Big Island Luaus

The Gathering of the Kings

The Gathering of the Kings - a Polynesian feast ... a dramatic performance ... a journey through the Pacific you will never forget!

Join the cast of Island Breeze Dancers and the staff of the Fairmont Orchid Resort for a spectacular evening that combines the Big Island's finest cuisine and her most spectacular Polynesian production.

The experience begins with free valet parking upon your arrival at the Fairmont Orchid, a five-star resort located along the Big Island's Kohala Coast. Drive time from downtown Kailua-Kona is about an hour; from the Waikoloa resorts is about 10 minutes.

The Feast is prepared by the award-winning chef at the Fairmont Orchid. Travel to the islands of Hawaii, Samoa, New Zealand, and Tahiti as you taste the culinary treasures that are the pride of Polynesia. The buffet has the most diversity of any luau in Hawaii, including several different fresh fish preparations, prawns, mussels, chicken, beef, pork, lamb stew, and a host of salads and deserts. The full open bar includes a wide selection of beers, wines, and tropical mixed drinks and includes frozen, blended cocktails (rare to find at a luau).

Using a fusion of both traditional Polynesian dance and modern choreography, the Gathering of the Kings retells the story of the settlement of the Hawaiian islands. Beginning in a time when the ocean was yet uncharted, discover how brave people in ancient times carved a path through the vast ocean wilderness to settle here in the most isolated and lively group of islands in the world! The mana (power) of the ali'i (chiefs) is displayed in its fullness as they were linked by the one star that guided them all ... the star of gladness that we call Hokule'a.

Adults $99, Children (ages 5-12) $65, 4 & under free

Luau held Saturday evenings. A reserved seating upgrade is available for $25 per person and includes priority seating in the front section of tables, pre-dinner appetizers on your table, and preferential luau buffet service (you get to eat first!)..

GOK / V

Island Breeze Luau at King Kamehameha Hotel

Luau held Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday, & Thursday

The Island Breeze Luau Luau is held at the scenic and historic location of the King Kameahameha' Kona residence. This luau features the beach arrival of the Royal Court, demonstrations of coconut husking, a traditional luau buffet, and full open bar. The show includes dancing from all over the islands of Polynesia, and concludes with a fire knife dance. This luau is conveniently located in downtown Kailua-Kona right next to the harbor on the ocean side of the Kamehameha Beach Hotel.

Adults $73.45, Children (ages 5-12) $36.70, 4 & under free

Premium reserved seating is now available at this luau for $15 per adult and $10 per child plus tax. This upgrade fee gets you a prefered check-in line, reserved up-front seating, and preferential buffet service (which means you get to eat first!) This upgrade is well worth it ... it is nice to know that you are able to walk in just before the luau starts knowing you will be sitting near the front!

Holiday luau rates are in effect on Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and New Year's Eve. On those dates the base luau rate is $10 more per adult and child.

IBL / V

Waikoloa Marriott Royal Luau

Luau held Wednesdays and Sundays

Gather on the grounds of the Waikoloa Beach Marriott for the Big Island's most authentic luau! While watching the sun set over beautiful Anaehoomalu Bay, enjoy a buffet of traditional Hawaiian dishes including kalua pig cooked in an authentic underground imu, grilled steak, fresh mahi mahi, fern shoot salad, and lots more! A dessert bar and open bar for beer, wine, Mai Tais and other mixed drinks is also included. After dinner, sit back and enjoy a Polynesian show as the dancers take you to the islands of Tahiti, New Zealand, Hawaii, and Samoa. The spellbinding Samoan fire dance is a spectacular sight! If you are staying in downtown Kona this luau is well worth the drive to Waikoloa! Don't miss it! Adults $84.48, Children (ages 6-12) $38.40, 5 & under free

 WML / V

CRUISE SHIP PASSENGERS

Luaus are not possible for cruise ship passengers in port in Kona unless the ship is spending the night there. NCL passengers have their best opportunity to do a luau on Maui and you can find access to this information on our Maui luau page. 

ACTIVITY TIPS

Which luau to attend on the Big Island? Well, things are getting pretty interesting in the luau scene on the Big Island.

