Polynesian Cultural Center, Swap Meet, and Valley of the Temples

While at Aulani, we did venture from the Resort a few times (although we could have been there the whole week without any problem!). Here are the places we visited.

We have friends that recently moved here from Oahu – they had many GREAT suggestions on places to visit. My husband’s cousin also lives on Oahu, so we had lots of information about the island before even going! One place everyone agreed that we MUST do is the Aloha Stadium Swap Meet to get our souvenirs. It was open for a couple hours after our flight landed, so that is the FIRST place we headed once we had our rental car! Traffic and construction were big issues, but we finally made it with a little over an hour until closing time. I am soooo glad we made it! This place is amazing and the prices were fantastic. Make sure you bring cash – we knew this fact beforehand and made sure we had plenty for our purchases. Your souvenirs will be 2/3 – 3/4 LESS here than anywhere else on the island, especially gift shops. For example, we purchased kukui nut leis for about $3-4 a piece. Everywhere else we saw them on the island, they were about $10-$15 a piece! My kids got Coconut Monkey banks. We picked up t-shirts for about $2. My daughter and I got sarongs for like $5 and she got herself a coconut purse. My husband and boys got Hawaiian shirts and much more! We got TONS of souvenirs for a family of 6 at a fraction of the price. We even picked up a hand carved tiki statue – and the guy carved our name in it for us! By the time we were done, many vendors were starting to shut down, but I am so glad we made it in time! This is a MUST do for all your souvenirs! I am glad it was out first stop on Oahu!

We also went by Pearl Harbor… Remember the traffic and construction issues? Well, we didn’t get there until just before closing. So I don’t have many hints or suggestions for touring, because we just had enough time to look around, which worked well, since our kids were tired from the long plane trip. At least they got to see it.

We took a day from Aulani (in the middle of our week) to go see some other sites on the island. We were considering going to the Dole plantation, but our friends told us it probably wasn’t worth the trip/price (especially since we could get Dole Whips at Aulani!!), so they suggested taking the other route to the Polynesian Cultural Center, and going by the Valley of the Temples, which was right off the road to the PCC.

It is actually a cemetery that you drive through to get to the Byodo-in temple. There is an admission fee to go in, but it is not too expensive ($3 for adults, $1 for kids). I am so glad that we took this stop. It was beautiful. The Temple and the grounds were wonderful. The scenery, with the mountain in the background, were incredible. I loved being able to show my kids this new experience and see a little bit of a different culture.

Then we headed to the PCC, but since they don’t open until noon, we went to the LDS temple first. We make it a point to get pictures in front of every temple that there is in the cities that we travel too. The temple is beautiful. The Plam tree-lined street that leads to it from the Ocean in simply picture perfect. It is worth the stop – we are LDS and biased, but we love visiting the temples wherever we go. Standing at the temple and looking down the street to the Ocean is just beautiful!

When we got to the PCC, we met a family member of our friends, because he works at the PCC and was able to get us 50% off our admission and our Luau! The bargain seeker in me was thrilled, especially since the 2 little boys were free. Our kids wanted to go on a boat ride first thing! They were so excited to ride on the boat down the “river” that goes down the middle of the PCC. It was a fun ride! We were able to get to all the countries/villages. We saw all the shows at first, but then the kids didn’t want to see them anymore – they were more interested in the activities, which was fine with me. They got to fish, throw spears, watch a guy climb a tree for a coconut, learn to weave grass and play native games, etc. They loved getting “tattoos” at the different countries.

Kids can get passports to get stamps at each country. If you show all the stamps at the store, they can get a little prize! The Canoe Pagent is a MUST see for anyone visiting! It is in the middle of the day, and it showcases dances from all the different countries. It was great to sit and watch all of the countries at once. My daughter says it was her favorite part.

After an afternoon learning about all the different countries in Polynesia, we headed to the Ali’i Luau. You get a fresh, flower lei on your way in. The food was amazing and the show was fantastic. Apparently, they change the show often, and they JUST started a new version. They dig up the pig and serve it with dinner. They had dances from each of the different countries in Polynesia. It was fun and quite entertaining. My toddler especially enjoyed the hog hunt dance through the audience – he was enthralled with it! The fire dancer was a kid -he was AMAZING. We were so impressed! My 9-year-old want to move to Hawaii and learn how to do it now!

The food was fantastic as well! I especially enjoyed the Guava Cake, the Taro rolls, and the Guava Juice – I think I just like Guava! The MC also taught us how to eat Poi correctly. I remember not liking it at all, when I came to Hawaii when I was younger, but I wanted to try it again. I tried it the way he said to eat it, and it wasn’t nearly as bad! I won’t be running out to buy it, but I don’t think it is as horrible was I used to!

I was wondering if the Luau was worth the price when we bought it, but I am so glad we did. It was worth every penny – the show and the food were wonderful! At the end, all the performers and the staff sing a song of gratitude to the audience! Then all the performers come out to the audience and personally thank you for coming! How awesome is that?!?! I have never been to a show where they come and personally thank you. In fact, ALL day at the PCC, all the employees/performers would thank you for coming. Most are BYU Hawaii students, and the PCC is how they can afford to go to college, and they are very grateful for the opportunity.

After the Luau, was the BIG, nightly show, “Ha: Breath of Life.” No photography of the show was allowed. This show is NOT TO BE MISSED! It is SPECTACULAR! Not many words are spoken during the hour in a half show, the story is mostly conveyed through local dance, performances, and emotion. You are taken through the life of a boy from birth until adulthood. It deals with life and death. It was simply a beautiful story and show. My husband and I both shed tears. I am so glad we saw it! Plus the fire performers at the end were amazing! Seriously, incredible stuff! My kids could not look away! It was a fantastic end to the day!

On the way home, we actually were able to see the Dole Plantation, and we stopped by Wal-Mart for some Macadamia Chocolates (by far the cheapest place!). We had a wonderful day! We were exhausted and ready to get back to our laid back Aulani vacation, but I really enjoyed our time out seeing some of the sites of the Island. While you can enjoy your entire vacation right at Aulani, if you get a chance, I highly recommend taking a day to see the Island, and visit the PCC!