Island Breeze Luau a Big Island Must See Show

The Big Island of Hawaii is home to Island Breeze Luau, a traditional Polynesian luau located oceanfront on the grounds of the King Kamehameha's Kona Beach Hotel.  The site of the luau is an important Hawaiian historic site as Kamehameha the Great, Hawaii's king who conquered and united all the Hawaiian Islands in the early 1800s, once made his home and headquarters here.  I felt this history added to the experience and brought the culture of the islands to the forefront of the luau.

When I arrived at Island Breeze Hawaii, I was greeted with a shell lei greeting and took a group photo with some of the performers of the luau.  Interactive ancient Polynesian arts and crafts demonstrations are available too, as is an open bar which features Island Breeze’s signature Mai Tai’s.  The setting of the luau added to the ambiance, as the shores of Kona, palms trees, outrigger canoes and a sandy beach created a tropical vibe.  It was beautiful too, once the sun went down, to simply sit under the stars and enjoy the entertainment on stage.

Come hungry to the Island Breeze luau.  A full 22-dish Polynesian buffet is served featuring delicious Hawaiian items like lomi salmon, Kalua pig and Pulehu Chicken.  Dinner service was very expedient, too, and the end-of-the-meal dessert of vanilla coconut cake was just rich enough to satisfy my sweet tooth. 

Soon after the feast is served the entertainment portion of the night began.  Island Breeze excels at bringing Polynesia’s traditions and mythologies to life.  The performers were all very energetic, engaging and seemed to truly enjoy bringing their talent to the luau stage.  From Fijian and Maori dances of war, to the Hawaiian hula, the moves displayed on stage were amazing to see.  Plus, I liked how fire was incorporated into the various dances as it added another exciting element to the production on stage.  I also thought the MC, who had a dry, deadpan sense of humor, added nice brevity to the night’s events.  Of course, no Hawaiian luau is complete without a thrilling Samoan fire knife dance.  The Island Breeze fire knife dancer weaved his fire knifes through the air with complete grace, and his bravery was on full display when he put the torches on his feet.  It’s a stunning spectacle and is a fantastic finale to an entertaining show.