Luaus

A cultural experience not to be missed on any of the Hawaiian Islands is a luau! At a nearby Poipu luau, you’ll enjoy ono (delicious) food and appetizers while being dazzled by fire dancers and hula performances.

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Luaus are held to celebrate momentous occasions, such as the birth of a child, graduation, a wedding, or any reason family and friends want to come together in celebration.

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Before it was known as a luau, it was called an `aha`aina – a combination of the words that mean gathering and meal. In the early days of luaus, religious practices at the time dictated that men and women ate separately during meals and that certain foods were off limits to women. In 1819, King Kamehameha II ended these practices and to celebrate the societal change he held a feast with women. The luaus in those days were very large parties with hundreds of attendees.

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Now, many luaus are private affairs with family and friends but visitors to Kauai can attend luaus to experience this historical tradition and feast on Hawaiian food. Many of these feasts include favorites such as poi, poke, lomi salmon, and kalua pig.