Today we are going to the Smith Family Garden Luau on Kauai. Along with our daughter, our friends Jack and Lisa, and their kids, we have been looking forward to this day. This will be our 1st luau in Hawaii, and we’re also doing their river cruise to the Fern Grotto. Come experience the Smith Family Garden Luau and Fern Grotto with us!
Make sure to check back regularly for all of our adventures in Hawaii at: Destination – Hawaii.
Planning Smith Family Garden Luau and Fern Grotto
When planning our trip to Hawaii we wanted to do 1 luau for sure. I mean you have to do at least 1! But you also want to get your money’s worth. So when planning with Lisa, she said we have to do Smith Family Garden Luau on Kauai. Jack and Lisa previously did this luau on their honeymoon over 15 years ago and swear by it. So, we check it out online.
This luau truly is family-run. It started by Walter Smith, Sr. and his wife Emily taking visitors up the Wailua River on a small rowboat. And today, 4 generations later, the family continues to welcome visitors. So in addition to the luau feast and show, they still offer river cruises to the Fern Grotto. And the good news is you can do both the same day. So, we booked the boat tour at 3:30PM and the luau starting afterwards at 5:00PM. Reservations are recommended in advance. See Smith’s Kauai :: Garden Luau, Weddings, and Fern Grotto Tours for more.
Wailua River Cruise to the Fern Grotto
The Smith Family has been doing cruises on the Wailua River since 1946. In fact, Walter Smith, Sr. invented the rear-engine system used on their open-air cruise boats. The boats are located in the Wailua Marina State Park and we check-in just in time in the marina lobby. And shortly thereafter we are boarding.
We are helped on board and greeted with traditional Hawaiian music. There’s multiple rows on each side and we find plenty of seating to spread out. The girls decide to sit on the inside.
Across from the girls, the guys sit near the open windows. Though no matter where you sit, you can get a good view while cruising down the river. And just after 3:30PM, we depart on the only navigable river in all of Hawaii.
And once we are away, the captain starts to tell us some history of the river including their family history on it. Though we’re not the only ones on the river. There are many outrigger canoes paddling alongside us. The captain says that they’re practicing for a big race coming up.
Besides the canoes, we don’t see anyone else on the river. And since this area is part of the Wailua River State Park, there is just nature around us. We do pass some ruins of an ancient settlement, also part of the park you can visit. The cruise itself is very smooth, and the open air is nice. And in less than 20 minutes, we make it to the Fern Grotto.
The Fern Grotto
From the dock, we have to do a short walk through rainforest to get to the Fern Grotto. And we see a sign at the start of the loop. The Fern Grotto is also within Wailua River State Park, though it’s been here for a long time.
From the sign, we walk past some restrooms and it’s only a few minutes before we see an observation deck. A grotto is simply a cave, and this one was naturally formed by lava millions of years ago. Though it gets its name from the sword ferns that hang down over it.
From the observation deck, we get excellent views. And the deck is large enough for everyone on the tour to spread out and take pictures. We’re also able to get a group picture of us in exchange for taking another group’s picture.
The grotto is in a protected cove with lush greenery and tropical plants surrounding it. And apparently a lot of people get married in this beautiful spot. So, the Smith Family performs for us a traditional wedding song.
With ukuleles in hand, and of course some dancing, they explain the wedding song and traditions. It’s a magical moment in a magical place. And after about 15 minutes at the Fern Grotto, we head back to the boat.
The return route through the dense rainforest is also lush with tropical plants. And Jack and Lisa’s son runs ahead of us. But unfortunately, he trips and falls banging up his knee. So we rush back to the boat. And after about 25 minutes at this stop, we depart to head back down the river.
Return trip
Once back on the boat, Lisa makes sure to put a Band-Aid on her son’s knee. He seems to be doing okay, and just in time for more singing and dancing.
Every one of the crew members gets involved, playing an instrument or singing. They are all so talented and keep us all entertained. And then they show off their dance moves.
It starts with some traditional hula dancing. And then even the guys get-up and do some dances. Eventually, they get everyone up to try some hula which makes it even more fun.
About 1.5 hours later, we make it back to the marina. It’s been a fun cruise, but now we’re ready for the luau. And we’ve got about 10 minutes to walk across the parking lot to the entrance. Though I move my car, so we’ll be closer when we leave after the luau.
Smith Family Garden Luau Tram Tour and Gardens
There’s already a line at the entrance at 5:00PM, but it moves quickly. We have our reservations out, and as soon as we enter we are given shell leis to welcome us. Afterwards, we are told to wait for a picture. While waiting we see some chickens and a peacock walking around. Though after our picture, it’s time to board the tram through the gardens.
You can take the narrated tram tour or you can walk through the 30-acre gardens. And like most, we opt to do the open-air tram. Once aboard, the driver narrates our voyage through the gardens pointing out flowers and more along the way. It’s about a 7-minute ride.
We are let off behind the Luau House with about 35 minutes until the Imu Ceremony. And somehow Becky bought some bird seed for our daughter. So in the open grass she feeds peacocks, but also chickens, ducks, pigeons and other birds.
Her favorites are of course the peacocks. And they have some really pretty ones with their long feathers. But feeding the birds doesn’t last long, so we see what else we can do.
