
It was quite the impressive display to be able twirl the fire “knife” with such skill. On a couple of occasions, he was burned to some degree or another on his leg as he itched it between maneuvers when he had a free hand; tattoos don’t make for good fire protection.
Going down, down, down, into a burning ring of fire
NIKON D200, ISO 800, ƒ/7.1, 1/6sec, 70mm focal L., map
NIKON D200, ISO 800, ƒ/5.0, 1/160sec, 70mm focal L., map
The grand finale had many dancers twirling fire on all the stages.
NIKON D200, ISO 800, ƒ/2.8, 1/15sec, 70mm focal L., map
3 year-old Maia was practicing the hula for the rest of the trip and talked about the show on numerous occasions. The food was the lowlight of the evening, but, given the relative pricing compared to other luaus, it wasn’t entirely out of line. We all walked away with smiles after the show, so, the entertainment made up for any negatives earlier in the program.
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