Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
themed 'villages.' Although steep, the basic admission price includes an afternoon canoe
parade.
Representing Hawaii, Rapa Nui (Easter Island), Samoa, Aotearoa (New Zealand), Fiji,
Tahiti, Tonga and other South Pacific islands, the ersatz villages contain traditional-look-
ing huts and ceremonial houses, many elaborately built with twisted ropes and hand-
carved posts. University students dressed in native garb gamely demonstrate poi pound-
ing, coconut-frond weaving, handicrafts and games.
You'll pay extra for a personal guide or to attend an evening luau with a dinner buffet
or a Polynesian song-and-dance revue, an animated production that's partly authentic,
partly Bollywood-style extravaganza. On-site parking costs $8.
Laʻie Point State Wayside
LOOKOUT
MAP
(
www.hawaiistateparks.org
; end of Naupaka St; sunrise-sunset)
Crashing surf, a lava
arch and a slice of Hawaiian folk history await at Laʻie Point. The tiny offshore islands
are said to be the surviving pieces of a
moʻo
(lizard spirit) slain by a legendary warrior.
To get here from the highway, head seaward on Anemoku St, opposite Laʻie Shopping
Center, then turn right onto dead-end Naupaka St.
Gunstock Ranch
HORSEBACK RIDING
MAP
a
paniolo
(Hawaiian cowboy) ride on a working ranch settled beneath the lofty Koʻolau
Range. Reserve ahead for scenic mosey-alongs, advanced giddy-ups, daytime picnic and
moonlight trail rides, as well as pony rides for kids aged two to seven years ($39). Online
booking discounts available.
Eating
Hukilau Cafe
LOCAL $
MAP
(55-662 Wahinepeʻe St; mains $4-9; 6am-2pm Tue-Fri, 7am-11:30am Sat)
Hidden in a neigh-
borhood on the north side of town, this hole-in-the-wall is the kind of place locals would
rather keep to themselves. Big plates of local grinds, including sweet-bread French toast,
loco moco
and teriyaki beef burgers, are mostly right on. Join the oddly mixed crowd of
tattooed surfers in tank tops and buttoned-down churchgoers.
