7/10/08

I was booking this trip for 2 families and the other father was really not that excited about the prospect of a Luau.

Im very HAPPY to report that both our families had a wonderful experience. The service was very good and the show kept our kids mesmerized the entire evening!!

The next day on the beach my friend turned to me and said he was really impressed what a great show the Feast at Lele was!

I gladly give my best recommedation to Feast at Lele

Sincerely,
Paul Hargraves
Los Angeles

Best food of the trip, and we went everywhere good to eat. No weird pig thing, which was the only way we going to do this.
Great drinks. Great views.

Expensive, but they all are. And considering drinks are included, it worked out well.

Only lua we did, but it has to be the best.

Trying to decide which Luau? This one is different (in a good way) because it features a variety of four different island cultures presented in both food and dance, with an interesting narration.
The dancing was was really wonderful. The pace of the evening was leisurely.

The big, big plus IMHO is the seating & service which is restaurant style, not banquet style. No sitting with strangers, no buffet lines. Each VERY filling course of several items is brought to your private table and described for you. Some things we liked, some we didn't, but that is why you try these experiences. Included in the (pricey) cost is an extensive variety of beverages: good tropical drinks - with or without alcohol, suggested wine and beer pairings for each course, coffee and soft drinks. Our 11-year old recommends the "Lava Flow", but said two was enough.

Photos: If you are planning on family/group photos as souvenirs of your trip, set aside some bucks. The photographer did a variety of creative groupings in several settings (beach, tiki) with a total of 12 pictures. We didn't even wait in a line, it was just an available option. If you plan ahead and coordinate your aloha-wear this could be a good value. It wasn't in our budget, but we got a picture on our own camera that we are happy with.

Despite the tourism slowdown in June 2008, the other very highly recommended Luau was sold out about 2 weeks in advance. We tried online and again when we got there. We are very glad to have opted for the Feast at Lele and would recommend it to our friends.

Feast at Lele in Lahaina is a great alternative to the large traditional luaus that are done on the island. While some of the luaus are very good, they are quite large (450 people) and Feast at Lele only seats 150 people at your own individual tables! The setting is right on the water and it's much more intimate than sitting at long tables or on mats on the ground. They present different foods and dances from 4 different countries, Hawaii, New Zealand, Tahiti and Samoa. They bring samples of each of the native foods right to your table and then you enjoy a short show of the dances from that region. They do everything for you!

You are greeting with a fresh flower lei upon arrival along with a mai tai or other tropical drink and most beverages are free throughout the luau/show. I would highly recommend this to anyone as it is an excellent show and a great way to taste the different foods from different cultures. It is a must see!