Loving the Luau

From early in the morning, this was easily the cloudiest day of our trip so far. We were frequently worried about rain interfering with our afternoon/evening plans, but we were fortunate that nothing became of our concerns. Waking up around 7:00, I decided to 

go for another run. I headed out of the hotel – passed their own set-up for a luau – and to the beach path I ran the other day. Having previously only made it so far south as the Grand Wailea, I decided to continue south and see the rest of the path. The scenery quickly changed as the coast ceased to be primarily sandy beaches. Instead, the path rose a little in elevation and the coast became a short, rocky cliff. Without a doubt, still a beautiful run but the wind was stronger, and the waves crashed louder. The path continued a ways until it reached the Polo Beach Park. Here, the path cut inland to a parking lot and was clearly complete. So, I turned around and headed back – passed the Grand Wailea – and to the northern end of the path that I’d run previously. I continued to where the path ended into the beaches, and then turned around again to return to the hotel. I believe the route was about 3-4 miles in full.

Back at the hotel I rejoined Archer and we headed out to find some breakfast. In the mood for something simple and quick, we walked back to the “Shops at Wailea”. Here we found a small supermarket that had a coffee/breakfast counter. We each grabbed a coffee and chocolate croissant and headed outside to eat on some benches.

Following breakfast we returned to the room and sat on the balcony for a bit of a quiet-time. We each had some personal “work” to deal with. I had fallen behind on my journaling so needed the time to write-up both previous days. Archer dealt with some information gathering/consolidating regarding out coming move to Kaua'i and then enjoyed some reading in the sun.

By the time we were finished with everything, it was just about noon and it was long passed time we head to the water. To start our aquatic adventures, we headed down to the beach and the ocean, a part of the Grand Wailea that we had not enjoyed yet. Unsurprisingly, the beach was pristine. The sand was warm and soft and there was barely a rock or shell to be found in the water. It was easy to wade out into the warm water and splash around, or to float and swim in the gentle tides. We lounged in the salty water for about an hour before heading in to the activity pools to enjoy some of the slides.

We began our day at the top of the water-slide system with the “Lava Tube”. Upon arriving at the bottom, we were at the entrance to the water elevator with a relatively short line, so we decided to wait and give it a try. It was still a long wait – in all likelihood it was not worth it. However, when it was finally our turn we loaded up and began the ascent. I had the misfortune of needing to sit in the pouring waterfall as we waited for it to begin, but once we began heading up it rotated so everyone got to enjoy it! Overall the elevator seemed like a silly thing, but we got a short history lesson and learned that the original owner had a paralyzed child and this allowed access to the upper pools from the lower. That was cool.

After some time in the pools (now about 2:30), we returned to our room for a quick 

shower to rinse and change for some outings and evening plans. We returned to the beach path and headed south towards the Fairmont Hotel, specifically Ko Restaurant. This was another happy hour that was recommended to us. Unfortunately, the “bourbon” drink that we’d been urged to try was not on the menu so we had to decline. Together we ordered a Mai Tai, a Lava Flow, Oishii (translating to “very good”) Sushi, and a Kalua Pork Flatbread. The sushi was, as advertised, very good while the flatbread was … fine.

After Happy Hour we headed back south to find the Luau we’d signed up for at the hotel just north of the Grand Wailea. Interestingly, as we walked through their lobby, down to the beach, and then back towards our hotel… it turned out that the event was almost next to our hotel and our room! The Luau was a lengthy and awesome event. At first, the line was long and a bit slow moving, but wound us through some local artisans completing their work. We observed a master carver engraving pieces, handmade floral hairpieces, shell necklaces, and more. Before long we received a lei each and were taken to a table.

The event had an open bar and throughout the evening we enjoyed our access. The first part of the Luau, as people continued to file in and be seated, offered time to socialize with the other guests at our table and listen to live – local music. Children (and other guests) were invited to the “activity” tables to either make bamboo bookmarks or receive temporary tattoos. Periodically we watched Hawaiian dancers on the stage and the hostess shared short stories or relevant information to keep the guests appraised. As described in her initial greeting, at the Luau everyone is family and everyone was present to celebrate love.

Once everyone arrived the main events began. The first was the uncovering of the pork! The main course had been cooked – all day – in the traditional style. The pig was laid on a bed of hot coals in a pit, covered with banana leaves and canvas of some sort, and then buried and sealed. Once it was dug out, it was a gorgeous shining brown and was carried to the buffet where it was carved and shredded. Periodically tables were welcomed to approach the buffet and grab food. The spread was enormous! There was salad with dressings made from various local fruits. A variety of noodle dishes. A “cream” called Poi made from the Taro that we’d seen earlier this trip in an Arboretum. Purple bread rolls and purple sweet potatoes. And 

more! The main proteins were Chicken, Fish, Pork, and Steak. As an all-you-can-eat buffet, there was far more than you could eat. Also, it was all delicious! Unfortunately, with the acceptation of the Poi. It reminded us of “the gray” stuff from Be Our Guest in The Beauty and the Beast, but it was not delicious as that song had promised.

After dinner (though you could go back for more) the main show began. The next hour or two were filled with song, story, and dance. The hostess introduced each new piece with a historical description of the dance’s origin, or the mythology behind something. The dancers were incredible, and the 

songs were lively and engaging. We were (as a crowd) taught introductory steps to the hula while trying to follow along with a pair of professionals. The dancers completed frequent costume changes and preformed with a wide variety of props ranging from spears to flowers. It felt almost impossible to look away, regardless of the particular performance taking place.

Enjoyably, there was a momentary interlude in the luau to celebrate a variety of events that members of the crowd might experience. A very lively variant of “Happy Birthday” was sung, and any newlyweds were asked to stand – as well as anyone celebrating an anniversary. In appropriate cute but bashful fashion, Archer and I stood, and then slow danced to the song that followed. It was cute if I may say so myself.

Finally, the conclusion. A pair of male dancers – specifically fire-dancers – came out to preform. They were breathtaking. Wielding a two-sided torch each the two tossed, twirled, and moved around each other with such a fluid fashion that they seemed to think as one. The sun had set so the torches left an afterglow as they moved, and formed complete circles or sweeps as they were swung across the stage. At one point the two dancers actually stood atop each other while preforming. It was a stunning performance to complete a wonderful evening. Archer and I agreed that the luau – as a whole – was the best investment we made during our time in Maui and would highly recommend it to any other visitors.

With our show done, we took the quick walk back to our hotel room, and were presently surprised to see that the luau at the Wailea was still taking place! We paused on our walk to watch an aerial dancer complete her routine. Then, worried we’d be escorted away, we hurried to our room that directly overlooked the preforming area. There, we sat on the balcony and watched the final few performances, including another fire-dancer routine! Again, it was aweome, but we were left with the satisfied feeling of believing that we attended the better performance. As the local show concluded, so did our evening, and we set off to sleep for our last night on Maui.

Again, as a parting thought, the Luau was the best investment we made in regard to cost, quality of entertainment, good food, etc… all wrapped up in one wonderful cultural bundle. Do it!