Blog: Turtles, whales and…ermm… pigs in Hawaii
Christine Reed from Travelworld Exmouth experiences a hog roast and a Lu’au on the penultimate day of her fam to Hawaii.
We went exploring on the three mile stretch of Kaanapali Beach today, fantastic snorkeling opportunities and a great location to spot turtles. We can only imagine how good the whale watching would be if we were here in the winter months, from some ocean front rooms you can see them from your bed apparently!
We had a site visit of Westin Kaanapali Hotel and Westin Maui Villas, which included lunch at Ono’s, the outside ocean-front restaurant, which was delicious. We all wished we had time to experience a massage in their heavenly tree house spa.
We got back to the hotel just in time to get ready for the Lu’au at the Royal Lahaina. A Lu’au is a traditional Hawaiian party or feast usually accompanied by entertainment. There were about 500 guests and after witnessing a full pig (head and all) come straight off the underground fire pit we tucked into the pulled pork, indigenous purple Maui sweet potato, mahi mahi, teriyaki steak, pasta salad ……… and it went on and on.
The show was phenomenal, showcasing traditional dance from not only the Hawaiian Islands, but French Polynesia, Samoa, Tiki, Fiji, New Zealand and more! The girls were brilliant at keeping the top half of their bodies amazingly still whilst mesmerizing the crowd with their hula hips!
Sadly tomorrow is our last day, with an afternoon flight home. We are going to head into Lahaina town in the morning to explore the old whaling village and check out the shops, restaurants, shave ice (a Hawaiian style slush puppy) and the giant Banyan tree before catching the last rays, and heading back to the wet and windy UK. Booooooo.
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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