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Every Big Island Luau I've Been To (And Everything Else Worth Knowing), Ranked Honestly— Ep 135

• Marcie Cheung • Episode 135

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0:00 | 12:46

Ranking Big Island Luaus: Best Picks in Kona, Kohala & Waikoloa (and One to Skip)

The host ranks Big Island luaus and explains the episode differs because they’ve only attended three, noting Big Island has far fewer luau options than Oahu or Maui and is better known for the Merrie Monarch Festival. Their top pick is the Hawaii Loa Luau at the Fairmont Orchid for upscale setting, standout buffet (especially poke), and polished, serious hula. Second is Voyagers of the Pacific at the Royal Kona Resort, recommended for a solid show (Tahitian opener, hula kahiko, Samoan fire knife, garment segment), good value, and easy return to rooms if staying on-site. They strongly caution against Island Breeze at the King Kamehameha Hotel based on a rain-night indoor experience with long waits, disappointing food, and a poorly executed show, though they acknowledge others enjoy it outdoors near historic sites. They also outline other options—Hale Ho’oloha (Mauna Lani), Waikoloa Beach Marriott’s Sunset Luau (with added service charge), and Feast and Fire (Outrigger Kona Resort)—and offer practical selection tips.

00:00 Why Big Island Luaus Differ
01:32 How to Choose a Luau
01:52 Top Pick Fairmont Orchid
03:37 Why the Hula Matters
04:19 Best Value Royal Kona
06:12 Island Breeze Warning
08:22 Picking Tips and Logistics
08:54 Other Luau Options
10:46 Final Rankings and Wrap

Who this episode is for: Anyone booking a Big Island luau who wants an honest ranking instead of marketing copy.

What you'll learn: Marcie's ranking of Big Island luaus, what sets the top pick apart, which one to avoid, and how to pick the right luau for your trip.

Places discussed:

  • Kona
  • Kohala
  • Waikoloa

Activities discussed:

  • Attending a luau (hula kahiko, Tahitian and Samoan fire knife performances, buffet dining)
  • Merrie Monarch Festival (mentioned as Big Island's bigger hula draw vs. commercial luaus)

Hotels discussed:

  • Fairmont Orchid — home of Hawaii Loa Luau, Marcie's top pick
  • Royal Kona Resort — home of Voyagers of the Pacific, second pick, good value, easy for on-site guests
  • King Kamehameha Hotel — home of Island Breeze, Marcie's caution pick
  • Mauna Lani — Hale Ho'oloha luau
  • Waikoloa Beach Marriott — Sunset Luau, has an added service charge
  • Outrigger Kona Resort — Feast and Fire luau

Marcie's recommendations:

  • Top pick: Hawaii Loa Luau at the Fairmont Orchid, for the upscale setting, standout buffet (especially the poke), and polished hula
  • Second pick: Voyagers of the Pacific at Royal Kona Resort, for good value and a strong show including a Tahitian opener, hula kahiko, and Samoan fire knife segment
  • Caution: Island Breeze at King Kamehameha Hotel, based on a rain-night experience with long waits, disappointing food, and a poorly executed show, though outdoor nights near the historic site may be better
  • Note the added service charge at Waikoloa Beach Marriott's Sunset Luau when comparing prices

Related Hawaii Travel Made Easy episodes:

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About Your Host: Marcie Cheung is a Certified Hawaii Destination Expert who has visited Hawaii 40+ times and spent 20+ years as a professional hula dancer. Through Hawaii Travel with Kids, she helps families plan authentic, affordable Hawaii vacations that respect local culture while creating unforgettable memories.

