Luau in Oahu vs. Big Island

[Bookworm62]

We are spending 5 nights in Aulani followed by 5 nights in the Big Island in March. I cannot decide if I should do Luau in the Big Island vs. in Oahu. Anybody had done luau in both? Which one did you do and do you like one over the other (and why)? Any thoughts will be greatly appreciated.

 

[Midoria]

I wouldn't do a luau on the Big Island. If you're going to devote an evening to something on the Big Island, do something more unique like snorkeling/scuba with mantas.

 

[Bookworm62]

Thanks for the suggestion; going to looking into that.

 

[Midoria]

Thanks for the suggestion; going to looking into that.

My sister and I called our manta excursion "The Search for Grandma Tala". lol But seriously, it's probably one of the most amazing things I've done anywhere. They are so big and yet so graceful. Our tour operator told us not to worry if you hear people in the distance screaming because folks tend to do it out of excitement when the mantas show up. But the first time one came sailing past, my sister and I screamed too! lol

 

[cgattis]

If I ever get back to the Big Island, I want to spend an evening doing a lava boat tour, dinner at Volcano House, then watching the glow from the Jaggar Museum.

 

[Bookworm62]

Thank you so much for the recommendations. I wouldn't have thought of lava boat tour!

 

[Midoria]

Thank you so much for the recommendations. I wouldn't have thought of lava boat tour!

Be careful.

http://www.staradvertiser.com/2018/02/01/breaking-news/big-island-tour-guide-dies-on-lava-flow-tour/

 

[cgattis]

Be careful.

http://www.staradvertiser.com/2018/02/01/breaking-news/big-island-tour-guide-dies-on-lava-flow-tour/

No shortage of helicopter crashes either. Being close to real live nature can be dangerous. Understand the things that can go wrong in any situation, be prepared for how to handle them, and then go out and live. I'm most likely to die in a car crash on my way to work; now THAT would suck.

 

[Midoria]

No shortage of helicopter crashes either. Being close to real live nature can be dangerous. Understand the things that can go wrong in any situation, be prepared for how to handle them, and then go out and live. I'm most likely to die in a car crash on my way to work; now THAT would suck.

Car and helicopters crashing and the actual earth opening up in creating noxious gases that can kill you are not comparable just because they both end up with injury and death.

Just keep in mind that even though the person who died in this incident was a local, tourists are nine times more likely than residents to die while doing nature related activities in Hawaii. Especially in the water.

So, once again, be careful. Aloha!

 

[Bookworm62]

Thank you... I will be careful.
It is a balance. When I was young, I watch a friend drown. I was so afraid (traumatized) that I never go near the water. In my 30s, I took a trip to Australia, while others snorkeling in the Great Barrier Reef, I sat inside a cage to watch the fish swam by.
I was thankful to be there; but I came back wishing...
Fast forward years later, I took swimming lessons in my fifties. Not a great swimmer, but I can at least walk to chest deep without panic. I doubt I will venture out far to snorkel; but I am going to try.... and be careful also.
Again, thanks for the information; it is always good to know the potential danger.

 

[CalifLynn]

I actually loved the luau we went to on the Big Island. It was at the Mauna Kea Hotel and very small and intimate. Depends what you are looking for though, the ones on Oahu are more “showy” if that makes sense.

 

[Bookworm62]

I think we would prefer smaller ones; your comment is very helpful. Thank you

 

[olafLover]

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[Midoria]

I jokingly call our Hawaii Lonely planet, "1000 ways to die", there seriously are a lot of warnings in there! We do take them very seriously (so far it's mostly not to swim in certain area's), but we also really like to do a boat tour. We know there are different permits which state how close they can get to the stream, but it's really hard to determine which are safe while being on the other side of the globe. But also a walking tour is something to consider. Does anybody know a good company that knows the right things to do (from the article I take that you don't go out hiking in the rain? But shouldn't the guide have know that?)

The guide who passed away was actually on foot. Visitors are more likely to have a fatality, so when I saw the words “lava” and “tour”, I was triggered to post something cautionary in the shadow of the recent death. Sorry about that. The “water” part was more for snorkeling which is the main cause of visitor fatalities.

Regarding the rain, I’m not sure if that was an issue mainly because the State suggests people be prepared for lava viewing by doing many things, and one of them is to bring raingear: http://www.hawaiicounty.gov/lava-viewing/ But I've heard a few people say that some companies take some sort of breathing masks when they go on lava hikes. So maybe that's something to look in to? Not sure what they do for boat tours.

 

[olafLover]

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[Midoria]

Oh I'm happy with each cautionary tale I get, there are a lot of dangers there and I prefer to be aware so I can make the right dissensions then to not know, which I feel is more dangerous. I knew the risk of the lava boat tours is the noxious gases that are created when the lava hits the water, so it makes sense that would also happen when it rains. All the other cautionary tales in my Lonely Planet where about rip currents and flash floods.

I do find a lot of tour books focus on what the earth might do with less on what the tourist may do to risk their own lives. Visitors who perish here generally do so via drowning. A lot of that during snorkeling. Partially because people aren't used to ocean swimming, or if they've done it, it's been in places that are calmer. Folks who can't swim well (or at all) are still going out there, and that's a bad combination. Mind you, I'm talking about deaths. I'm not including instances where people were hurt but not killed and/or rescued by lifeguards.

 

[cgattis]

We took our own horse collar snorkel vests. While they aren't technically life jackets, I felt they gave us a little extra security especially where there were no lifeguards. They lay flat and take up practically no space in luggage.

 

[longboard55]

Here is my take on Luaus. a lot of people love Maui luaus. But strictly from a talent viewpoint, I find Oahu has the best dancers and puts on the best shows.

 

[Bookworm62]

Thank you. That is good to know