The show was amazing! Good vibes, good food, great host/dancers/musicians. Being born and raised in…read morethe islands, it was so special to be engulfed in my culture and to experience the gratefulness of watching how we still speak through HULA, SONG, AND DANCE. Island Breeze never fails to put on a show! Little tip for those visiting the islands and choose to go to a Lū'au, please get hype! Show some love and attention to the dancers, musicians, and host! We adore sharing our culture with those who are visiting, but you also should get excited about learning it as well it's a rich heritage!

I have lost count of the number of Luaus i've gone to, too many!…read more What do you expect from a luau on Fairmont, first rate, it was! First rate food, ambience, service. As with all open bars decent. Activities before and a decent show. Food and ambience made this one stand out!!! Entertainment was pretty typical all like others IMHO

Paniolo BBQ is a hidden gem that offers a wonderful experience for both kids and adults. They have…read morefun stories, live music, majestic views, enjoyable games, and the food is amazing!

This was our second time attending the Paniolo BBQ dinner, this time with our family group of 18…read more It was fantastic as usual! The view from the top of the mountain is incredible! The historical storytelling, the gracious staff, the food, all just wonderful!! I highly recommend attending!!

Very pricey but a trip isn't complete unless you've consider a luau. I booked it since the luau…read morewas held on the premises of our resort where we stayed. The big draw was the fire show which originated in Samoa. The first three rows are premium seating. We sat in row 2 by the stage. The venue is very small so all seats would have sufficed. There was a woman blocking my view of the stage. So much for premier seating. Although premier seating included a fresh orchid lei and a box of shortbread cookies from Big Island Candies of Hilo. And first in line to the buffet dinner. There's an open bar. I had a red wine which I didn't care for as the wine sat out in the Hawaiian heat. There's spirits, mixed drinks, sodas, and mocktails available. The luau - the Kalua pig is cooked in an imu onsite. You can watch the pig being unearthed at the luau. If you've never seen it done, it's a very authentic experience. There was a live band followed by the hula show. The show represented the Polynesian islands. It concluded with the fire show which was the highlight. Next time we'll sit in the general seating area since it's a small venue located at the Marriott.

This sunset luau has got to be one of the most expensive luaus I have ever attended. For almost…read more$220 an adult and then kids I don't even want to know how much you have to pay for them. My kids thank God we're free, age 5 and under are free. I have gone to 4 luaus, 2 in Oahu and 2 in maui and although I know generally all luaus are kind of the same I wanted to see how Big island threw there luaus. It was a good luau, the dancers were all very good and enthusiastic. Total of 6-8 dancers. The fire show and the haka part stole the show. All of the dancing was generally entertaining. The food was buffet style and the food was actually pretty good. They had a wide variety of food including some fish, steak and the pork they showed in a ceremony how to cook. They have someone take professional pictures for you and that vendor was very kind and took their time to get the perfect picture, one hard copy photo and the digital download is $40 plus tax. The bar is open bar and they have every possible drink that isn't blended. The drinks were super strong and good and the bartenders were nice as well. I will say I saw some comments saying the guests and people walking by can view some parts of the show from the side etc but that's just really ghetto lol I mean u can't help that but it's just not the same bc ur just watching from the dancers back and a weird view. Luaus are generally meant maybe once in a lifetime, but I do love learning about the culture and traditions and dancing of Hawaii. It is very expensive, but generally a good show. It's not one of the best luaus I've been to, but it's not horrible. I wish there were more activities for people before the actual show, they only had one hula person teach like a 6 min hula. Also side note if you ask the servers about your kids you can ask for pizza or chicken fingers and fries on the side for them, they don't let you know that prolly to save money lol but I knew beforehand to ask.

