Brinybay

Hi

My wife and I will be staying at the Kahala Resort for 4 days in October. We want to do some snorkeling and attend a luau. I'm honestly confused by the good/bad reviews of the PCC venue that I've read on Tripadvisor and Yelp. Some of them I can easily dismiss because they're not an honest review, they just didn't like the idea that it's run by Mormons. We don't care about that, as long as it's good. My only problem with that is that since it's an LDS operation, it's dry. We're interested in the show too, and as long as it's a quality production, we don't care who does it.

Then there's Paradise Cove. That sounds more to our style since they hand you a Mai Tai at the luau. The biggest problem we have with either the PCC or Paradise Cove is they're a long drive from Kahala, about an hour give or take. We're in our early 60s and don't feel like driving that far, especially after snorkeling, aquatic activities take up a lot of energy. Any suggestions on good snorkeling and luas within a 20-30 minute radius of Kahala? Thanks in advance.

dusty56438

PCC has the best Polynesian entertainment in Hawaii. Their evening show, Ha: Breath of Life is the best Polynesian show in Hawaii.

Chif's Luau is decent. It is at Sea Life Park, probably a 20 minute drive from Kahala.

I would choose PCC over any other luau venue in Hawaii.

Hanauma Bay is about a 10 minute drive from Kahala. Closed on Tuesdays. They do have an admission of $7.50. Get there before 8:30am to ensure parking.

While this is an old thread, most of the info is still current. The driving tours are good & many of the websites are still valid.

http://www.fodors.com/community/unit...trip-to-hi.cfm

Brinybay

That's another vote for the PCC. Thanks for the link, lots of good info!

Another question. We also plan to visit the USS Arizona memorial. Nearly every source I see regarding it (including that link you posted) said to get there early, but, when I went online to reserve tickets, there weren't any early tickets left for the dates we'll be there. I reserved some anyway for the afternoon tour. How bad is it? The website said there's a special line for people who reserved tickets, but is it still going to be a long line? I ask because my wife can't be on her feet for that amount of time (1-2 hours), she'll need to sit periodically.

Brenkjtravel

I was not disappointed with PCC. We did the day pass with the dinner and show ( HA Breath of Life) I felt like it was well worth the money we spent. The buffet is average, not awful not amazing, but the the whole property is very well maintained and the show was well done. We arrived in the afternoon just in time to see the last river show... maybe its called the canoe pageant, don't remember but that was great and fun to see all of the different cultures represented. We then spent the rest of the afternoon and evening exploring the different "villages". Towards the early evening we hit the IMAX Hawaii movie they have which is only about 20 min but worth it and included in your entrance fee. By then it was time for us to go have a leisurely meal at the buffet then shop in their little bazaar for a bit before the show started, which like I said was very well done. If you head under the mountain from Honolulu towards the East side of the island then up the shore to Liae it really only takes 20 -30 min to get there and the drive is beautiful and worthwile even if you aren't headed to the PCC.

rjw_lgb_ca

The Royal Hawaiian has a lu'au: 'Aha'aina. It's not an immersive experience, just a fun dinner show. It's been a while, but I recall that the food was fine and the show was a hoot:

http://royal-hawaiianluau.com/

And there was booze. It ain't cheap, but it's in Waikiki, and the Royal Hawaiian itself is quite lovely IMHO.

Just another option.

simpsonc510

I did the Paradise Cove luau a number of years ago. It was OK, nothing to write home about. I think the Aha aina might be a nicer (less touristic) option. Plus, it is much closer to your hotel than is the PCC. I've driven by PCC numerous times on my annual island drive, but have never stopped to enjoy the place. I've done a similar "Disneyland Boat Tour" (as our guide called it) in Fiji years and years ago, and have seen Polynesian dancers performing in a number of other places, so not that big of a draw for me. I'm sure I'm missing out on something fantastic.....

I hope you have a lovely trip to Hawaii. Your plans sound just fine, although I would pick Kauai over Maui... just my opinion.

simpsonc510

Oooops... looks like I'm combining comments for two different Hawaii trip posts. Sorry!

dusty56438

For Advanced Reservations for USS Arizona Memorial, see the info on this page (I'll also bump it to the top):

http://www.fodors.com/community/unit...ial-policy.cfm

Songdoc

If you'd rather not drive there are bus tours to the PCC. Luaus are not my cup of tea, but I've heard that's a good one.