Aloha and mahalo for visitng the Polynesian Cultural Tours website, home to popular Polynesian Cultural Center tours and luaus! We are happy to share with you the launch of our new website, featuring easy navigation and a wide selection of tours.
It’s now easier than ever to book your favorite tours, like the Oahu North Shore Tour with Polynesian Cultural Center Ali’i Luau, complete with an authentic luau and evening show!
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The Plumeria Travel Club, a Hawaii travel club that provides members with exclusive discounts at a score of Hawaii tour sites, including Polynesian Cultural Tours, recently posted a very useful article on their blog.
Click here to read more about important safety and security requirements when you’re traveling on airlines.
The Polynesian Cultural Center hosts the annual World Fireknife Competition, with finals taking place May 13-14, 2011 during intermission of the Ha: Breath of Life.
Competition categories include semi-finals, duet and junior. A victory ceremony will take place after Saturday’s Ha: Breath of Life in honor of the 2011 champion.
Yes, those are real knives. Yes, that’s real fire. And yes, these performers get burned and cut during practice and performance. It’s that added element of uncertainty and danger that really excites the crowds. Of course, it takes years of practice to master the art, but there’s no way to avoid the dangers of fireknife.
From hawaiianenergyshotz.com/journal:
The fireknife dance’s origins are tied to the Samoan ailao (warrior’s knife dance) performed with the flaming nifo oti (tooth of death). The dance was used before battle to frighten the enemy, then again afterwards to celebrate victory. The modern fireknife performance of rapid movements, performed with agility and precision, involves high-speed spinning of a sharp knife, with both ends on fire.
The World Fireknife Competition is part of the Samoa Festival, also held at the Polynesian Cultural Center, and features various competitions in speech, crafts, song, dance and more.
The Polynesian Cultural Center is one of the top Hawaii attractions on Oahu. Polynesian Cultural Tours offers quality tours on Oahu for all your Hawaii vacation needs. Learn more: visit our website.
Traditional hula music paints the air with powerful voices and beautiful island sounds that kindle the spirit of Hawaii. Take a brief tour of some of the classic instruments heard in Hawaii’s Merrie Monarch Festival, an annual celebration that offers family activities for Hawaii visitors and residents alike.
Important hula instruments:
ipu heke
Percussive instrument made from two joined gourds. The ipu is one of the simplest instruments to craft, but it remains an important rhythm-keeper in Hawaiian music, especially chanting. (Variation: ipu hele ole, a single gourd with a cut above the neck.)
The ipu heke is made of two gourds and provides rhythmic beats during hula performances. Creative Commons image by Forest & Kim Starr.
kala au
Hardwood sticks used to hold rhythm.
pu ili
Popular instrument made from bamboo, musicians strike these split sticks together to create a rustling noise.
uli uli
Iconic Hawaiian rattles made from gourd and adorned with layers of feathers. Filled with canna, or alii poe, seeds.
ili ili
Smooth stones, oval-shaped and usually made from lava rock. Used in pairs to make a clicking sound, and are sometimes known as Hawaiian castanets.
Important Hawaiian words relating to hula & the Merrie Monarch Festival:
kahiko
Traditional hula, excludes “modern” instrumentation and dance styles. Performers wear traditional costumes and are backed by chants and songs of old Hawaii, usually predating the 1890s.
auana
Contemporary dance that gives performers the opportunity to creatively expand upon the art of hula.
kumu hula
Literally, “hula teacher.”
haumana
“Student.” In this case, a person who learns hula from their kumu hula.
halau hula
A hula school. During the Merrie Monarch, group of dancers compete while representing their halau hula.
kane
Male.
wahine
Female.
The Merrie Monarch Festival runs from April 24-30, 2011. Free activities throughout the week offer crafts, arts exhibits and performances. Tickets are available for the hula competitions held from April 28-30.
Located at the eastern edge of Melanesia just outside of the Polynesian Triangle, the island nation of Fiji is technically not part of Polynesia. However, Fijians’ have interacted with Polynesian communities for thousands of years, making them an important link between Polynesian and Melanesian societies. Fiji comprises over 330 islands, with about 110 inhabited by a population of 870,000. About half of these people are indigenous. The nation’s urban population resides on Viti Levu, Fiji’s largest island. Fiji has long been known for its rich traditions and natural resources, including minerals and timber.
Flag of Fiji
Most inhabitants speak both English and Fijian, an ancient language said to be older than Hawaiian and Tahitian. Hindustani is also spoken throughout parts of Fiji, though it is not an official language of the nation. At the turn of the 20th century, the British government imported Indian laborers to work at sugar plantations. Today, almost half of Fiji’s population descends from Indian origins, contributing to the Hindi and Muslim religions of Fiji. Christianity is also a practiced in Fiji, following the arrival of European explorers and missionaries in the late 18th century.
