Reviewed by: KathyS
This luau was beyond our expectations. We went for the gold seating (worth it). We had a table right up front. Upon entering we were able to learn a few hula moves with the poi balls and do some shopping with local vendors. Open bar! All you could drink all through dinner. Hula dancers before and during dinner. Group hula lesson - fun! Buffet food was good - dessert delicious. Show after dinner was spectacular!! We also went to the plantation a couple of hours before the luau started to enjoy a tour of the old plantation house (with shops) and did some run tasting. Definitely worth the money. I would highly recommend this event.
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| Packages: | Gold Package: Premium Seating |
| Attended as: | Couples |
| Posted on: | 2014/05/21 |
| Activity Date: | 2014/05/13 |
Reviewed by: JSchwarcz
Beautiful trip down the Wailua River with great entertainment! Fern Grotto was spectacular!!! A must see when in Kauai!!
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| Packages: | River Cruise Package |
| Attended as: | Families |
| Posted on: | 2014/05/18 |
| Activity Date: | 2014/04/26 |
Reviewed by: Vicki
I've been to a lot of luaus. This one was okay. Food was average but nothing special. Buffet was hot and line went quickly.
Show was very good although not what most people would expect for a Luau. The show was a portrayal of how the first people came to Kauai. Very good but would have liked to seen more traditional dances.
The train ride is a waste of $18 and 45 minutes. would not recommend taking it at all unless you like to see pigs and chickens.
Staff was efficient and friendly.
Probably would not go back to this luau again.
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| Packages: | Gold Package: Premium Seating |
| Attended as: | Friends |
| Posted on: | 2014/05/12 |
| Activity Date: | 2014/05/09 |
Reviewed by: HAWAIIBOUND
JUST AN AWESOME SHOW AND THE FOOD WAS SO GOOD NOT A HUNGRY PERSON TO BE SEEN!
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| Packages: | Hawaiian Package: Standard Seating |
| Attended as: | Families |
| Posted on: | 2014/05/08 |
| Activity Date: | 2014/03/11 |
Reviewed by: Deb L
The cruise up the river on the barge was well narrated and very enjoyable. A great deal of history and general information about the area was shared with us, and various landmarks were pointed out.
Once we reached the Fern Grotto, we were entertained by the Smith family as they played the traditional wedding song, and we were given additional information about the Fern Grotto itself - including it's history and how it was made famous.
The return ride on the barge included the entertainers joining us and continuing the music and dancing. Visitors were encouraged to learn to hula and taught various moves.
As someone who tends to get very seasick, I had no issues at all on the cruise. Not even in the slightest.
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| Packages: | River Cruise Package |
| Attended as: | Couples |
| Posted on: | 2014/05/01 |
| Activity Date: | 2014/04/15 |
Reviewed by: ZNmez
The cruise was not too long, about two hours in total. The Wailua River is beautiful! The crew did a great version of the island "wedding song" while at the Fern Grotto. It was amazing to learn to hula from such talented dancers! Such a beautiful art!
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Posted on: | 2014/03/08 |
Reviewed by: Kauai Val
This is an awesome activity. I love the leisurely cruise up the river, the beautiful tropical foliage, the traditional Hawaiian music and the hula entertainment. This is the best bang for your buck in the islands. Definitely a must do!
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| Packages: | River Cruise Package |
| Attended as: | Couples |
| Posted on: | 2014/01/28 |
| Activity Date: | 2014/01/25 |
Reviewed by: Ann
I think this trip was reasonably priced and you get a variety of things: river, hula performance, and the fern grotto--not a dull moment for this trip.
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| Packages: | River Cruise Package |
| Attended as: | Solo Travelers |
| Posted on: | 2014/01/14 |
| Activity Date: | 2014/01/11 |
Reviewed by: Chere
We learned about the island, how to hula, and took some amazing pictures. The Smiths were great
| Rating: | |
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| Packages: | Standard |
| Attended as: | Couples |
| Posted on: | 2013/12/28 |
| Activity Date: | 2013/03/08 |
Reviewed by: Brandon and Kelly
What a great way to experience the Hawaiian culture! We very much enjoyed our dinner as well as the Luau performance after dinner. The dancers were fantastic and we were thoroughly entertained! We would highly recommend the plantation owners dinner for couples as it is a very romantic setting with a staff that made us feel very welcome and appreciated!
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Posted on: | 2013/10/30 |
Reviewed by: JamesD
Truly enjoyed the smooth ride up river with explanation of the local culture and sites. Musicians and dancers obviously enjoyed their craft and were top notch. Very pleasant way to spend the afternoon.