Learn more at hawaiitravelwithkids.com

Connect: @hawaiitravelwithkids on Instagram | Book a Consultation

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I've now ranked the luaus on Oahu, that's episode 95, plus Maui and Kauai, and enough of you asked when Big Island was coming that I can't put it off anymore. So here it is, but I need to tell you up front, this episode is gonna look a little different from the other three. I've only been to three Big Island luaus: the Fairmont Orchid, the Royal Kona Resort, and Island Breeze. That's a smaller sample than what I gave you for Oahu or Maui, And there's a reason for that. Big Island isn't really known for its luau scene the way the other islands are. It has maybe half a dozen options total spread across two very different coasts versus a dozen plus on Oahu or Maui. It's not a knock on the island. Big Island gives you lava fields and snow-capped mountains and the Merrie Monarch Festival, which is the most prestigious hula competition on Earth. It just doesn't hand you the same buffet of luau choices. I get this question a lot from clients who are island hopping and trying to decide which stop gets the luau night, and my honest answer is almost always pick a different island. Not because Big Island's options are bad, you're about to hear why they're not, but because Oahu and Maui just give you so many more ways to spend that evening, and some of those experiences are really special. If you want more on how to think through island hopping in general, I've got episodes on choosing the right island and on whether one island or two makes more sense for your trip. Both are worth a listen if you're still deciding your route. But if Big Island is where you're headed regardless, or it's your only island on this trip, you've still got good options, and I'm gonna walk you through all of them today, starting with the three I can rank from firsthand experience Before we get into it, a couple of things. If you've already got a Big Island itinerary built and just want someone to check your work, I do $50 itinerary reviews. Send me what you've got, and I'll send back notes within two business days. If you haven't decided whether a luau is worth the money at all, go listen to episode six first. That's my full breakdown on whether luaus are worth it, and come back here once you've made up your mind. And if you're still working out the rest of your Big Island trip, planning guides and free email courses on the island are all linked over at hawaiitravelwithkids.com under Hawaii Resources My top pick on Big Island is the Hawaii Loa Luau at the Fairmont Orchid on the Kohala Coast. It runs Saturday evenings, and as of right now, standard seating runs a little over two hundred and fifteen dollars a person With a VIP package that gets you front row seats, an appetizer platter, and a complimentary photo for around two hundred and fifty. Kids run less on both tiers, and little ones five and under get their own seat and plate at no charge We went as a family. Well, it was just my oldest son and me on that trip. He was about 10 at the time, and I splurged on the VIP seats. I figured if I was already paying for a luau, I might as well pay a little bit more for a better view. Check-in starts in the late afternoon, the buffet opens a little bit later, and the show follows after that. So you're looking at about three hours total once you factor in everything. If you're driving yourself, there's valet or self-parking with validation. The setting alone makes the case for this place. It's on the Kohala Coast, and the resort treats the food like it matters. The poke station is a thing I keep coming back to. They had something like six different varieties, all of it fresh, and I'm extremely picky about poke after eating it for 20 years. I kept going back for more. The kalua pig was perfectly done, the grilled fish tasted like something you'd order at a real restaurant, and even the side dishes felt like someone actually thought about them instead of just filling a buffet table. I had a client a while back who was staying at the Fairmont Orchid and asked what I'd recommend for a Big Island luau. When she came back and told me she'd booked this one, I got legitimately excited for her. It's such an upscale special night, and the food alone puts it at a level above most resort luaus. She said it ended up being one of the highlights of the whole trip, and every time a client picks this one, I already know they're gonna love it. But here's what actually sold me on the luau, And it goes back further than that one night. When I was 10, I was staying with my grandmother on Kauai, and we watched the Merrie Monarch Festival together on her television. This was the first time I ever saw hula kahiko, the ancient style, and I was completely mesmerized. That moment is the reason I danced hula for the next 20 years. So when I sit at a luau now, I'm not just watching pretty costumes. I'm watching footwork and hand positions and whether the storytelling holds up. At