Fiji stands out as one of the only islands in the Pacific with rich natural resources—gold, copper, oil prospects, timber and fish. Ancient ocean explorers discovered these abundant islands over 3,000 years ago, with some people traveling further to Samoa, Tonga and beyond. Today, Fiji’s tourism industry grows alongside an established economy of sugar exports. The island economy continues to remain one of the most developed economies in the Pacific.
Fijian Temple at the Polynesian Cultural Centre (Photo by Keith Pomakis)
Modern Fiji mixes British influences and indigenous culture. Their parliamentary style of government recalls aspects of British colonization—which ended in 1970 when Fiji became an independent nation. Traditional structures, food and fashion can be seen throughout the islands. Fijians prefer the traditional sarong as outerwear, especially during special occasions. The Polynesian Cultural Center features several aspects of Fiji culture, including war tools, dance and crafts.
Facts about Fiji:
Population: 883,125
Capital: Suva (located on Viti Levu), population 175,000
Largest Island: Viti Levu (10,388 sq. km)
Major languages: Fijian, English, Hindustani (unofficial)
Major religions: Christian, Hindu, Muslim
Land Area: 18,274 sq km (7,056 sq miles)
Latitude/Longitude: 18 00 S, 175 00 E
Highest Point: Tomanivi 4,344 ft (1,324 m )
Median Age: 27 years
Life expectancy: 69 years (men), 74 years (women)
Main exports: sugar, garments, gold, timber, fish, molasses, coconut oil
Internet domain: .fj
Internet users: 115,000
Tahiti, and the rest of the Society Islands, are some of the south Pacific’s most naturally beautiful locations. Author James A. Michener, who wrote more than a dozen works describing life in various pacific cultures, noted that the Society Islands are “so stunning, there are really no adequate words to describe it.” Originally populated by Polynesians between 300 and 800 AD, there are fourteen major islands in this archipelago, and countless other smaller coral atolls. Like many Polynesian islands, the Society Islands are home to few native land mammals. Instead, they host a large and varied population of avifauna, terrestrial arthropods, and reptiles.
A Luxury Resort, Bora Bora Style
The traditional native population was organized around the idea of chiefdoms. Like most other Polynesian cultures, life revolved around the chief or Ari’i Rahi, who led his individual area with military power. Still, these chiefs did not rule absolutely, as they frequently sought the advice of a counsel of elders to handle important matters, especially at times of war.
Tahitian tattoo art was limited in design variance compared to some other Polynesian societies. Still, tattooing was a ritual that nearly every Tahitian experienced. Females in particular always received tattoos. Their first tattoo was given at an early age under the arms to signify that they are free of food taboos. Before receiving these marks, the young Tahitian females could only eat food prepared by their mother. When they reached puberty, Tahitian women received another more extensive tattoo covering their buttocks as a symbol of sexual maturity. The young women were said to lift their grass shirts and expose their tattoo as a way of advertizing their sexual maturity; a practice that surely made the visiting westerners blush.
Female Tattoo
Males were also tattooed, but it was not as mandatory as the females. They frequently received their tattoo around puberty by the same group of elders who preformed their circumcision ceremony. Designs were usually in the form of elongated rectangular shapes, with a few other designs used on hands and feet.
Western exposure to the Society Islands came with the arrival of the widely traveled Captain Cook, who bestowed to this area the name of Society Islands, after the British Royal Society who sponsored Cook’s scientific exploration of the Pacific. The British were not the only early European influence on this area. The islands were proclaimed a colony of France in 1880, but it was not until 1946 before natives were granted citizenship.
Modern life on the Society Islands revolves mainly around farming and tourism, which are the French territories’ main economic resources. Pineapple, Vanilla, Coconut and Pearl Farming account for a large amount of the Society Islands gross domestic product, with various tourist activities and attractions bringing in significant additional capital.
Official Name: Society Islands,
Population: 221,000
Capital City: Papeete (27,000), with an estimated (151,500) on the island of Tahiti
Languages: French (official), Tahitian (official)
Official Currency: Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique franc
Religions: Protestant, Catholic, others
Land Area: 1,680 sq km (650 sq miles)
Latitude/Longitude: 17º 52S, 149º 56W
Highest Point: Mt. Orohena at 7,350 ft. (2,241 m)
Beautiful Marquesas
The Marquesas Islands are considered by many who visit them to be among the most spectacular tropical destinations on the planet. The islands are rugged and lush, as most of the natural beauty has been preserved thanks to a sparse population and remote location. Marquesas can be found about 930 miles off of the northeast coast of Tahiti. The archipelago is comprised of twelve islands (two of which are barren and rocky), with only half of the twelve being inhabited.
The Native Polynesians who first arrived at these amazing islands referred to them by the name “Te Henua Enata,” which is translated as the Land of Men. The islands quickly became a hot spot for Polynesian activity, as the bountiful coastal waters provided ample food and resources for a growing population. In fact, the local population of Marquesas natives is thought to have once consisted of over 80,000 individuals. Sadly, –and possible unsurprisingly—that number fell dramatically as smallpox and other diseases came with the arrival of Europeans.