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| Packages: | River Cruise Package |
| Attended as: | Couples |
| Posted on: | 2013/09/28 |
| Activity Date: | 2013/09/09 |
Reviewed by: Lori
Had a wonderful time. Great show. Would go back again.
| Rating: | |
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| Packages: | Hawaiian Package: Standard Seating |
| Attended as: | Couples |
| Posted on: | 2013/09/25 |
| Activity Date: | 2013/09/24 |
Reviewed by: Jcutch
Before the show, my kids enjoyed getting their first Jagua skin art (similar to henna) from a local artist. Some of the show's performers had booths selling jewelry and crafts as well. The drinks were stiff, however, the food was on the mediocre side. The show itself was great and was enjoyed by all. The dancers were very friendly and welcoming. Overall great experience!
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| Packages: | Hawaiian Package: Standard Seating |
| Attended as: | Families |
| Posted on: | 2013/08/03 |
| Activity Date: | 2013/07/08 |
Reviewed by: Angela
Been to Luaus' before, just dancing, music, and food/drink. But this was so enjoyable because of the story they told through the dancing, music and song. Even my husband enjoyed it. Our daughters couldn't get over the fire dance, and the way the dancers engaged audience members through out the show. The food was really tasty, we even enjoyed the Poi with everything. The Plantation grounds were spectacular too. This is on our "To-Do List again in Kauai".
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| Packages: | Hawaiian Package: Standard Seating |
| Attended as: | Families |
| Posted on: | 2013/07/05 |
| Activity Date: | 2013/06/21 |
Reviewed by: Lee Hanley
Great, food, drinks and entertainment. What more can I say. Well worth going to for an evening of fun.
| Rating: | |
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| Packages: | Hawaiian Package: Standard Seating |
| Attended as: | Couples |
| Posted on: | 2013/06/29 |
| Activity Date: | 2013/06/07 |
Reviewed by: Rebekah
free shuttle picking up, great river scenery, live music, magic grotto, great service!
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| Packages: | River Cruise Package |
| Attended as: | Families with Young Children |
| Posted on: | 2013/06/18 |
| Activity Date: | 2013/06/06 |
Reviewed by: Dave
The Smith's Fern Grotto tour was a good way to see the fern grotto and understand some of the history. There was a 20 minute boat ride to the fern grotto landing, time to take pictures, presentation of a Hawaiian Wedding song, complete with hula interruption and demonstration of various hula dances on the boat ride back. All in all - recommended tour.
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| Packages: | Standard |
| Attended as: | Couples |
| Posted on: | 2013/06/13 |
| Activity Date: | 2013/06/03 |
Reviewed by: Sixto
A relaxing experience with beautiful views and great entertainment.
| Rating: | |
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| Packages: | River Cruise Package |
| Attended as: | Families with Young Children |
| Posted on: | 2013/06/07 |
| Activity Date: | 2013/06/04 |
Reviewed by: Dawn H.
The service, food and show was great. We enjoyed dinner at Gaylord's.
| Rating: | |
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| Packages: | Plantation Owner's Evening |
| Attended as: | Couples |
| Posted on: | 2013/05/27 |
| Activity Date: | 2013/05/21 |
Reviewed by: Georgia Larry Kopka
The dinner at Gaylord's was wonderful. Later we were greeted by our torch carriers, who were friendly and informative. Pulu (Sean) was especially attentive and made us feel welcome. The very best part of the evening was the show and the story they told. It gave us a true feeling of 'being there' as the Polynesean's made their journey to Hawai'i. This was truly a gift from the actors & dancers in the show.
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| Packages: | Plantation Owner's Evening (Show with 4-course Dinner) |
| Attended as: | Couples |
| Posted on: | 2013/04/29 |
| Activity Date: | 2013/04/23 |
Reviewed by: Salt Lake City
Smith tours did a great Job with the boat ride.
The grotto.
The entertainment was a nice touch and very well done.
Would recomment this trip to all
One of the good values exploring Kauai
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| Attended as: | Friends |
| Posted on: | 2013/02/14 |
Reviewed by: Mr. Anonymous
Everything here was very nice, the planatation was gorgeous and the entertainment fanastic. Would definitely recomend to anyone wanted a luau experience!
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Posted on: | 2013/02/14 |
Reviewed by: jcaruthers
My new husband and I went on this River cruise as recommended by our travel agent as the most romantic thing we could do for our honeymoon.
