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Smith's Family Garden Luau - Kauai's Most Famous Luau & Fire Knife Dancing Show

Overall Rating

4.664.66 / 5

Reviews

229 reviews (Post a review)

Smith Family Garden Luau with a Toddler

Reviewed by: Patty, 2019/05/09

This was a good experience all the way around! Ordering tickets was easy through Veltra. Check in was seamless.
The 10 min tram ride around the beautiful grounds was just long enough to give an overview of the area but not so long that a 3 year old would get bored. They allowed time before dinner to walk around and get the wiggles out. The food was good and they even marked the gluten free dishes. There was another break before the show to run around and use the restrooms (even had a golf cart to transport there & back). The acts were exciting enough, and short enough to keep the toddler entertained and the fire dancer was great! Only drawbacks: cell service almost non-existent (hard to connect with late arrivers), lots of waiting to get in because of the photo line-maybe do it after tram ride).

Rating:
Attended as:Families
Activity Date:2019/05/06
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Great Family Fun

Reviewed by: Nevin, 2019/04/07

The Smiths family luau was very well organized. They took care of all the guest and made you feel very welcomed. The food was very delicious and the show was very well done with incredible dancing and special effects. You not only go there to have a good time, but you learn the history of the island and all it has to offer. I would rate this as a Superior experience.

Rating:
Attended as:Families with Young Children
Activity Date:2019/04/04
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Best Luau Experience

Reviewed by: Noble, 2019/03/04

Our whole party of six was pleasantly surprised by the Smith's Family Garden Luau. We have been to other luaus and this rates as the best so far. The grounds are beautiful! The food and service was excellent! The staff were very friendly. The dinner entertainment was nice and the after dinner show was very good and informative of Hawaiian cultural history.



Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2019/03/01
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Wonderful experience!

Reviewed by: Karri, 2019/02/23

This was my first trip to Hawaii and my first Luau. The Smith family did an amazing job. The food was delicious and the show was outstanding. Highly recommend!

Rating:
Attended as:Solo Travelers
Activity Date:2019/02/22
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Show was wonderful!

Reviewed by: T. G., 2019/01/22

The grounds of the Smith Family Luau are beautiful, kept up well. The unearthing of the pig was a great experience. The food, well, it was okay, nothing special. The mai tai's were a funny brown color, not sure what juice was in it. The best part was the show. The music and dancers were amazing! So happy we were able to see it.

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2019/01/16
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Smith's family luau

Reviewed by: Peggy , 2018/12/03

We had a fantastic time at the luau. Delicious food and a fabulous show. This is a must do on Kauai. The gardens are also beautiful and includes a guided tram ride thru them. Great service. Loved the transportation to the luau and home.

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2018/11/30
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More tribal and fire dancing

Reviewed by: Karen , 2018/10/25

The food and staff were excellent. Would like to have seen more of tribal danciing like the Tahiti dance with the drums and the fire danceing .

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2018/10/22
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Smith Family Luau

Reviewed by: Uma, 2018/09/06

Amazing place, hospitality and food!! Enjoyed the spectacular show they had!! Great dancers and ambience!!

Rating:
Attended as:Solo Travelers
Activity Date:2018/09/03
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Good, but not the best

Reviewed by: Andy, 2018/09/05

The food was very good, and the show was good as well. My only real complaint is the time gap between events happening. We arrived and were treated to a tram tour of the botanical gardens, which is fabulous. After that we had approximately 40 minutes before the Imu ceremony where they pull the pig out of the oven. Although we further explored the gardens, there's only so many times you can admire a flower or tree. My wife and I decided to find seats (open seating for parties less than 5), and we choose poorly. The bar doesn't open until after the Imu ceremony, so we weren't able to enjoy a drink (other than water) while we waited. After the Imu ceremony, the band started playing music and the bar opened. Once the buffet started, we realized our poor choice of seats, as we were among the last tables to be signaled for the buffet. At least we had drinks by that time, but the waiting wears on you. The food was good, but once we were finished, there was only the music to listen to. Normally this is an opportunity to talk to the other guests, but the seating arrangement isn't conducive to starting a conversation with strangers.
After another 30 minutes or dead time or so, we moved from the dining area to the theater. The show was entertaining, with traditional dances and music, but it just didn't flow as a story for me. I felt like it was more of a documentary of Hawaiian dance. My wife and I were ready to go when it was over (even before).

