Huaka'i Luau- Journey Through Polynesia - Lahaina, Hawaii

Denise Bennett

Not a traditional luau. This is held after hours at the aquarium restaurant. There are VIP tickets sold that half of our group purchased but they had worse tables and received nothing different than or group of 9. Food was fair but small portions and served on cardboard plates. No seconds if you were still hungry! Official advertised time for the start to serve dinner was 17:45 and at 17:59 the food was gone. Drinks were poor, several of us never got our second included drink because it was too difficult to make it over to the bar as the dancers were not just on the stage but on the walkway of the restaurant and who wants to be rude. It was too difficult to figure out when the dancers were coming out etc. there were only 2 toilets for the entire group of people so many people missed a lot due to waiting in long lines to access the two unisex bathrooms which accommodate only one person at a time. Lots of people missed the entire fire dance as we were herded outside for that at the end because of waiting to use the bathroom. The dancers were lovely but this was sad and I hope people didn’t think that this was a real luau. They should be shut down and give money back to all the VIP ticket people

Christoph Seeliger

Decided to take a chance on this one despite the reviews. It may not be a production of the scale that some of the hotels put together, but this one makes up for that with the people involved. All of the performers were local and related in some way, and we got the feeling that they really care about telling the story of the islands and the surrounding region. Food was good (vegetarian so can’t speak to the meats) and the performances were exciting and engaging. Two drinks included per person and seconds were encouraged. We even learned some hula! Would recommend supporting this up and coming luau production!

Cristin H

My 5 & 1 yr old loved it! We had the VIP package w/great seats. Very Hospitable and attentive staff, decent food, great music! I thought 2 hours was perfect. The indoor setting with an outdoor feel was wonderful! The backdrop was breathtaking and I appreciated being out of the elements but still able to feel the salty ocean air.

The only downer for me is that I honestly would have enjoyed it more & given it 5 stars had it not been so costly. When you pay $516 for 2 adults & a child, you too may find yourself scrutinizing everything for value rather than just kicking back & enjoying for 2 hours. In the end, I will say the event was lovely. I have no regrets booking because it was a good situation for my small children, but I would not feel confident in recommending to friends or family due to the cost & overall value involved when compared to other Luaus. FYI: for introverts or shy folks, you may find yourself feeling like a fish out of water for about 5 minutes when they ask lovers/couples to stand up for a dance together. We did not feel comfortable, but also did not feel pressured to join in if we chose not to.

I give it a solid 4 stars because it was lovely, met overall expectations for food and entertainment, and had my kids clapping along with big smiles the entire time.

Bob Richards

Our family absolutely loved this luau! The food was great, the servers and even bartenders were very friendly, and the music and dancing are superb! Seriously, the gentlemen playing ukulele and bass and singing were absolute top-notch musicians, and this coming from a musician. The hula dancers did a beautiful job, as well. Best of all is the family feel - many members of the show are part of one very talented family, and they treat you like ohana. We loved the setting too, since completely outdoors would have been disastrous on this windy night, but the open-air restaurant allowed fresh air in while also offering shelter from the elements. We highly recommend and would do it again.

Jake Kettler

This was a wonderful experience! We were a little nervous going in because of some of the reviews, but it was great! The food was tasty, and we had more than enough. The drinks were good. The best part was the show! The wonderfully talented dancers, singers, musicians, lighting and MC made it a fantastic journey. There was also a discussion of family and the history of this specific luau (don’t want to give it away!) that made it all even better! I would highly recommend this event to anyone who asked.

Todd Jones

The dancers tried their best but cannot make up for a completely wrong venue with almost no space to put on a show. Food was horrible and devoid of flavor compared to other luau's I have been to on Kauai and Oahu. Extremely limited selection of dishes and unfortunately servers seemed very unhappy. Would NOT recommend for such a high price. Save your pennies and go to the Hyatt or Andaz. You will have a much better experience.

claraakabella

What a rip off!! Got the VIP tickets with no real VIP service, I didn’t even get sitted first. The VIP ticket apparently includes tickets to the aquarium next door and a $100 dollar scam voucher for a hotel that you have 1 year to use. The only thing I received on arrival was some plastic flower for my hair. Food was mediocre and small portions. Not a real Luau and the show was horrible. Multiple small “stages” and not just one main one. At one point they were teaching us how to dance! I didn’t come there for that! I came to get entertained. After this disappointment of a show I had to spend more money to attend another Luau because I felt cheated of my experience. Avoid this scam of a show/restaurant! Zero stars if I could.

Gary Winter

We had the misfortune of being one of the last tables to enter the food line. We were with a large party and had many children with us who were all bored out of their minds. After waiting for an hour and a half in the hot sun, with nothing but uninspired hula dancing to entertain us, we were treated to a messy buffet line with greasy, sticky serving utensils and many of the more popular dishes being gone. The food that was available was ok, but nothing worth a 90 minute wait. The "show" was amateurish and most of the dancers seemed as though they really didn't want to be there. I have been to many luaus and this one ranks at the bottom for me. I wouldn't pay $20 for this let alone over $100.