We’re allowed to walk anywhere around the gardens. And a short walk away is the Orchid House, so we walk in. Inside are many different varieties of orchids in multiple colors and shapes. And closer to 6:00PM we are told to gather around for the Imu Ceremony.
Smith Family Garden Luau Imu Ceremony
Before every Smith Family Garden Luau is the imu ceremony. An imu is an underground oven where they cook the kalua pig for the luau. So, just before 6:00PM, we gather for the ceremony across the bridge from the luau house.
The Imu Ceremony starts with a quick introduction. We learn what to expect during the ceremony and the importance of its tradition. And then 2 guys come out and blow conch shells to start the ceremony.
The same 2 guys then go over to where the imu is buried. They first scrape off all the dirt used to conceal the oven, and underneath is a screen. Once removed, we can see banana leaves they put down over the oven to trap the heat.
Once open we can see a pot full of rice pudding for dessert. But the main attraction is the kalua pork which will be taken to the kitchen to be prepared for dinner. The imu ceremony takes about 10 minutes. It is interesting to see how the food is cooked, and we can’t wait to eat it.
Smith Family Garden Luau Cocktails and Music
After the imu ceremony, the Luau House is open. And we are greeted with tasty Mai Tais while we walk in and look for our table. We spot our name in the middle of a long table and find our seats. But the full bar is open.
Besides Mai Tais, we find Pina Coladas, Blue Hawaii’s, and other pre-made cocktails we can just grab from the bar. They are not large cups so we grab a couple to try. We also find Hawaiian Punch for the kids and take them back to the table. But they also have other juices, sodas, and even beer and wine.
Back at the table, we notice a stage at the end where the music has started playing. The Smith Family entertains us with Hawaiian songs while we enjoy or cocktails. Meanwhile they start letting a table at a time go to the buffet.
Smith Family Garden Luau Feast
We’ve been enjoying the different cocktails for about 15 minutes before our table is called and we are ready to eat. They have multiple lines you can enter and grab a plate. First up is salad with papaya seed or lava guava dressing. And of course they have traditional macaroni salad as well as cucumber salad, too. And I have to try some poi made from mashed taro root.
For sides they have lomi lomi salmon, three-bean salad and purple Hawaiian sweet potato slices. They also have fried rice, mashed potatoes and stir-friend vegetables. But I can’t forget the Hawaiian sweet bread. The main entrees include Kalua pork of course, as well as sweet & sour mahi mahi, chicken adobo and teriyaki beef. Too much for 1 plate for sure.
I go back for another plate to get more of my favorites and try some of the other options. And for dessert, they have fresh pineapple, papaya and watermelon. But when I finally get dessert, I get some jello, haupia coconut pudding, coconut cake and their rice pudding.
Everyone enjoys the Kalua pork. Even our daughter who is a picky eater goes back to the buffet for more. The other entrees are solid and we enjoy most of the sides. We tried the poi, but not our favorite. Though the rice pudding was very excellent, and was by far the best dessert. We are stuffed and still enjoying the Hawaiian music. But in a few minutes, we’ll head to the show.
Smith Family Garden Luau Rhythm of Aloha Show
It’s a short walk from the Luau House to the Lagoon Theater. And we find some seats around 7:30PM, just before sunset. We’re a little ahead of schedule, and the show starts early with some hula dancers.
Before the show officially starts, some hula dancers line-up in front of our seats to perform. It’s a great way to get us ready for the show and it’s neat to see the traditional hula dancing up-close. After a couple songs they leave, and the show begins on the stage.
They call this the Lagoon Theater for a reason. The stage is basically a dock over a small lagoon leaving a natural separation from the crowd. Though we still have great views from our seats.
The Rhythm of Aloha is more than just dancing and drum beats. The show tells the story of the different groups of people who migrated to Hawaii. And each of them have different dances and traditional outfits. From Tahitians, Samoans, Japanese and more, each dance is different, energetic and fun to watch. But they leave the best for last.
For the grand finale is a fire dancer. Waving around his flaming baton, he twirls around his body. In the dark night, his spinning fire staff lights up the stage. And he goes on for many minutes as everyone in the crowd is staring in awe. Once he finishes, all the performers come back to the stage for the closing bow. Once the show is over, we stop at the restroom on the way out leaving just before 9:00PM.
Summary
We started off with the 3:30 river cruise to the Fern Grotto, followed by the Smith Family Garden Luau. We really enjoyed the river cruise and the Fern Grotto was a magical spot. And the music and dancing at the grotto and on the boat made it more special. Afterwards we walked to the entrance to the luau. And once we received our leis, we took the tram tour through the gardens. It’s very beautiful with many different areas. And afterwards we got to feed the peacocks and other birds. The Imu Ceremony was interesting to see and prepared us for the feast. And beforehand the cocktails were tasty and plentiful. The feast itself had many choices, but the kalua pork was the star of course. After dinner was the Rhythm of Aloha show that was lively and entertaining.
The Smith Family Garden Luau has everything you’d expect and more. But what makes it really special is the Smith Family who did a wonderful job making sure we had a great time!
Make sure to check back regularly for all of our adventures in Hawaii at: Destination – Hawaii