Big Kahuna Luau at Tantalus Mountain Top with Honolulu City View
Overall Rating
4.70
Cocktail package
Reviewed by: Whitney , 2016/06/07We signed up for the cocktail package and arrived just when the luau show was going to begin... It was a wonderful show and a great view before we were seated. It was a short show with many dances
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2016/06/01 |
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Onolicious Pig
Reviewed by: Pigalicious, 2016/04/27From the time of pick up till the time of drop off, our driver/ guide "Cousin Miah" made us feel like we were one big "ohana", celebrating this feast at the "Big Kahuna Luau." As soon as we boarded the vehicle we were on our way out of the crazy touristy Waikiki and to the quiet mountain top of Tantalus. The breath of fresh air with delicious appetizers and drinks was just a the perfect way to spend our "Aloha Friday!" Before the luau began, my children were able to take a hula lesson, make lei's, get a tattoo, and witness a gorgeous Hawaiian sunset. After the imu cermeony, the kalaua pig didn't just run away to the kitchen like the other luaus. Here you can witness the cook skillfully chop the pig so we can all have a taste. It took a while as we took turns to the go to the buffet line, but you end up going for seconds to get another bite of the teriyaki chicken. As the dancers and fire dancer entertain you, you loose track of time. Before your know it, its time to head back to Waikiki but not before taking a look at the amazing city lights of Honolulu. Mahalo Nui Loa Big Kahuna Luau for a night to remember!
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| Attended as: | Families with Young Children |
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Meh ....
Reviewed by: lisa, 2016/01/02 Our driver was great, but the Luau itself was no big deal. The food was mediocre at best & the show was just Okay.
Would skip it next time
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| Attended as: | Families |
| Activity Date: | 2015/12/27 |
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Enjoyable evening
Reviewed by: Dirk, 2016/01/02Over the years, I have attended most of the luaus offered to visitors to Oahu. This was one of the better ones that I have seen. The food was your typical luau offering but the show was exceptional! I would say that if you are a "senior", you may find that the grounds are very uneven, hilly and can be very slippery if it's wet like it was the evening that I attended. This can make it difficult to walk around to the various locations that you want to see. They recommend that you bring a light jacket and I strongly recommend that you do so. It gets chilly on the mountain and you'll need it. All in all, a great evening with a beautiful view of the city below and an excellent show.
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| Attended as: | Solo Travelers |
| Activity Date: | 2015/12/30 |
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Great Time!
Reviewed by: Michael C., 2015/11/06This was our first Luau and glad we chose the Big Kahuna Luau. The place was nice and peaceful with awesome views. Everyone was kind and the food was great.
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2015/10/11 |
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First choice hands down
Reviewed by: Laura, 2015/10/01Booked this Luau prior to arriving to the island, wanted a mountain view and of course the perks of the VIP Package.The view was breath taking. This show was great, the Host was hilarious, Let me tell you, no regrets! love, love, loved it. I can not end this review without mentioning cousin Stephen with a PH. I booked the Luau to include pick up at our hotel, short story, Stephen explained Ohana is family and we were family that day. He made sure there was no dysfunction in that family, he was polite and courteous, funny and encourage us to just let go and enjoy. He was our server at the luau and made sure are drinks were never empty and our bellies were full , very attentive. If your lucky, he will be on you tour. Thanks cousin Stephen! Excellent service all around from booking, pick up to Luau.
Mahalo for your excellent review, Laura! We're so glad you had a great time :)
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| Attended as: | Friends |
| Activity Date: | 2015/09/22 |
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Entertaining and worth considering
Reviewed by: Stu Diggy, 2015/09/16Trying to be brutally honest here, this was a fun experience, but not outstanding.
Our bus driver Martino was super friendly and worked to keep us entertained on the drive up the mountain. He was on time, and the trip was c. 20 minutes, certainly no longer than they tell you about.
The views are fabulous and you have a couple of stops along the road to snap pics.
The workers at the luau are also very friendly. The activities seemed rushed and crowded. Good is you don't get bored. Bad is that you don't really get to do everything you might want. Oh, and they need to refine their painting technique/materials for the tattoos
Food was average. That was probably the biggest letdown. Hors d'oeuvre of single coconut shrimp was great. Drinks were fair, but a bit weak. Pork sample was good, would have liked for main course. Other food was fair. Not bad by any stretch, but fair.
