Of all the Hawaiian activities, the Oahu Luau has the distinction of being the very first activity of the visitor industry in Hawaii. After all it was the luaus in Oahu that were a prominent feature in the first entertainment that was presented to the first visitors to the first hotels in Waikiki in the early 1900's. This tradition was transferred from the Hawaiian host culture to the visitors of the islands in ceremonies that forever established the luau as the quintessential Hawaiian activity (Hawaiian Luau Party). In the years since, these have emanated outward to the neighbor islands but the original roots of these feasts enjoyed by Hawaii visitor's have remained firmly entrenched in the history of twentieth century Oahu.
Oahu Luau Discount
Tom Barefoot's Tours offers special Oahu luau discount pricing to many of these Hawaiian feasts on Oahu and on other islands as well.
The Oahu Luau is still the premier activity on the island
Oahu's rich history of luaus has continued forward with many shows offered-up for the visitor's enjoyment. They still can be found in Waikiki and throughout the island and these programs remain the #1 activity appreciated by visitors to the island! These shows are heavily steeped in Hawaiian history, Polynesian history, hula dancing and all facets of Hawaiian culture.
Generations of visitors have come back again and again to enjoy the magic of these Hawaiian feasts.
Oahu of course was the very first of the Hawaiian Islands to establish a tourist industry and since the quintessential Hawaiian form of entertainment is the luau feast, these feasts on Oahu were the first to become known in Hawaii. Over the decades generations of visitors have attended Oahu's many island productions and certainly it could be said that your visit to the island would be incomplete without enjoying one of these wonderful Hawaiian shows with their fantastic fire knife dance.
Your Luau is no longer just in Waikiki
One unusual bit of information is that many of the larger ones are located some distance from the tourist centers of Waikiki. As a result they will all provide transportation "to and from" or if you have your own vehicle you could drive on your own. If you're looking for one within walking distance to your Waikiki hotel, that can be arranged as well because Waikiki Beach has had a rich tradition of providing this type of entertainment for visitors since the early part of the nineteen-hundreds.
The Food Options at your Feast
All of your luaus will provide the basics in terms of food preparation which are "by in large" traditional and are essential for any luau in Hawaii (luau food). These staples in cuisine will first and foremost include the Kalua Pork which is prepared in the underground oven or "imu".
Preparation of the Imu
Early in the morning of the day of the event a big pit is dug in the sand.
Kiawe logs (you might know them as Mesquite) are thrown in the bottom and lit on fire.
Into the fire are now placed large river rocks which will in turn get extremely hot and will contain the heat for many hours to come.
Over the hot rocks are placed freshly cut banana stalks and on those stalks is placed the pig over which are laid banana leaves and ti leaves to contain the moisture and steam produced from the juicy banana stalks.
The entire imu pit is then covered by a tapa cloth or tarp and then covered with sand so that no steam will escape.
At the time of your dinner the pig is unearthed and the meat is so thoroughly cooked that it just falls away from the bone.
Additional foods included in your Feast
In addition to the pig you will always find included lomi lomi salmon, chicken long rice, poi, laulau, haupia and other Hawaiian delicacies. Much of the food found at your island dinner may seem foreign to you but you should taste it all. There will also always be plenty more familiar foods which will include salads of all kinds, fish, beef, chicken, breads, rice dishes and a variety of desserts. Generally there will also be a full complement of alcoholic beverages, beer, wine and mai tai's and fruit juices and soft drinks.
The Entertainment
The entertainment will take many forms but will of course always include Hawaiian hula dancing. Many luaus in Oahu will give you the opportunity to get up on stage and show off your newly acquired hula dancing skills which you will learn about and perfect right there on stage.
Hawaiian chanting and dancing will also be a large part of any presentation and storytelling through the art of dance is an important part of the Hawaiian tradition.
Most productions will also pay tribute to their Polynesian ancestors and neighboring island cousins as the song and dance of the various islands of Polynesia are performed on stage. You will enjoy performances from the cultures of the islands of Samoa, Fiji, New Zealand and Tahiti. As a finale you will be treated in most cases to the Fire-Knife Dance from the island of Samoa and this is almost always the favorite of the children.
The luau is held at sunset time and continues into the evening and is filled with the romance of the islands and its people. Whether you're a child or a senior citizen, just-married or celebrating your 65th, this evening will be a special one for you, and a uniquely Hawaiian experience.
Lu'aus in Oahu are fun. Really fun! But they are really different as well in a couple of ways. First off they are quite large in comparison to most outer-island lu'aus. Some of these lu'aus have as many as 800, 1000 and even 1200 persons all attending the same event. Yes, that's a lot of people, but the sheer volume of people creates an almost 'festival' type event with everyone there in the mood to have fun. Everyone is focused on having a good time. Of course this is overstated, but it feels a little bit like a Mardi Gras type vibe.
Secondly, of all the lu'aus on Oahu, only two are located in Waikiki where you are probably staying. Of all the rest you either have to drive to get there or be picked up and driven to by a van or bus. Oahu is unique in that most activities will have hotel pick-up available so that is really not so unusual. In the case of a lu'au, it is actually probably a very good thing. Being picked up and brought back to your hotel means that you don't need to drive on your own and consequently you don't have to worry about drinking and driving. The other thing about being picked up by buses to be driven often 45 minutes away to the lu'au of your choice, is that the party starts early, on the bus. Most buses will have a driver but also have sort of a MC person assigned to your bus and the group you are being transported with. They stand up in the front of the bus to address you, are usually quite funny and will describe a bit about the lu'au you will be attending on the way there. Visitors usually ask impromptu questions as well and you can learn a lot. You will have a great time with this, essentially 'warm-up' act in anticipation of the actual lu'au show. .. read more.
