Luaus on the Island of Maui

On my first trip to the island of Maui, I had the pleasure of attending two luaus, the first at the Royal Lahaina Resort and at the Marriott in Lahaina on Kaanapali Beach. Normally the luaus run from 5:00-8:00 p.m. However, there are usually long lines to get in, so it was 5:30-8:30 p.m. I would suggest arriving prior to 5:00 p.m. When I visited the Royal Lahaina, the parking was free with validation when you present your voucher. As for the Marriott, the will charge was $2.00 for 4 hours.

When entering the Royal Lahaina, the dances give you a shell lei (necklace). Then the hosts tell you to take a look at the handmade items, including jewelry, tikis, fresh flower leis and walking sticks). Afterwards, you will have a picture taken with two of the dancers, to view and purchase later on. The seating was first come, first served, with plenty of seats to go around.

Everyone received a shell lei at the Marriott, but the handmade items were not available until later in the presentation during the Hawaiian games. When you took your picture (minus the dancers), you were given a lei to wear temporarily. A dancer escorted you dining party to a seating area. If you get there early, you may be able to sit next to the bar, which we happily took full advantage of.

At the bar, the following drinks were unlimited: soda, punch, Mai Tai and Blue Hawaii's in a plastic cup. A special drink at the Royal Lahaina was available at a cost. However, the drink was presented in a special holder (most likely a pineapple), with free refills. The Marriott's had an open bar, providing frozen pina coladas.

At the time I visited, the Royal Lahaina's host looked like a Hawaiian Robert Goulet. Marriott's host reminded me of Don Ho (of "Tiny Bubble" fame). Each gave their introductions to the luau and emphasized the beauty of the island of Maui. During the luaus, the hosts would ask who was celebrating an anniversary and what year. There was a couple who was celebrating their 50th at the Marriott. The tribute to the couple was playing the "Hawaii 5-0" theme as their song.

As we all know, we go to a luau for the food. The food was served buffet-style so you could go back for seconds or thirds, etc. The hosts invited guests to watch the roasted kalua pig when it was brought up from the underground oven or "imu". The pig normally cooks all day prior to the dinner. Once the food is ready, everyone was asked to wait patiently until your table is called. The Royal Lahaina had wooden plates with large sections to pile your food. Marriott's plates were china; but not as large enough to pile on a lot of food. Luckily, with a buffet, you can always get more food.

The menu was pretty similar in both locations:

Roasted Kalua Pig
Teriyaki Beef Steak
Polynesian Sweet & Sour Chicken
Mahi Mahi (Fish)
Fried Rice
Sweet Potatoes
Poi
Fruit (Papapa & Pineapple)
Salad (Green and Macaroni)
Salmon
Poi Rolls (like dinner rolls, but with a purple or pink color inside)
Dessert (Coconut or Chocolate Cake and Haupia)

Once everyone was fed, each host introduced the different types of hulas as performed by dancers. The Maui sunset was absolutely beautiful and a great time to take pictures. Guests were brought up on stage to learn the hula at the Royal Lahaina and were more entertaining for me to watch. The ladies were graceful when performing the hula. They used their arms and body to tell a story. The Polynesian men entertained the crowds by stomping, clapping and singing. The high-energy grand finale was the fire dancing. The Royal Lahaina had one dancer while there were three at the Marriott.

If you have the opportunity to go to the Hawaiian Islands, a luau would be a great experience. Aloha.