The majority of people who plan vacation activities in Hawaii add luau’s to their itinerary. We are a family who has lived on Oahu for 3 years and have taken many visitors to luaus. With that, we are going to give you our Hawaii luau review on the most popular one vs. the most authentic one on Oahu.
What is a luau?
In the event that you’ve never been to one, we will first explain what a luau is.
A luau is a representation of the history, livelihood and culture of the people of Hawaii, as well as the fellow Polynesian Islands. With attention to detail on the cultural dances and meals, luaus are entertainment presentations. As a result, everything from fire dancing to traditional hula dancing, teaching of Hawaiian words, and learning how popular dishes are cooked are included in these shows.
Although you’ll find most luau’s are worth the time, you need to know that they all offer something different. As we have attended the most popular luau on the island, as well as the most authentic, we will break them down for you and give you our preference.
Paradise Cove Luau Review: The Most Popular
What it entails:
Located on the shores of Ko Olina, Paradise Cove is the most popular luau on the island. Given that it sits on a large section of land, you’ll find it holds a few hundred people each night.
As you check-in, you’ll be greeted with a lei and a complimentary drink. At this point, you’ll be shown your assigned seats based on the ticket level you purchased. Once you have identified your assigned seat, you can then roam the grounds to participate in the activities provided.
For the most part, these are the activities provided at Paradise Cove:
-Spear throwing
-Hawaiian bowling
-Canoe rides
-Learning your Hawaiian name
-Photo opportunities
-Occasional displays of physical activies from the cast (i.e. climbing a coconut tree, showing how they open a coconut, etc.)
Once the show starts, you’ll then be brought your plate of food. The last 2 years we went, the buffet was closed. For this reason, we were served a plate of food (regardless of what we wanted or didn’t). As people were finishing their meals, trash was taken away and desserts were served.
The show consists of both kane and wahine hula dancers, as well as an MC. They take guests through the islands with different dances and costumes based on the location in the pacific. There is little audience participation, besides asking military, birthday, and honeymooners/anniversary guests to stand. The last 5-7 minutes consists of a fire thrower to conclude the show.
It’s entertaining and a fun experience for the most part. Our families have enjoyed it and our kids did too. Without a doubt though, there are both pros and cons to this popular luau.
Pros:
-The view is beautiful.
-The musicians and band are great.
-There are several cultural activities to partake in before the show starts.
-Tons of photo-op worthy spots.
-The show is entertaining.
Cons:
-Tons of people can attend this one.
-Not the most joyful/aloha staff.
-Mixed drink beverages taste very watered down.
-They nickel and dime for some activities.
-The buffet is non-operative.
-Gift shop has items you can purchase anywhere on the island.
-There is no accommodations to food allergies or food intolerances.
Mauka Warriors Luau Review: The Most Authentic
What it enails:
Sitting in the middle of the island, Mauka Warrior Luau shares it’s views with the Honolulu Country Club. It is the most authentic luau on the island, & truly intimate with its limited number of tickets.
Arriving in the parking lot, you may think you’re lost. Seeing the unpaved lots, as well as the tents with the check-in tables made us second guess our luau choice. However, after checking in, we were pleasantly surprised. We were greeted with leis and an immediate photo opportunity, complete with props and a cast member.
From there, we were free to wander the luau grounds, taking photos, soaking in the view, and participating in activities. As of our visit in December of 2023, these were the available activities at the Mauka Warrior Luau:
-Pu’ili (bamboo stick) music lesson
-Hula dancing on stage
-Pale making (coconut leaf headband)
-Tattoos drawn on free of charge
-Learning how they roast a pig
-Learning how they weave coconut leaf baskets
-Learning how they remove coconut meat from it’s shell
Before the show starts, you’ll be asked to take a seat by the MC and then released by table to the buffet where you can grab the food you want and skip what you don’t. After every table had been released to get food, they show started.
The show consisted of fire throwing, educational talks (that were very entertaining), and both kane and wahine hula dancers. This luau also takes guests through the islands with different dances and costumes based on the location in the pacific. There is a lot of audience participation though – everything from asking the audience to repeat Hawaiian words, to doing a whole luau music lesson (with clapping beats), to asking military, birthday, and honeymooners/anniversary guests to stand and be honored.
We were so glad we changed it up and decided to attend this luau in place of Paradise Cove for a third time. But as with everything, there are both pros and cons to this authentic luau.
Pros:
-Smaller crowd so you’re able to see and do more.
-Better activities where you don’t feel rushed.
-The tattoos were free.
-You can BYOB.
-The buffet was open.
-The food was really good.
-You could take photos with the cast afterwards.
Cons:
-Only 1 type of fruit.
-Only 1 type of salad dressing.
-Tables should be angled for better viewing.
-The check-in process is a bit janky.
-Gift cart (yes cart, not a store) is overpriced.
All in all, if we had to recommend one luau over the other, we would choose the Mauka Warrior Luau on Oahu. Less people, better food and more fire in the entertainment are the main reasons we would choose it! Either way you can’t go wrong if you’re looking for a luau to attend in Honolulu.
P.S. – if you’re active duty military or a retiree, be sure to book your tickets through ITT (MWR) in order to get the best prices.