Dancing/entertainment was magnificent. All of the dances were well performed.
My first luau so I can't compare w/ others. Didn't blow me away, but OTOH was enjoyable.
Mahalo for your feedback Stu! We hope to improve the experience for the next time you visit us :)
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| Attended as: | Families |
| Activity Date: | 2015/09/13 |
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Great Luau! I went with my wife and mother inlaw 8/22/2015-08/27/2015
Reviewed by: Linda Tierney , 2015/09/02This is the most beautiful luau I have ever been to! All the dancers performed so nicely. I had the opportunity to dance on stage and it was fun. Food and drinks were perfect. Wonderful people cant wait to soon go again !!!!
Mahalo for your excellent review, Linda! We're so glad your enjoyed yourself :)
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2015/08/23 |
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Great show!
Reviewed by: Nathan & Kaila , 2015/07/25We really enjoyed this luau. Reading some reviews of other luaus, we thought that this one would have a more authentic feel. It was outside in a beautiful spot to view the sunset. There were a few activities and dancing before the meal, which preceded the show. They actually had the traditional pig cooked in a pit to sample. The food was really good, but the highlight was the show. Dancers were great in all the routines. Pickup was right at the hotel. We stopped going & returning for pictures of a great city view. I would highly recommend this luau!
Mahalo for your great review, Nathan and Kalia! We're so happy that you had a great time :)
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2015/06/30 |
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Kahuna Luau
Reviewed by: Ann L, 2015/07/11It was awesome! I took my daughter and her boyfriend and we all had a wonderful time. I would love to do it again!
Mahalo for your review, Ann! We're glad that you, your daughter, and her boyfriend had a great time :)
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| Attended as: | Families |
| Activity Date: | 2015/07/08 |
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Perfect evening
Reviewed by: Julie/ pittsburgh pa, 2015/06/28After doing some research on the local luau's I made the decision to book the "Big Kahuna" luau. My only hesitation is that it wasn't on the beach. It had great reviews posted so I decided to book it. I was so glad I did!!! It was a great evening!! Our shuttle driver Cousin Eddie was entertaining and started the evening off to a fun start. Once we arrived we were surprised at the gorgeous view that over looked the city. They had different activities for us to attend until dinner and the show. The dinner was delicious and the show was very entertaining. The staff was very friendly and made sure everyone was having a great time!!! I would highly recommend this luau.
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| Attended as: | Families |
| Activity Date: | 2015/06/24 |
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Great Luau Experience!!
Reviewed by: The Whelchels, 2015/06/22Couldn't ask for anything better. From the van/bus ride to the estate to the food and and show, all very well done! Well worth the money.
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| Attended as: | Families with Young Children |
| Activity Date: | 2015/05/29 |
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Five Star all the way
Reviewed by: Kelly , 2015/06/13Starting with transportation to the Luau all the way there and back was fantastic. The Luau itself was Five Star all the way. The food, drinks, dancers and activities were all Five Star. Loved it and will go again.
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| Attended as: | Families |
| Activity Date: | 2015/06/10 |
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Great Experience!
Reviewed by: AVE, 2015/06/07I picked this luau based on other reviews and so glad we did! We were picked up by Rick and he was very entertaining. When we got to our destination, the views were spectacular. They greeted you with Mai Tai's and yummy appetizers. They had a photographer take your pics, with and without the dancers, which you could purchase during dinner. FyI, one pic was $25, make sure you bring extra cash. Before the show, they have plenty of activities one can participate in. From hula lessons, temporary tattoos, floral bracelet making to ukulele lessons. The dinner buffet was great. They had a great variety of food, the mahi mahi was wonderful! :) And before the show started, they let everyone know that if they wanted seconds, they could get them. The show was beautiful and very entertaining! You will be amazed with the young fire dancer. We had a great time and their hospitality was very sincere and welcoming. After the show, the dancers thank you for coming, as you exit. We will definitely be back again, we had an awesome time. Mahalo!
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| Attended as: | Families |
| Activity Date: | 2015/06/05 |
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Fantasic Evening
Reviewed by: Cathy and Chuck, 2015/06/07Big Kahuna Luau was one of the highlights of our trip to Oahu. From our driver to the luau staff to the entertainment it was a wonderful and memorable evening. We were greeted by the Luau host presented with shell lei's and a mai tai had our photos taken (they came out amazing) then we were able to walk around the grounds and take in the beautiful scenery. Next up was our chance to make a palm braided headband, a wrist flower lei, learn to play the ukulele or learn the hula. The food was outstanding and the stage show was fantastic! Even the rain couldn't dampen the evening. We had a wonderful time!
