Mauka Warriors Luau: Tourist Trap or Totally Worth It?
Attending a luau is on many visitors’ Hawaii bucket lists. With so many options to choose from (and ticket prices that add up quickly), it’s hard to know if it is actually worth your time and money. We had the chance to experience the Mauka Warriors Luau and were excited to see everything it entailed!
From cultural demonstrations and island cuisine to Polynesian performances and fire dancing, this luau promises an unforgettable evening. Plus, military members and dependents can get discounted tickets through the MWR.
But is the Mauka Warriors Luau a tourist trap or totally worth it? Here’s everything you need to know before you go.
What to Expect
What is the Mauka Warriors Luau?
The Mauka Warriors Luau is a cultural experience located at Coral Crater Adventure Park in Kapolei on Oahu’s Leeward side.
Designed to celebrate the traditions and stories of Polynesia, the evening combines hands-on activities, a Hawaiian buffet dinner, and an exciting live performance featuring hula dancing, music, and fire knife demonstrations. Guests can participate in cultural experiences before the show, learn about the history of the islands, and enjoy a night of entertainment under the stars.
This luau focuses on Polynesian warriors and storytelling. The result is a unique take on the classic Hawaiian luau experience.
Packages
The Mauka Warriors Luau offers three different package options:
- the ‘lowest’ package, $139 per adult, has seating in the back of the venue, 1 drink ticket, and a seashell lei
- the middle package, $169 per adult, has middle-section seating, 2 drink tickets, and a kukui nut lei
- the highest package, $199 per adult, has front-section seating, 3 drink tickets, a flower lei, and priority entrance
All of these packages include pre-show activities. However, you can buy cheaper tickets for the show and dinner only.
We opted for the middle full package. If you’re an active-duty or retired service member or dependent, then you can buy discounted tickets through the MWR’s Leisure Travel Service. (Which is what we did!)
Honestly, the only difference in the package that seemed to matter to us was the seating. It was nice to be closer to the stage.
Our Honest Experience
Parking
The event venue for the Mauka Warriors Luau is located at Coral Crater Adventure Park. Thankfully, there is a big, spacious parking lot. And it’s free!
There is also event staff there to guide you into a spot, which really helps cut down on confusion and chaos with so many cars coming in at once.
After you park, you walk to the entrance and wait in line for the doors to open. You wait in line to receive your lei greeting, then someone shows you to your seat.
Pre-Show Activities
Before the buffet opens and the show begins, there are several interactive pre-show activities.
Complimentary Photos
Our first stop after entering and finding our table was to pose for our complimentary photos. Each package comes with complimentary digital photos of your group. And I’m so glad, since this was the only group picture we remembered to take all night!
Get Pretty
Perhaps, this should be your first step before taking pictures!
Chances are that you bought special (or even matching) Hawaiian clothes to wear to the luau.
In case you didn’t (or even if you did!), there are several ‘stations’ where you could get pretty things to wear during the luau. There are flower lei bracelets, woven headbands, and even temporary tattoos to adorn yourself with for the celebration.
Umu Kitchen
You can visit the outdoor umu kitchen, where a pig is being cooked using the traditional Hawaiian practices of cooking in an underground ‘oven’ of rocks and leaves. You can also learn to shave coconuts, taste kava, and peel green bananas.
There is also a kitchen ceremony before the show begins, where you watch the men remove the pig from the imu.
Dance
You can also learn a little bit of ancient Hawaiian hula during a short lesson. Or try your hand at fire knife twirling (without the flame, of course!).
Dinner
Once the kitchen ceremony is over, everyone makes their way to their table. Your seats are assigned based on the ticket package that you purchased.
Everyone sits together at long tables. Of course, your group is seated together.
It is a bit cramped. Not only are you sitting very close to the person next to you, but it’s also difficult to get in and out because the backs of the chairs are very close together.
After the emcee gives the blessing, each table is told when to get up and get in line for the buffet. (I REALLY like that this is a Christian-based, family-owned company!)
The Food
The buffet is all-you-can-eat Polynesian cuisine and the menu includes:
- mixed island greens
- steamed white rice
- lomi lomi salmon with poi
- purple Okinawan sweet potatoes
- fresh-cut sauteed vegetables
- slow-cooked Kalua pork
- chicken thighs with pineapple bbq sauce
- taro rolls
- grilled & fresh pineapple
- baked mac & cheese with ham & bacon
- sauteed Asian-style fish
- chow mein noodles with char siu pork
- aburage (tofu) garlic fried rice
- haupia Hawaiian coconut pudding
To be honest, the food was okay. It wasn’t bad, but some of it was a little bland. It’s not a huge complaint, but between the cramped conditions and bland food, dinner wasn’t my favorite part of the experience.
The Show
My favorite part of the whole evening (and the only part I would go back for) was the show!
The Mauka Warriors Luau performers were top notch! They put on a terrific show.
Live Music
The Mauka Serenaders are the live musicians that play all of the music that you hear during the luau. During dinner, they play a mix of traditional Hawaiian songs, original compositions, and popular songs that they give their own island spin!
In addition to the Serenaders, there is also a full drum line!
The Dancing
There were several kinds of dancing that we saw at the Mauka Warriors Luau. Of course, I expected to see hula and haka performances, but the show went beyond the basics.
I can’t pretend to be an expert on the different types of dances, but according the Mauka Warriors website, here are the dances you might see there:
- hula kahiko (ancient hula)
- hula ‘auana (modern hula)
- ‘ori (from Tahiti)
- kailao (from Tonga)
- ‘ura (from the Cook Islands)
- fire poi (from New Zealand)
- haka (from New Zealand)
- siva afi (from Samoa)
The live music, the story-telling, the dancing, the fire twirling….everything was absolutely perfect!
We have been in Hawaii for almost 3 years and this was our first luau. And honestly, I think it was a ‘one and done’ experience for our family.
I don’t regret going. In fact, I’m really glad that we went. However, for a family of 4, a luau is an expensive outing.
Big luaus, like this one, are definitely ‘tourist traps’, but I still feel like they belong on your Hawaii Bucket List! It’s a fun reason to get dressed up and make memories with the ones you love most!
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