I'm sure there are many professional luaus that visitors can attend when visiting the Hawaiian…read moreislands, but the Legends of Hawaii Luau was one of the best that my wife and I have ever attended. We paid a few dollars more for the premium seating and I feel it was well worth the money. Sitting closer to the stage and also having the additional amenities that come with that premium entrance really made the experience more meaningful. Everything about this spectacular luau was just that, spectacular! The entertainment was superb! The four piece band which played beautiful Hawaiian music during dinner were very talented and sounded wonderful. The gentleman who served as master of ceremonies, Hoku, brought a level of insight and history to the music and dances. All of the dancers, both men and women were extraordinarily talented and you really felt like you were catching a glimpse into the historic Hawaiian experience. The highlight of the evening was the world class fire dancer at the end of the performance. It seemed to be, that the money I spent on this evening was well worth it if just to see him perform. It is something I will never forget! I highly endorse this outing and there is nothing negative that I can say about it.

I booked this luau for one adult and two young children (ages 6 and 4) and followed the…read moreinstructions in the confirmation email exactly. It clearly stated check-in at 4:15 PM. When we got there, the lady at check-in insisted she had "never heard of that time" and basically brushed us off. I showed her the email on my phone, but it didn't matter. We ended up standing in a long line with dozens of other frustrated guests who had the exact same complaint. The gates finally opened at 5:00 PM. We received our flower leis and then waited another full hour before anything else happened. Kids were tired and restless, and the whole experience felt chaotic and poorly managed from the start. This was supposed to be a special family outing in Hawaii, but the disorganization ruined it. Absolutely unacceptable for the price and hype. I will never return here and cannot recommend it to anyone. Save your money and choose a better-run luau.

Would you pay $99 for AYCE prime rib dinner for two? Yes, but how about if you had to attend a…read moretimeshare sales presentation? 48 Hilton guests took the $99 offer, and came up a packed bus 20 miles from Hilton Waikoloa Village. Gathered in a large dining room sitting around six tables to hear the host give a long talk on the cultural history of the Ranch. Everyone attentive until the singer started playing Hawaiian songs, at which point everyone started talking to the others around the table. Had to talk really loud to be heard across the large table, due to the large amount of background noise. Dinner buffet self serve by table in multiple courses, including unlimited wine and lemonade. Fabulous mixed salad, so good that everyone finished their salad, even those that don't like vegetables. Main course included broccoli, potatoes, fish, and prime rib. I got a double portion of prime rib, while everyone else got a 12 oz to start off with. Thought the outside portion was way too salty and tough. Not for someone to chew with a temporary crown. Center portion was tender and juicy. Threw out a good portion of the outside and fat and gristle. Meal topped off with a dessert of cheesecake covered with sweet mango sauce. Met the host outside. Turned out we were both UC Berkeley graduates, me of class of 1975, and he of class of 1963. Oh, by the way line outside the mens bathroom, as the urinal was out of order. Those people who didn't show up for the Hilton timeshare presentation would be assessed the full $390 price of the event for two!

Fabulous opportunity to come up to Anna Ranch for a dinner with Chef Ipi via a special weekly…read morecultural event managed by the Hilton Grand Vacation folks. We were treated to oral history of the area, music, and an impromptu Hula. Truly honored to be part of this event. Oh, the food? Locally made ricotta in a crostini, mixed green salad with toasted sesame dressing, local shrimp, beef, zucchini, potatoes, and a lava cake with strawberry ice cream.

We came here for breakfast. They told us the wait would be 15 minutes, but we waited for about 40…read moreminutes. Service was very slow and our waitress looked frazzled because they were short-staffed (the restaurant wasn't even that busy). I had the Eggs Benedict. It was good but not worth the price.

Set against a golf course backdrop this intimate luau was a delightful way to spend an evening. We…read morepaid extra for the VIP tickets and as a result ended up with a table front and center! I honestly recommend paying for the VIP tickets to get the best view of the performance. This is a smaller venue with a limited menu. Due to Covid the meal was served small plate style but you could request more of anything. Service was less than stellar especially considering the up charge we paid for VIP. The meal was delicious but felt very rushed from course to course. The entertainment was delightful! The MC, musicians, and performers kept the story going and the crowd entertained.