the Fairmont Orchid, it held up. The hula wasn't the simplified version you see at a lot of resort shows. The dancers clearly train seriously, and it shows in every movement. If you're staying anywhere near Waikoloa or the Kohala Coast and you want one luau that's worth the splurge, this is the one I'd point you to first. Second is Voyagers of the Pacific at the Royal Kona Resort right on Alii Drive in downtown Kona. It runs several nights a week, and tickets land somewhere in the 165 to 182 range per adult with an early bird discount for the first 100 guests each night. That's a meaningful gap below the Fairmont Orchid, and for a lot of families, it's the difference between fitting a luau into the budget or skipping it We stayed at the Royal Kona Resort specifically because they have their own luau on site, and I wanted to test something. I had a five-year-old with me, and I was curious what it would feel like to walk back up to our room afterwards instead of carrying a sleepy kid out to a parking lot and driving somewhere in the dark. It made a real difference. No car seat, no drive, just an elevator ride back to bed. Check-in is easy to find if you're staying on property, tucked between the pool and the lagoon tower. You really can't miss it. If you're driving in from elsewhere, parking runs a reduced rate at about $5 for the night. Kids six to 11 run somewhere around 65 to $70, and five and under get in free. The show covers a lot of ground. It opens with Tahitian dancing, and one of the emcees explained why almost every luau starts this way, since Tahitians were the first Polynesians to voyage to Hawaii. From there, it moves to hula kahiko, the ancient style, danced to a chant about the fire goddess Pele sending her sister Hi'iaka to Kauai to retrieve her lover. It builds to a Samoan fire knife finale where the performer had two knives going at once, which got the loudest reaction of the night. There's also a fashion show segment I wasn't expecting, showcasing traditional garments, which was a fun surprise I hadn't seen at other luaus. Afterward, the cast lines up near the stage for photos, and they split the line by grouping performers together so it actually moves. The stage sits right on Kailua Bay, and you can still catch that evening light bouncing off the water as the sun goes down. If you want a solid luau without spending two hundred plus dollars a person, and especially if you're staying anywhere in downtown Kona, this is what I recommend to most families. Okay, so now the one I have to warn you about. Island Breeze, held at the King Kamehameha Hotel property in Kona, was the worst luau experience I've ever had on any island. The night we went, it was raining, so they moved everything indoors. That part I totally understand. Weather happens, and I don't fault the venue for adjusting. What I do fault them for is what came after. They had us standing in the hallway in line for a full hour before we could even get inside. My son was starving the entire time, and we had no idea if we were even allowed to step out of line to go find him food. Once we finally got seated, there was another long wait before we could even reach the buffet, and there was no entertainment to fill the time, just standing around hungry, confused about what was happening next. The food itself was disappointing when we finally got to it. By the time we finished eating, the strangers seated at our table had already left because they assumed that was the end of the evening. We sat there waiting for a show that kept not starting. When it finally did, only a handful of performers showed up, and it was clear the whole thing was falling apart behind the scenes. We ended up leaving partway through because it had turned into something closer to a joke than a luau. I posted an Instagram story that night showing the empty chairs and how dismal the whole scene had gotten. The next morning, someone connected to the production called me directly and asked me to take it down. I'll leave the specifics of that conversation vague, but it was an unusual call to get, and it didn't exactly restore my confidence in how that night had been run. I want to be fair here. I know other travel bloggers who've been to Island Breeze and had a great time, and I understand why on paper this luau has fans. When the weather allows the show to stay outdoors, it's held right next to a heiau, a sacred site, and there's a replica of King Kamehameha's home nearby, Which gives the whole evening a location that actually means something historically. On a normal night, the property also runs free cultural activities in the lobby, lei making, hula lessons, traditional Hawaiian games. So there's clearly effort behind the concept, and it's possible that we caught a truly bad night, weather-related staffing issues, a show that fell apart for reasons that had nothing to do with a normal evening there. But I can only tell you what happened to us, and what happened to us was bad enough that I can't recommend it, even with that caveat