The next morning I drove to Wailea to the Fairmont Kea Lani for some beach time and paddle boarding. The resort is beautiful, and the paddle boarding was the best ever as I could see blue fish swimming next to me and was joined by a very friendly sea turtle. For lunch, I returned to Paia where I was determined to dine at the Paia Fish Market, despite its always packed dining area. I ordered the very popular “Obama Burger,” which is fully equipped with Cajun seasoning and wasabi butter on top of white fish.That evening, Tatianna and I were excited to experience the Old Lahaina Luau, which is considered by everyone the best luau on the island. We were greeted by Kawika who was our host for the evening. As we entered, we received our lei and quickly picked up a few Mai Tais to start the evening. Kawika gave us the grand tour prior to the general public arriving. Along the waterfront were authentic Hawaiian artisans featuring everything from basket weaving to wood carving to lei making. We even got our very own hula lesson, and an overview of the Imu Pit where they cook the pig for the evening’s feast. I was somewhat confused as Kawika showed us a bunch of dirt and said that’s where the pig is. I quickly realized that the pig was buried under the dirt and was cooking, a 12-hour process.
After the pig was unearthed, dinner was served. We feasted on traditional luau fare, such as Poi, Pulehu Steak and Ahi Poke. I especially loved the Chicken Long Rice, which looked like clear gummy noodles. It was delicious! After dinner, the show began with a tribute to the compelling tradition of the pahu (drum) with the Ote’a, the famous and festive drum dance of Tahiti. Afterwards, the ancient hula and modern hula were featured and each one told a story, as all hulas do. It is a beautiful display of Hawaii’s most popular performing arts with lovely movements, colorful costumes and an authentic feel of the island’s history. Mahalo to Kawika and the fantastic staff at Old Lahaina Luau..this was one terrific evening!
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The entire evening was perfect down to the umbrella in my Mai Tai, which they began serving while we waited to enter the grounds. We were escorted to our table by a Hawaiian native dressed in traditional attire, we heard the Old Lahaina Luau was authentic, but every ounce of our evening was infused Hawaiian culture. After we located our seats, we were encouraged to walk the grounds where we could view a number of traditional items being handcrafted, ultimately making our way to the waters edge where we experienced our most memorable red sunset on Maui. During our stay we enjoyed many Maui restaurants, but I have to say that the incredible variety of Hawaiian cuisine served at the Old Lahaina Luau topped any other meal on our vacation.
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