Kauai - Day Two: The Fern Grotto and Smith Family Luau

Once we arrived back at the resort from hiking Waimea Canyon, we ate lunch and got ready to go to our Luau.  The luau we decided to attend was The Smith Family Luau.  In addition to the food and entertainment of the luau our ticket also included a river ride to The Fern Grotto.  The fern grotto is a fern covered lava rock grotto that is considered one of the most beautiful and romantic spots on Kauaui.  In order to get to the grotto, we had to take a boat ride down the Wailua river.  It was a very relaxing ride with a guide that gave us information about the surrounding area.  We passed kayakers and paddle boarders on our ride to the grotto.

Once we arrived, we got off the boat and followed the trail through the forest to the grotto.  The grotto was beyond beautiful! The lava rock was covered with gorgeous ferns and there were other beautiful plants around the grotto.  There was a small trickle of water than ran off the top that made it that much more beautiful and relaxing.  Up until a few years ago weddings were actually held inside the grotto.  There was a group of people there to welcome us and give us some history of the grotto.  They also played Hawaiian music and danced to end our tour.  On the ride back we were entertained with more singing and dancing.  At one point everyone on the boat got up and learned some of the basics of hula dancing.  It was fun!

Wailua River

Once we got back from the boat ride we headed over to the luau.  The luau was located on the Wailua River as well so it was a short walk from the boat ride.  The Smith family has a large plot of land with all types of trees, plants, flowers, animals, etc.  Right when we walked in we were greeted and were given shell leis and beautiful peacocks.  We immediately hopped on the train ride at the front that took us through the land.  We learned about the plants and trees and about the Smith family.  After the train tour, we had a little while to explore on our own before the luau began.

At the beginning of the luau, the owner of the luau came out and thanked everyone for coming and began the ceremony of bringing the pig up from the ground.  Two young men came out and blew conch shells to begin the ceremony.  As they were bringing the pig up, the owner told us what they were doing and how they prepared the pig for cooking.  The underground oven is called an imu and some of the trees they had on the grounds were used for various purposes in the cooking process.  It was all very interesting!  Once the pig was unearthed, everyone made their way to their table to begin the feast; and a feast it was!  We ate under a large, beautiful outdoor shelter.  The weather is so perfect in Hawaii that we ate outside almost every meal.  There was so much traditional Hawaiian food.  It was very good!  We all tried poi because that is a big thing in Hawaii.  Not a fan!  However, the rest of the food was delicious.  I highly recommend this luau!
Once we were stuffed, we made our way to the theater for the show.  There were many different acts including the traditional hula dancing.  The show lasted about an hour, then we headed back to the hotel for a much needed night of rest.