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2018/08/30
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It was a great time!

Reviewed by: TLS, 2018/09/03

Very nice and friendly staff. Great food and excellent show.

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2018/08/31
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Nice surprise

Reviewed by: Mikaela, 2018/08/29

My idea about a Luau was...some food and a little bit of Tahitian dancing on a hotel property...This is what we saw year after year walking on Kaanapali beach - Maui .

Smith Family Garden Luau IT IS TOTALLY DIFFERENT- worth attending. They are very well organized and offer you a unique experience!

1. You get greeted by a local girl and boy who are offering a lei and at this point you get a group picture taken- nice touch- no pressure to buy it,

2.They offer you a tour of the garden and after that you have time to wander by yourself- 50 min- until they do the pork ceremony.

3. You are invited to your table- parties 6 or more have assigned seats- very thoughtful. They have a neat system to invite you to get the food without overcrowding the area. BTW- plenty of good food and drinks.
4. During the meal they entertain you : a little bit of dancing and singing and they invite people from the crowd to teach them how to dance. It was really neat !!
4. After the meal you are invited to an outdoor theater for an 1 hour show. It was A REAL show...lights, music...put together very professional! Enough seats for everyone, you can seethe scene from every seat . At the entrance you can pick up your photos.


I think it is the only Luau worth attending :)


  • In the garden

Rating:
Attended as:Families
Activity Date:2018/08/08
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Best luau ever!!!!

Reviewed by: Jessica Sturholm , 2018/08/04

Best luau ever! Food was amazing! Drinks were strong! ❤️


Rating:
Attended as:Families
Activity Date:2018/08/01
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An authentic Polynesian evening in Kauai

Reviewed by: Darcy, 2018/06/06

On our last night on the island, my friend and I went to the Smith's Luau, and it was one of our most memorable times on Kauai. It was not only informative, but entertaining as well. You can tell that this family owned and operative business is run with love and a true appreciation for Hawaiian culture.

The tram ride took us along the huge gardens, and was a great way to get a quick view of the area. I loved that they have a herd of goats! The babies were just so cute! It was also close to where they were doing the imu or underground oven ceremony. Picture time!

The food was plentiful and really tasty. I loved that they had entertainment (music and dancing) while we ate, and the only thing is that I would personally skip the fruit punch. It was just too sweet! But the food, man! I had two full plates and would have had more, but would have ended up rolling out of there.

Our night concluded with some fantastic performances, and although they weren't the most polished, they were filled with sincerity and a love of hula that can't be matched. You can tell that they truly enjoy being on that stage and it is just so moving. Really happy we went :)







Rating:
Attended as:Friends
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Best luau ever!

Reviewed by: Margot & Gene, 2018/04/30

The family owned luau was extremely well run from the warm greetings, the shell lei and pictures to a tour of the gardens, the ceremony of retrieving the pig and delicious dinner and drinks. We especially enjoyed the variety of the show. The dancers were suberb! We'd recommend this luau experience to everyone

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2018/04/27
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Outstanding

Reviewed by: Cheryl, 2018/02/12

Best luau I’ve been to! Very spacious and well organized! The food is delicious and everyone is very friendly! This was my second time and I’d do it again! Well worth the money!






Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2018/02/09
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Educational and professional luau

Reviewed by: Kathy, 2018/01/07

The smith family runs a professional operation. Everything was well-timed. Tram through the gardens to the imu presentation was nice. Ability to walk through the gardens was nice as much as you want is nice. Imu (unearthing the cooked pig) was interesting. Food at dinner was good, though open air dining room was not was I would have expected. Show was in an amphitheater nearby and again not what I expected, but visibility was good for all. The show was very well done, the right length and I appreciated the educational sharing of different types of dance to immigrants from different countries. Very enjoyable.

