Huaka'i Luau- Journey Through Polynesia

I only gave them a 1 because I couldn't give them a zero. We had a member of our group fall ill the day of the Luau. We were told we could not receive a refund due to the illness occurring within 24 hours of the event. They postponed our Luau for a day hoping they would feel better. The next day others in our group fell ill. We asked for a refund of $982. They refused and told us to either show up and attend the event sick. Risking the health of the staff and other patrons or loose our $982. We called the venue and they asked us not to attend the event with the manager saying he would contact the host who sold us the tickets. W In respect for the other patrons and the staff at the Luau we did not attend. The people at Huaka'i refused to refund our money and has challenged my CC company and is making me pay for something I had no control over. DO NOT BOOK WITH THIS COMPANY THEY ARE A SCAM!!!!

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!

It’s not a luau. It’s a luau themed dinner inside a restaurant. I had realized this by reading the reviews before we attended, but I didn’t call in time to cancel. I called 10 hours before the show, and they have a VERY STRICT 24 hour cancellation policy because they have trouble filling their seats. Most luaus on the island are booked out about a month. Not this one. It was a red flag that caught my attention.

I begged the manager to please allow me a refund for about ten minutes over the phone and she refused. I explained to her that it was the reviews that were guiding my decision and she literally laughed at me and said “We have way more good reviews than bad reviews” This lady is not reading her own reviews. The bar chart below the rating clearly shows that most reviews are single star.

If you have never been to a real luau you will probably enjoy the show. Just don’t expect an authentic luau experience, and if you have other things you are thinking about doing for $200 per person, you should lean towards those things.

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.

While this luau may not be the type of luau that the resorts or other venues put on, we had a great time. My husband and I joined the Journey through Polynesia and enjoyed the storytelling, music, dancing, and fire-knife act. The message of ohana, its meaning and importance, was well threaded throughout the entire experience - including the dancers, musicians, and announcers all being literal family.

Worst experience in Hawaii. Don’t waste your time or money

This is the second luau I’ve been to and it’s definitely an experience. My first was great but seemed more like it catered to a tourist audience. This one was more true to Hawaiian culture. The food was good but the cardboard plates and compostable flatware weren’t my cup of tea. Portions were plentiful. I would definitely go again.

So my ONLY complaint of the evening was our table. We were in between two beams and these plants were blocking our view of the stage. Everything else was wonderful. It’s not like the traditional luau you’ll find at the resorts, but I still thought it was great. The luau is put on my two families. At the end when we go outside for the fire dancing, one of the family kids noticed I was standing because I couldn’t see over the crowd so they took my fiancé and I to a better where we could see the fire dancing. If you want the big modernized luaus, this isn’t for you.I would chose this luau again if I had the choice.

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

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.

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.

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.

Show and food was mediocre for the amount of money they are charging. You will be better off spending time and money somewhere else

Do not book this Luau!! Do not waste your time or your money…. Even if you can’t find an alternative, just don’t bother.

This was my husband and I’s 2nd luau in Hawaii , our first experience was amazing. Set on a beach, very relaxing, amazing food, and great entertainment .

We wanted to share this experience with our family. I booked this to show my family an amazing time… but it was far from it

First of all… the location was changed from when I originally booked. I was excited for the beautiful backdrop in the Kapalua area. Then it got changed to a harbour, not a great location. Without the feeling and ambiance of a luau.

secondly, the show was supposed to start at 5pm, we arrived early and then we weren’t seated until 5:30. We have two young kids, waiting in line instead of being seated early was both annoying and frustrating.

When seated it didn’t feel like a luau, it was just a restaurant with an okay view…. We were seated in the back, there were no tiki’s , no sand on our feet, just a concrete restaurant …

The food was only okay, most of it was bland, the bread was not fresh… the food was cold, and there was one type of dessert… again not what I would expect from luau.

We had to leave at 7:30 ( the originally planned end time) and had to miss the fire show. The entertainment was decent, the main singer was talented.. but the rest was okay.

My family was completely disappointed especially since I was so excited to bring them and we spent a lot of money. We dressed up nicely, for there to be zero nice place to take a pictures.

Unfortunately it's was not a good experience. The meal was absolutetly terrible. They served the dinner in a plastic plate with plastic ustensils, that is unnaceptable. It was suppose to be a buffet. C'mon this is not a buffet when you are served line-up with someone filling up your plate like a staff. cafeteria. Artists were great, they made a good reason and saved the night. Unfortunately this is not worth 300$US for 2 people, no way.