Do you still have questions about Lu'aus And Shows?
The Paradise Cove Lu'au is the largest lu'au in the state of Hawaii. Prepare to be social for this one because the "aloha spirit" is alive and well at Paradise Cove. Every effort has been made to provide you with "all things Hawaiian" including various participatory games, demonstrations and the sharing of arts and crafts. More Info / Buy Now
Only 25 minutes from Waikiki at Sea Life Park's private, stunningly scenic Makapu'u Meadows and its breathtaking panoramic backdrop, join world famous Chief Sielu for a Hawaiian lu'au like none other. Interact up close & personal with your Pacific Island hosts with Hawaiian crafts, hula lessons, spear throwing, fire making, weaving, tattooing, and more. More Info / Buy Now
Considered to be the largest paid attraction in the state of Hawaii, the Polynesian Cultural Center on the North Shore of Oahu is a Hawaii 'icon' and is a 'must visit' when you come to Oahu. All the major cultures in the Pacific Rim are spread out in replicas of island villages with traditional housing and complete with actual South Pacific islanders dressed in traditional garb who are there to interact with you regarding all aspects of their island lifestyles. More Info / Buy Now
One of the longest standing of all lu'aus in Oahu is Germaine's Lu'au. This lu'au has been a tradition of sorts for decades and generations of visitors have enjoyed the food, cocktails, entertainment and overall fun that happens here. The lu'au itself is located on an isolated private area along a white sand beach in West Oahu. More Info / Buy Now
One of the most famous Hotels in all of Waikiki is the Royal Hawaiian Hotel, affectionately known in Hawaii as "the pink lady". The Royal Hawaiian hotel was in fact the very first hotel built on Oahu and in Waikiki. This is a fabulous location for one of the very best lu'aus you will find on Oahu, the Royal Hawaiian Lu'au. More Info / Buy Now
This video is going to be about Lu'aus on Oahu. So, you probably all are familiar with what a Lu'au is, a big giant Hawaiian party we usually have on the beach, or near, at sunset time.
Your giant feast, all your traditional Hawaiian foods and they cook a pig in the imu under the sand and so you've got this huge quantity of food, you've got all the pageantry and so on of the dance and the singing and chants of the various cultures, not just of Hawaii but usually of the South Pacific as well, and then you've got cocktails and it's just generally just a good time that everyone gets together and enjoys this quintessential Hawaiian extravaganza.
So, there are Lu'aus on all of the islands. What makes the Lu'aus on Oahu different? Well, one, this is the very first place that we ever had commercial Lu'aus in Hawaii. The tradition of Lu'aus is very long, we have a lot of Lu'aus that have been here for many decades, a lot of history and many people go to these Lu'aus, they went to them when they were kids and now they're coming back and they're going to the same Lu'aus, taking their kids. So, there's a huge tradition in terms of just the antiquity of some of these Lu'aus that are there. They've been doing it a long time. The other thing that really makes things different is that these are large Lu'aus. You're not going to find Lu'aus anywhere near the sizes that we have on Oahu on the other islands and this makes for kind of a different feel for the Lu'aus. You're with a big group of people enjoying these Lu'aus together and it has a different feel to it than the outer islands that we have with the smaller Lu'aus that you will find and the other thing, I think, that is different about the Lu'aus here are that they're spread over the island and you can actually be picked up at your hotel and taken to the Lu'aus and most of the other places on the other islands, you need to drive there.
In many cases, of course, you can drive to these Lu'aus as well but just the nature of Oahu, that they will pick you up at your Waikiki hotel and then you bring you out there on a bus or however they're going to transport you to the Lu'au and then bring you back, which is kind of a good thing if you're planning on having a few cocktails anyway. They'll be doing the driving.
So where are they? They're, as I say, they're kind of all over the island. We do have some that are right there in Honolulu, or in Waikiki, so you could actually walk right over to some of the Lu'aus or take a cab there, that sort of thing, if you're going to be attending one right in Waikiki but others that we have are out along this coastline in Ko Olina and South, we have Lu'aus. Also, over in the Waimanalo area, over on the eastern coastline and also up at the Polynesian Cultural Center you can find Lu'aus as well. So, they're all over the place and this is an experience if you're coming to Oahu and you're going to be there for whatever period of time, you should take one of your days and do a Lu'aus, especially if you've not done them before. This is the quintessential Hawaiian feast, it's what Hawaii is known for and it's a great way to spend one of your nights. You undoubtedly are going to be having dinner there anyway, at some point, and you might as just do a Dinner at a Lu'au.
So if you have any questions about Tours or Activities in Hawaii, just give us a call or check out TomBarefoot.com. We're here to help.
The Hawaiian Lu'au, of all the various activities available in Hawaii, is certainly the most Hawaiian activity of all! The lu'au in Hawaii can truly only be found in Hawaii and this is the reason the Hawaii lu'au party has established itself in the hearts of the visitors who come to Hawaii as the quintessential Hawaiian event.
Kauai lu'aus are essentially a giant feast which includes Hawaiian entertainment such as the hula dancing and a considerable amount of socialization in the tradition of the "aloha spirit".
A party. Food, drink, dance, music and much aloha. Hawaii is the only place where you can attend truly authentic Hawaiian lu'aus. Maui is well known to have some of the very best lu'aus in the State of Hawaii.
The Big Island of Hawaii provides lu'aus from Kailua-Kona town to the resorts of Waikaloa. There is nowhere on the planet that you can truly attend an authentic Hawaii lu'au outside the State of Hawaii and the Big Island of Hawaii offers you a wonderful variety for your enjoyment.