Big Island Abalone has been on our list of to-do's for a while and we finally booked the farm tour…read morewhen we knew we would run errands in Kona. This place is close to the airport and very easy to find. Our guide Carlos was awesome - very knowledgeable and funny. We learned a lot in the one hour tour. We also got to sample seaweed, sea grapes and abalone at the end of the tour. We went to the food truck afterwards. Service was quick and the staff were really nice. We ordered 1/4 lb of the garlic butter abalone and 1/4 lb of the chilli garlic abalone. Both were great. Sounds expensive but I will say that we had abalone in a similar proportion in Monterey and paid more than double what we did at Big Island Abalone. We already have plans to stop at the food truck again on our way through Kona later this well. Well worth visiting. A must if you love abalone.

Honestly, I didn't know what to expect on this tour, but it was amazing! Learned so much! It was…read morefun! And my kids are still talking about it the day after. (We were there just yesterday) Held the attention of my 8 & 10 year old! Seriously felt like a well put together fun school field trip. I wish we had something like this on the mainland. Parents - you have to bring your kids. They'll learn a lot & have fun doing it. My kids are still talking about the abalone, the eyes & feel super smart deciphering which abalone are boys or girls. And if you don't have kids, go anyways! I learned a lot. Best part, there's a food truck on the premises to try the abalone + other stuff. Yes, it's a bit pricey, but YOU WILL NEVER HAVE SUCH TENDER ABALONE ANYWHERE ELSE!!! You need to stop by and try something off their menu. Garlic butter was our favorite, but my husband really liked the chili oil. The only thing I wished they offered - a summer camp for kids. I feel with such unique operations (go on the tour and learn about it), it's a great way to learn about sustainability, ecosystems, and more. Maybe someone will read my post and think about it. I'm sure parents would love to have their kids immersed in such a wonderful environment. Props to: Carlos. Thank you so much for our tour. My 10 year old loves marine animals & absolutely loved the tour. She can't wait to share with her teacher and classmates what she learned. If we return to the island in the future, we'll definitely be making another stop.

So fortunate that I get to attend this year's Waimea Cherry Blossom Heritage Festival. Luckily I…read moreplanned ahead and booked flights and rental car as soon as I found out date of event. I saved me some money vs the first year it was last minute. This makes it tge 32nd year for festival which was held early this year, Saturday February 1, 2025 from 9:00 am- 3:00 pm. I hope the event stays open 2 hours longer next year, I felt that 3 pm is too early, as it got closer I was trying to rush at the event to try to squeeze in as much as possible. This festival commemorates the blossoming Cherry Blossom ( Sakura) of the original 20 Japanese cherry blossom trees planted in 1972 by the Waimea Lions Club at Church Row Park and observes the Japanese tradition of Hanami viewing. This is my 3rd year attending the festival, I loved and enjoyed every moment. We arrived early , first flight to Hilo but also made a stop for breakfast and farmers market. Driving in to Waimea took a little longer due to traffic along the way, I noticed the festival was more crowded this year which is a good thing. There was traffic along the main road and looking for parking at Parker Ranch was a struggle. Happily we found a spot, after waiting a bit but yay. Stopped at the food court at Parker Ranch for bathroom break and off to enjoy the festivities, we had a nice picnic lunch while enjoying the entertainment. Did a little shopping, checked out some booth. I missed quite a few line up on the agenda but def. next year, I get here sharp at 9 am. & The question, was there blooms on the Cherry Blossom trees?!- YES. not all trees but there were enough blooms for all to enjoy. I love Cherry Blossom!! The littlest things in life brings me joy. Waimea Cherry Blossom Heritage Festival is such a great event for the Kamuela community, I can see this was enjoyed by all family, residents & visitors of all ages. I can't wait for next year! Check out the Festival, this is such an awesome event, see ya all next year!