Attending a Hawaiian luau is a rite of passage for visitors to Hawaii, especially on a first visit. It’s one of those things that people expect you to do. In movies or TV shows, when the characters go to Hawaii, you know there will always be a luau. It may seem a bit “touristy,” but we were not going to pass on the experience at all! Because there are numerous luaus to choose from, of course we did our research, and we decided to visit the Smith Family Luau!
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Smith Family Luau
Kapaʻa, Kauai, HI | smithskauai.com
Address: 3-5971 Kuhio Hwy
The Smith Family Luau is located in Kapaa on the beautiful “Garden Isle” of Kauai. The property is immaculately kept and landscaped into a true paradise.
6 Reasons We Love the Smith Family Luau
1. We Were Greeted with Leis
Because we island-hopped Hawaii on a cruise ship, we were taken to the luau by bus. After arrival, we entered through a beautiful arch and were presented with shell leis. Being greeted with “Aloha!” and being given a lei is one of those truly Hawaiian experiences that I couldn’t wait to have.
See Related: 15 Tips for Exploring Hawaii: What We Learned While Island-Hopping
After our hellos from the Smith family, we boarded a tram to get a tour of the massive property and its many gardens.
2. The Property Is Gorgeous!
After the tram tour, where we were shown each of the garden areas (each one themed to a different garden type like Japanese, Polynesian, or Hawaiian) and given information on many of the plants and animals on the grounds, we were allowed to wander at our leisure.
We took tons of photos! Every scene, every angle that our eyes landed on looked like a postcard photo. This free time also gave us plenty of time to examine the plants and animals, many native to Hawaii, more closely.
See Related: 40 Things To Do in the Islands of Hawaii
The animals included birds like peacocks, ducks, geese, and chickens, but the bird I most wanted to see in Hawaii was its State Bird- the Nene Goose.
See Related: 7 Beautiful Animals of Hawaii
3. The Smith Family Has Been Hosting Luaus for Over 50 Years
The Smith Family has been hosting this luau for over fifty years, beginning with the grandmother, a native Hawaiian who married a man with the very “un-Hawaiian” name, Smith.
The family joked with us about attending such a traditional Hawaiian activity with the SMITH family. We loved their humor but also their pride for their name.
This native Hawaiian family is happy to share their family and cultural heritage with guests. They were all so personable and welcoming. The whole family joined in the festivities by cooking, serving, singing/playing instruments, or performing the traditional dances.
4. Traditional Imu Ceremony
Before dinner, we were invited to watch the imu ceremony, which is the process of taking the cooked pig out of its underground oven. The pig is cooked under mats and leaves with hot stones.
The crowd gathered around the covered pit, eager to watch dinner emerge! We were taken through the process by Kamika Smith, the emcee, as two talented guys removed the dirt, mats, leaves, and then the hot stones with their bare hands.
The pig looked absolutely huge coming out of its oven, and smelled amazing! We couldn’t wait to get some of that kalua pork in our mouths and bellies!
5. Traditional Hawaiian Foods
We felt very taken care of the whole time. When we couldn’t find seats for dinner right away, one of the Smith ladies was at our side immediately to show us to some empty chairs.
When I couldn’t decide exactly which foods to try, I was given food descriptions and suggestions. The family members that helped me with my food choices were also the ones that cooked the food, and they were so extremely happy to tell me all about it and proud to share it with me.
Have you ever made a dish for a party at someone else’s house, and you just start smiling and beaming when someone tries it and likes it? Yeah, that’s how they watched us! Loved it!
Not only did we have an amazing array of food to try, including traditional Hawaiian foods like poi, kalua pork, and haupia, but drinks were also included… as in all the Mai Tais we wanted.
That doesn’t mean a whole lot for us since we don’t really drink (you can read all about my bladder condition and how I handle it while traveling), but some people had a BALL with the drinks. I’m not sure they’ll even remember watching the fire-dances and hulas performed that night!
See Related: Top 10 Foods to Try in Hawaii
6. Traditional Hawaiian Dances
Our seats for the show were great. We made our way down to the stage area after we completed our meal, but many people enjoyed the drinks right up until show time.
The performances were lively, interesting, entertaining, impressive, and even touching. The dancers seemed to have a blast.
I’m not sure the smiles ever left their faces. I absolutely loved that all so many body types were represented by the dancers, each one equally beautiful!!!
The dances included the Hawaiian Hula, but also a Samoan Fire Dance, a Japanese fan dance, and drum dances from Tahiti.
After the show, we took a photo with the performers and made our way out of the beautiful gardens back to the bus. The Smith Family waved goodbye to us as we returned to our cruise ship (you gotta love a hotel room that follows you from island to island!).
We feel like we made a great choice by visiting the Smith Family on the island of Kauai. We could not have asked for a better experience. The atmosphere, the food, the people, and the performances were all wonderful.
Thank you, Smith Family, for a night that we will always remember!
DISCLOSURE: This post may contain affiliate links, which means we may earn a commission if you make a purchase through these links with no change in price for you.
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Are you planning a trip to Hawaii? Have you been before? What do you think of luaus? Have you ever attended one? If so, what was your experience like? Let us know in the comments below!
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