On the island of Maui there are two lu’aus that are rated as the best. The highest rated and most traditional of the two is the Old Lahaina Lu’au in Lahaina. This is a traditional, some say authentic Hawaiian lu’au so you won’t get the cheesy M.C. or the mainland style singers. You also don’t get the fire dancers since that is a Samoan tradition, not Hawaiian.
The second best lu’au on Maui is the one at the Hyatt Regency Resort. This is the one my wife and I chose to go to, mainly because it was very handy, being at the hotel where we stayed. This is a very good lu’au and they do have the Samoan fire dancers. They also incorporate a few things from Tahiti to round out the show. The food is excellent and although you won’t want to eat it you should at least taste the poi (pronounced poy). It is a traditional Hawaiian staple that tastes pretty much like wall paper paste. Sounds yummy, huh?
Both of these shows are supposed to be very good. The lu’au at the Hyatt was very enjoyable, fast paced and entertaining. The food was excellent! It is set up buffet style and there is something for everyone. This is an all you can eat and drink meal, including the alcoholic beverages. Mai Tais are everywhere and if you don’t get through the door early they are a little watered down by the melting ice. You can always go to the open bar and get something different if you aren’t the fruity island drink kind of person.
Something that the Hyatt Regency Resort does that we found very nice was the V.I.P. tickets. If you buy an ordinary ticket to the Hyatt’s lu’au you will be standing in line along the beach waiting to get in. The line can be long and the wait can be 30 to 45 minutes depending on when you get in line. The Hyatt suggests you get there 30-45 minutes early, apparently so that you can stand in line. If you purchase the V.I.P. tickets you will pay about $15 more per ticket but you have a special V.I.P. entrance with no waiting. The V.I.P. ticket also allows you into the lu’au first, guarantees you down front seating for the best views and you get to go through the food line first. In my opinion it is well worth the extra money! The lu’au started at 6:00 p.m., we showed up about ten minutes early and walked right in. We were handed a pretty tasty Mai Tai when we walked in and were shown directly to our front row seats. If you decide to go to a lu’au, check to see if they have V.I.P. tickets and what the extra money will get you.
You can expect to pay between $65.00 and $90.00 per person to see a lu’au which might be considered a little pricey but the food is excellent and you are getting a show with dinner. Besides that, most lu’aus are on the beach which adds a little more incentive to go and lets face it, nothing is cheap in Hawaii!
This is very high quality post number 4 or 5 in a row! Great pictures, great commentary, you are getting to be a hard act to follow, but don't stop keep em coming, I think you must be on a roll!
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