The luau that is creating all the buzz lately is the Gathering of the Kings at the Fairmont Orchid. We just attended this relatively new luau and enthusiatically recommend it to our clients. The buffet is lavish and diverse, fusing creative cuisine with the traditional flavors of Polynesia. The buffet has four tables; one each for the islands of Hawaii, Tahiti, New Zealand, and Samoa. The choices here are mind-boggling for a luau; each of these four tables had a many selections ON EACH TABLE as many luaus have at their entire buffet. I don't think it is even possible to sample everything from every table and fit it onto one plate. The show is really well done; traditional dances from these cultures are presented, and in between the traditional dance is more contemporary dance that ties the plot line of the show together (sort of Cirque du Soleil-esque but without all the flying). Of course the show finale and crowd favorite is the fire knife dancer. All in all it's the best luau experience on the Big Island. Get your reservations early, especially if you'd like to sit in the front reserved seating section.

For those who are staying in Kailua-Kona town or one of the condo properties along Ali'i Drive and you don't relish the idea of an hour drive to and from your luau, you might want to attend the Island Breeze Luau which is held at the King Kamehameha Hotel near the pier at the Kailua-Kona Harbor. This luau offers a feeling of authenticity due to its incredibly historic location. The beachside arrival by canoe of the luau's Royal Court is very unique and makes for great photos. This luau has been voted the "Best Luau on the Big Island" by the readers of West Hawaii Today for seven years in a row. We really appreciate the reserved seating upgrade; for those of you who are reading this a few weeks or more before your arrival you should grab some of these reserved up front seats while you have the chance! 

For guests who are staying in Waikoloa, Mauna Lani, or Hapuna, we recommend the Gathering of the Kings. But if a Tuesday or Saturday night doesn't work for your itinerary, there is also a good Wednesday or Sunday night choice with the luau at the Waikoloa Marriott. While they don't offer the vast selection of the Gathering of the Kings, their food is high quality and they have all the essential luau basics; their kalua pig, fern shoot salad, and Molokai sweet potatoes are especially tasty. (by the way, Molokai sweet potatoes have an incredibly deep dark purple color). Be sure to stroll down by the ancient fishponds ... at sunset on a calm evening you can get an incredible picture of the palm trees of Anaehoomalu Beach reflecting onto the water of the fishpond. This luau is only held twice a week, and advanced reservations are necessary.

If you are staying north of the airport, you don't want to drive all the way into town when the best luau choices are close by. If you are staying south of the airport in Kailua-Kona, you might consider the drive to the Gathering of the Kings. If you aren't up for the drive, get reserved seating at the Island Breeze Luau.

Big Island Luau Reservations

Upon submitting your activity reservation for processing, one copy is sent to your e-mail address so that you have a record of your order. We will make reservations for you and send an e-mail confirming all of the details. These confirmations are often sent a few minutes after your reservation, but some activities take longer to confirm than others. You will receive an e-mail confirmation by the end of the next business day at the latest. There are no tickets that you need to pick up prior to your event. Your e-mail confirmation will have all the details you need to check in and enjoy your selected activity. This saves you precious time when you arrive in Hawaii. 

A credit card is required to guarantee payment for your reservations, but in most cases WE DO NOT charge your credit card when your order is placed. Your credit card is typically charged five days before you leave for Hawaii, and a voucher is faxed to the vendor. Some activities are charged at the time of check-in and your e-mail confirmation will inform you if this is the case. If you cancel your activity after your credit card has been charged you will receive a refund less 10% to cover our credit card processing costs.

We do have one vendor that requires payment at the time that your reservation is made. These activities are clearly marked on our website with the words, "Payment required at the time of reservation."

After making reservations, you may reschedule or cancel your activity up until 48 hours prior to its start (a few activities have 72 hour cancellation policies ... see your confirmation e-mail for details). Within 48 hours of the start of your activity all reservations are final and non-refundable (unless the event is cancelled by the vendor due to weather or other factors). Due to our incredible climate here, weather cancellations are rare.  No-shows and cancellations without adequate notice are charged in full on the credit card used to secure the reservation and are non-refundable.