attached. If you want more stories like this one, nights that went sideways, and what I wish I'd known beforehand, that's basically what episode 100 is about Those three are the ones I've personally sat through, but Big Island has a handful of others worth knowing about even though I haven't attended them myself yet. Before I get into those, a quick word on how to think about picking between all of them. If you're traveling with grandparents, look for the ones with more comfortable seating setups rather than mat seating on the ground. If you've got picky eaters, don't stress too much. Every luau on this island keeps a chicken and rice option along with the traditional dishes. If your schedule's tight because you're only in one area for a night or two, pay attention to which nights each show actually runs since some of these only happen once a week Up at the Mauna Lani, Hale Ho'oloha is the newest luau on the island, set at the historic Kalahui Pua'a fishponds where Hawaiian royalty once gathered. Those fishponds aren't just scenery, they're ancient aquaculture sites where ali'i actually raised fish, and the show leans into that history instead of treating it as a backdrop. It runs on Fridays with some seasonal Monday dates added, and tickets run right around two hundred and thirty dollars a person with an optional ali'i upgrade for priority seating and wine service. It's priced closer to the Fairmont Orchid than the budget end. If Hawaiian history matters more to you than almost anything else about the evening, this is the one to prioritize. Over at the Waikoloa Beach Marriott, the sunset luau runs Monday and Wednesday, and this is the one where you wanna look at the real total before you book. The advertised rate is around one seventy, but there's a service charge added at checkout that isn't optional, so you're closer to two hundred dollars a person once everything's added up. That's worth knowing going in, so you're not caught off guard. If you're staying anywhere in Waikoloa and just want something convenient without a long drive, it's still a practical choice, And having two nights a week to pick from gives you more flexibility if your schedule is tight. And down at the Outrigger Kona Resort In Keauhou Bay, Feast and Fire runs Monday and Thursday evenings and is performed by the Lim family, who trace their lineage back to Alapai Nui, a former ruling chief of Hawaii. That's real family history, not a marketing line, and as someone who's spent twenty years in this world, I have a lot of respect for performers telling their own ancestors' stories instead of a script someone handed them. General seating runs around one hundred and eighty-five dollars for adults, and ninety for kids, and there's an elite private seating option near the front for around two hundred and twenty-five. The setting on Keauhou Bay is beautiful, and the artisan village they run before the show has demonstrations that feel like they're actually teaching you something, not just filling time before dinner. So here's where that leaves you. Fairmont Orchid's Hawaii Loa Luau if you want the best food and the most polished hula on the island and the budget allows for it. Voyagers of the Pacific at Royal Kona if you want a solid night at a friendlier price, especially if you're already staying in Kona. Skip Island Breeze, or at least go in with your expectations managed. And if none of those fit your schedule, Hale Ho' Aloha, Sunset Luau, or Feast and Fire round out the list depending on where you've landed. And one more time, because I mean it, if a stacked luau lineup is what you're after and you're choosing between islands, Maui and Oahu will give you more to pick from. Big Island's real hula claim to fame is the Merrie Monarch Festival, not its luau roster. Every spring, dancers from all over the world travel to Hilo to compete, and the level of skill on that stage is nothing like what you'll see at a resort luau because it was never built for tourists in the first place. That doesn't mean skip a luau here entirely. It just means keep your expectations realistic about how many options you're choosing between, and lean towards the one I actually trust rather than whichever one happens to be closest to your hotel. All the links to book any of these are live at hawaiitravelwithkids.com. And if you want the full list of my trusted resources, guidebooks, and free email courses, that's all at hawaiitravelwithkids.com under Hawaii Resources. If you want someone to actually look at your Big Island plans and tell you whether the luau you picked makes sense for your family, that's exactly what consultations and itinerary reviews are for. Both are linked at hawaiitravelwithkids.com. And if you want to connect with other families planning their own Big Island trips, come find us in the Hawaii Travel With Kids Facebook group. Thanks so much for listening. If this saved you from a bad night at a luau, send it to someone else planning a Big Island trip. Thanks so much for joining us. Until next time, aloha.