Rating:
Attended as:Friends
Activity Date:2018/01/03
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Best Luau on the island

Reviewed by: Pijones, 2017/12/21

Food is great, ground are amazing. This is more like a family than a production

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2017/03/13
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SO great!

Reviewed by: Rick, 2017/11/25

Loved attending this with my family and friends. Have already recommended it to other people!

Rating:
Attended as:Families
Activity Date:2017/11/03
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The best show

Reviewed by: Ria Starr BC CDN, 2017/11/18

What a great night
A family run show and grounds
Well done
Really enjoyed the show and wowzers the meal
Outstanding
Gonna have to bump up my exercise program
This month
Mahalo
To many more

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2017/11/15
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Awesome food and show!

Reviewed by: Angela C, 2017/11/04

We enjoyed the experience. The food was delicious! Everyone was so nice. My 3yr old enjoyed watching the show, it's very entertaining. Definitely worth going!!!

Rating:
Attended as:Families with Young Children
Activity Date:2017/11/01
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Great Experience

Reviewed by: J&S F, 2017/10/28

Beautiful location and great experience! Food was very good. Staff super friendly. The show was very good. Gardens were beautiful.

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2017/10/05
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Smith Family Garden Luau

Reviewed by: Sandra McCarthy, 2017/10/15

Beautiful location, great food and fantastic performances of Hawaiian culture! The entire evening was very well organized and the people so gracious and accommodating. We Loved it and recommend it highly!


  • Hulu dancerd


  • Beautiful scene in Fern grotto


  • Uncovering of Pig ceremony

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2017/10/12
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Smith's Luau

Reviewed by: Sue, 2017/10/08

We had a great day at Luau. It was loud in area while we eat maybe they don't need to

play and sing all the dinner time. Great food and drink.

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2017/10/04
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Smiths luau

Reviewed by: Cindi, 2017/10/05

Outstanding food helpful staff and the show was amazing.

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2017/10/02
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Luau Fun

Reviewed by: Bruce Cariker, 2017/09/20

Very good for what it was billed as. Good food, great dancing, maybe a bit Disneyesque. The fire knife dancer was a bit into himself, milking the audience for extra applause for his displays of skill. Dinner and show were well run, smooth and essentially seamless. Dinner seating was very good. Seats at the show venue, while padded, became a bit hard and narrow after awhile. I suppose it's the tradeoff required to get that many people within a good viewing distance of the show. Worth seeing again.

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2017/09/15
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Beautiful Gardens

Reviewed by: Julia, 2017/09/17

Great night. The hosts were warm and welcoming. I loved walking around the gardens.

Rating:
Attended as:Friends
Activity Date:2017/08/25
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Awesome

Reviewed by: Karen Ramlal, 2017/09/16

Amazing show thank you food was delicious
Keep up the good work

Rating:
Attended as:Families with Young Children
Activity Date:2017/09/13
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Great Food!

Reviewed by: Daniel H, 2017/09/08

Attended with my wife on our honeymoon. My first Luau, and I loved it! Mr. Smith is a super chill dude, the food was great, and the show was awesome too!

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2017/08/24
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Good

Reviewed by: Rachel, 2017/08/27

It was very busy. Good food but my gluten free meal was brought 20 minutes after I was full from the salads provided. However I ate the pork , chicken from the buffet style feast and food was well labelled so I had no reaction to the food I ate considering I am allergic to wheat. Very nice staff. Show was good. I wished there was more history and traditional dance wear. The high pitched whale noises the one lady made hurt my ears for every song. I wished the warrior dance was longer as I enjoyed the drums and seeing less women dancers hehe. The fire show was the best part. Thanks so much smith family!!

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2017/08/24
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Amazing

Reviewed by: Alexander, 2017/08/23

We attended the Smith Family Garden Luau for our 13th Wedding Anniversary. This experience was outstanding and would do it again and again. The food was amazing, the people were friendly, and the show was educational.

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2017/08/08
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