We knew we wanted to do a luau on our trip to Oahu, and did a lot of research trying to find the best one available. We landed on Tua Loa, with a promise of authentic luau and a great experience. As it turns out, we’re staying at Aulani Resort and they offer a luau as well, for about the same price. We didn’t do this one, but our room overlooked the luau space so we got to watch the show and compare the experiences.
When you buy the luau package at Tua Loa, you also get admission to Waimea Valley which includes a botanical garden and a water fall that you can swim up to.This does increase the value proposition for the cost, and the Valley is across the street from Waimea Bay Beach which is a beautiful location. We very much enjoyed the Valley and waterfall, which is an easy 20 minute walk from the front.
The luau starts with patrons getting a nice lei and being assigned to a table based on the package tier that was purchased. The venue is completely covered, with open sides, so rain is not a concern. There is a smallish stage where most of the show takes place, and generally all the seats have a good view.
After seat assignment and a visit to the bar, we were brought outside to a courtyard where they had several interactive demonstrations including spinning the firestick (unlit), peeling coconuts, harvesting coconut meat and milk, and hula dancing. These were fun diversions and gave people the opportunity to meet the cast before the show. There was also an outdoor cooking exhibition which was interesting.
The meal portion was next, with the food being brought to the table rather than a buffet. The menu consisted of grilled chicken with a teriyaki style glaze, pulled pork, green salad, mac salad, rice, roll, and a fruit plate. The food was good if not overly outstanding, and the staff came by frequently asking if anyone needed refills. Dessert was a coconut cake that was good.
For the show, they put on a series of dances, instrumentals, narrations, and finished with a fire twirling finale. The performances were good, though the production values were very basic (which in honesty is more traditional). We enjoyed the show even if some of the content was not overly compelling.
Comparing this show to the Aulani one, obviously the Disney show had much higher production values with lights and animations that accompanied the performers. It was what you would expect from a Disney show, and seemed enjoyable. Tua Loa was produced by locals and you can tell they take great pride in what they do, even if they can’t compete with the glitz of some other shows.
All in all, we had a good time. These are not cheap tickets by any means, but with the addition of the Valley and waterfall, we felt we got a good value for our money.