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2015/05/13 |
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Fabulous!
Reviewed by: CarolS, 2015/04/08This luau was absolutely fabulous! What sets it apart from others? The views are spectacular! The food is outstanding! It is smaller, so the people go out of their way to make you feel very special. The 8 yr old fire dancer was amazing! The open bar with the premium package is a great idea (great drinks too; not watered down; served to your table). We were told to bring a jacket, but didn't need it. All in all, we had a super time. We will come back. Mahalo!
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| Attended as: | Friends |
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Why see the chief or a center, when you can hang with Kahunas!
Reviewed by: ----------RHO----, 2015/03/21The Big Kahuna luau was awesome! We were first greeted by the Ambassador of Aloha named Chad. As we boarded the bus, he gave us our ticket, and gave us a brief explanation as to what were are going to expect. We then picked everyone else up and he then further detailed what we all was about to experience. On our drive up Chad, was greeting everyone and getting to know them by asking for everyone's first names, where they are from etc. He made a real great first impression. As soon as we got to the luau we knew what to expect. He were greeted with a shell lei, maitai, and appetizers! We took photos with hula dancers, danced hula with them, and started drinking! Those maitais were amazing! I had three before we even got seated for our dinner. Dinner menu was amazing with local foods that I couldn't get enough of. I was in a dilemma, I was either going to drink a lot, or eat a lot, so I decided to do both. Little did I know that the next day, my bed was my best friend. This is by far the classiest luau where you have servers going around asking if everything is okay even if you weren't in the VIP section. I had an amazing time and I wish everyone would take my word about how fabulous the Big Kahuna Luau is! Mahalo to Discover Hawaii Tours & VELTRA for seting me up with awesome memories!
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| Attended as: | Friends |
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An absolute MUST see!!!
Reviewed by: Kristy Dye, 2015/01/14My husband and I were on our Honeymoon and booked the Big Kahuna Luau! We both agreed that this was hands down the BEST experience we had the whole week we stayed in Honolulu! The Mai Tai ' s were to die for! There were multiple activities prior to dinner that just gave you such a feel of their culture, not to mention hula dancing lessons!! The atmosphere, the breath taking views, the caterers, the dancers, even the owner were all just so fabulous! Because it's location is mountain top, I knew to bring a sweater but they also had blankets for anyone who was chilly. I was thoroughly impressed by the hospitality shown! If we ever get to come back to Hawaii, we will book this Luau again!
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2015/01/06 |
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Would Like to Have Met the Big Kahuna
Reviewed by: Marisa, 2014/10/18I had the impression that the Big Kahuna was going to be there, but I guess he took the night off. Still, I can say that the luau was in good hands. The driver was prompt and was really nice! I enjoyed the lei greeting by the dancers and how interactive they were the entire night with all of the attendees. The poi, lomi lomi salmon, and teriyaki chicken were tasty! The fish was a little under cooked, but they made up for it by giving me alcohol. Rum is nice when you are depressed over soggy fish. The show was amazing, the best Polynesian dance show that I have been to! The dancers were very professional and polished and I think that this factor alone deserves five stars. The Big Kahuna knows what he's doing. All in all, I had a lot of fun and would go again.
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| Attended as: | Friends |
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Big Kahuna Luau!
Reviewed by: BeachBoy, 2014/10/17This is our 2nd time in Hawaii, and we wanted to do something different. We went to the Polynesian Cultural Center a few years ago, and we wanted to make sure that we go to a luau again. We found this luau on VELTRA, and we are glad we did. It was very close to Waikiki, and the view was gorgeous! It was like a little hidden secret place in the busy Honolulu that no guidebook writes about. They welcomed us with some Mai Tai and pupus, and we had enough time to play Hawaiian games and learn how to hula. The show was pretty good, and the quality of entertainment was top notch. The food was ok, but the customer service was great. We'd go again next time.
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| Attended as: | Friends |
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Mahalo for your great review, Michael! We're so happy that you had a great time. Hope to see you the next time you're in the islands :)