Looking for a Luau? Kona is Your One-Stop Shop

If you are on the Big Island of Hawaii, your experience is not complete without taking in a luau Kona-style. These traditional Hawaii feasts are a great way to end any day of activities while exploring the islands, and are sure to create an experience you’ll not soon forget. Plus, you can’t go wrong visiting Kona, which is known for its beautiful beaches, sunny weather and a multitude of rich cultural activities.

What Happens at a Luau?
The word “luau” is one often used interchangeably with “party” in Hawaii, but in order to be considered an “authentic” luau, the event must have these three key ingredients: a feast with traditional Hawaii foods, traditional music and dance (usually hula.)

Often, newcomers to the event are greeted with a lei made of shells or flowers, and are privy to the Imu ceremony, which is a reverent method of removing the cooked animal (usually pig) out of its traditional-style oven which is buried in the ground and lined with coals, rocks, leaves and/or mats to help steam the food.

What Kind of Traditional Foods are found at a Luau?
Traditional Hawaiian luau foods include such delicacies as poke, poi, opihi, haupia, lomi salmon and kalua pig. You can also generally expect a variety of other locally-caught fish, locally-grown fruits and, of course, maitais --- the most delectable beach drink of all.

What Kind of Entertainment Can I Expect at a Luau in Kona?
Depending upon which type of luau you attend, you can expect to see such performances as Samoan Fire-Knife Dance, hula dancers, drummers and musicians from all over the Pacific Islands and the Royal Court processional in which the participants arrive in a traditional outrigger canoe.

Why Choose Kona for my Luau?
Kona is great because of all the activities that can be enjoyed while visiting. Because it’s on the west side of the island, the weather is often sunny which makes for great beaches and water sports. You can charter boats for deep sea fishing (and stand a decent chance of catching some record-breaking whoppers!), catch a submarine ride through the waters or opt for the glass bottomed catamaran, snorkel over volcanic topography that boasts some of the best places on the planet to pull on a pair of flippers and of course, helicopter over to the volcanoes for a look at these earth-moving natural wonders.

What makes it even better is that the people in Kona strive to provide you with exactly the kind of Hawaiian experience you’re looking for, making it easy to combine all of these activities and more with an evening luau to round off your experience. So if you’re planning on visiting the Big Island, be sure to take in a luau, Kona-side!