The only romantic thing about it was the Hawaiian wedding song while we stood on a deck with 100 other people. This would not be my idea of romantic. Maybe it used to be a romantic place to go when you could go inside the cave but now it just looks like a rock wall with some ferns in it.
We didn't get the best start to our boat ride but we were both disappointed when we arrived to our location. The entertainment was fun and were really the only reason the trip was worth it. I wouldn't recomend it to anyone as a place to see on their honeymoon. The only thing that redeemed it was that it was probably the cheapest thing we did while we were there.
Since this site won't let me pick wouldn't recommend it to anyone. I chose families.
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Posted on: | 2012/11/05 |
Reviewed by: Mr. Anonymous
The Grotto is beautiful. A must see for all visitors.
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Posted on: | 2012/10/12 |
Reviewed by: Peggy - Global Traveler
20 years ago this was a really great trip as you were able to go inside the cave and the water fall there was more than a trickle. Since the Iniki Hurricane in the 90's that is no longer possible. The landslide that happened ended the cave tour part and ended the waterfall being as it was.
I would recommend this to any one who has just landed in Kauai, older couples perhaps, who have never seen a fern grotto of any kind. For kids it is boring. Heard that a few times :)
As for a wedding... I would honestly not recommend this particular trip as it is average or just okay. The boat trip up and back in the boat was the best part. For wedding parties I would honestly recommend arranging something with the Smith Family or one of the local Resorts and doing it as part of a Luau. That would be better. Hawaii Activities can help you find many other events that would be better for a wedding. They rock!
This is a nice easy trip and okay to see. But if you have limited
| Rating: | |
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| Attended as: | Families with Young Children |
| Posted on: | 2012/08/06 |
Reviewed by: Carl O
We thoroughly enjoyed this informative and beautiful cruise. The Captain shared much information and was very entertaining. On the way back, the entertainment was excellent. Good time!
| Rating: | |
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| Attended as: | Families with Young Children |
| Posted on: | 2012/07/21 |
Reviewed by: ANDRA
Loved the staff, they were great, fun, and informative. However, was not what I expected. I am not sure what would have made it a better experience. The Fern Grotto itself was beautiful, but there were too many people on the deck to enjoy it. Made it crowded and uncomfortable.
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| Attended as: | Friends |
| Posted on: | 2012/07/01 |
Reviewed by: イキ
I participated in an activity on the afternoon of the day I flew from Japan to Hawaii, and then to Kauai. Since I was dealing with jet lag, a calm activity like this was just right for our first day in Hawaii with the kids.
It might have been nice to combine this with the "Hawaiian Traditional Feast Luau and Sacred Ceremony Imu! Smith Tropical Paradise Luau," which is located on the same grounds. Our family watched the luau on the last day in Kauai, but among those on the same boat, quite a few were planning to have dinner and see the luau show after this boat ride.
The Fern Grotto was beautiful, but everyone in the family got bitten by mosquitoes. I recommend applying insect repellent before participating.
日本からハワイへ、さらにカウアイ島へ飛んできたその日の午後に参加しました。時差ぼけの状態なので子どもも連れてのハワイ初日はこのぐらいの穏やかなアクティビティがちょうどよかったです。
同じ敷地内にある、「ハワイ伝統饗宴ルアウと神聖な儀式イム!スミス・トロピカル・パラダイス・ルアウ」と組み合わせてもよかったかもしれません。私たち家族はカウアイ島最終日にルアウを分けて見ましたが、同じ船に乗っている人の中では、この船の後に夕食とルアウのショーを見る予定である人が結構いました。
シダの洞窟はきれいでしたが、家族みんな蚊に刺されました。虫除けを塗っての参加をお奨めします。
| Rating: | |
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| Attended as: | Families with Young Children |
| Posted on: | 2012/05/02 |
Reviewed by: BETH
Six of us just returned from Oahu and Kauai!! Had a WONDERFUL time!!! And the Fern Grotto boat ride was just really nice!! The staff was WONDERFUL, and they made us all feel so welcomed!!! We just really had a GREAT TIME!!! I would recommend this to anyone!!!! The walk to the fern grotto was EASY, and the photo ops were priceless!!! Just alot of fun with my friends!!
| Rating: | |
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| Attended as: | Families |
| Posted on: | 2012/02/27 |
Reviewed by: Mr. Anonymous
Enjoyed the cruise ... Thank you
| Rating: | |
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Posted on: | 2011/09/20 |
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