Western contact was first established in 1595 by the Spanish. Further exploration was conducted around 1774 with the arrival of Captain James Cook. He wrote in his journal that the Marquesas natives he observed were “the finest race ever beheld…tall and well proportioned.”
The Marquesas Islands are currently a growing Vacation destination as modern amenities like cell phone and internet service are expanding to cover most major islands. This might have been helped by the TV show Survivor, which hosted a season of its long running reality show on the island of Nuku Hiva. The Polynesian Cultural Center offers a wide variety of Marquesas inspired activities, including a recreation of a tohua, a traditional chief’s hut that served as the focal point of Marquesan society. Join Discover Hawaii on a Polynesian Cultural Center tour the next time you find yourself in Hawaii, and learn even more about this spectacular location.
Facts about Marquesas:
Population: 8632
Capital: Taiohae
Major languages: Marquesan, French and Tahitian
Major religion: Protestant, Catholic, others
Land Area: 1,243 sq km (480 sq miles)
Latitude/Longitude: 9º 00S, 139º 30W
Highest Point: Mountain peak on Hiva Oa, at 4,1345 ft. (1,260 m)
Largest Island: Nuku Hiva (339 sq. km)
Largest Town: Taiohae, the modern day administrative center of the islands, (population) 1,700
Population Density: 8 /km2 (21 /sq mi)
PCC Maori Preformers
Beautiful New Zealand (Aotearoa) is one of the Polynesian Cultural Center’s own seven villages. This amazing south pacific location has a storied culture full of Polynesian exploration and settlement. New Zealand is considered to have been originally discovered by Polynesians around the tenth century. After two hundred years or so, Polynesian settlements could be found all over the country. These early visitors found a landscape that was highly different from the tropical islands of the South Pacific that they were used to. New Zealand instead had a more temperate climate and was covered with mountains. It also had very little in the way of large game, except for a fifteen foot tall flightless bird called the Moa, which was hunted to extinction by the time Europeans arrived on the island.
“Maori” became the name of the Polynesian culture that developed in New Zealand. They are world renowned for their prowess as navigators and fierce warriors. Maori facial tattooing is another signature of this one-of-a-kind people. Classical Maori culture is famed for its ornately decorated weapons, spiritual areas known as Marae, Pā or fortified hill-top locations, and some of the largest war canoes ever constructed.
The word Maori is considered to mean something like “normal people,” which was a way for this society to describe their relation to their deities. The Maori are closely connected with their secluded island home, sometimes using the term “tangata whenua” to describe themselves as “people of the land.”
Mt Eden terraces (Pā)
Maori life changed drastically with the appearance of Europeans as early as the late seventeenth century. With Captain James Cook’s arrival in 1769, the Maori culture began to suffer from disease and mistreatment. This transition occurred rather late in history, causing some historians to consider Aotearoa’s native population to be the last major community to survive without tampering from the wider-world.
After populations of natives dwindled for hundreds of years, a cultural revival began in the 1960’s. Now, Maori communities (and the Polynesian Cultural Center) work to preserve and teach the history behind their amazing and storied culture.
Facts about New Zealand:
Population: 4.2 million
Capital: Wellington
Major languages: English, Maori
Major religion: Christianity
Life expectancy: 76 years (men), 81 years (women)
Monetary unit: 1 New Zealand dollar ($NZ) = 100 cents
Main exports: Wool, food and dairy products, wood and paper products
Internet domain: .nz
International dialling code: +64
Highest point: Mount Cook (3,754 m or 12313 ft)
Deepest lake: Lake Hauroko (462 m 1515 ft)
Largest lake: Lake Taupo (606 km or 234 miles)
Longest river: Waikato River (425 km or 264 miles long)
Largest glacier: Tasman Glacier (29 km or 18 miles long)
Deepest cave: Nettlebed, Mount Arthur (889 m or 2916 ft)
Length of coastline: 15,811 km (9824 miles)
The Polynesian Cultural Center is famous across the islands for its unique blend of Theme Park Presentation and Museum like informational displays. One could consider PCC as an exciting and engaging way to both have fun and learn; without even realizing it. After many requests from island teachers, the center took advantage of their unique learning possibilities by creating the Polynesian Explorer Overnight Program earlier this year.
This program operates on Thursday nights and is designed for Keiki from grades 3 to 6. Before this, guests were not permitted to spend the night in this fascinating attraction. Students can look forward to learning about the various cultural histories of Polynesia’s seven villages. From Hawaii to Samoa, they get an eye opening look at many traditional Polynesian customs including, cooking, migration, and navigation.
Additionally, the overnight explores are taught one skill that frequently is the highlight of their experience: fire making. This underappreciated skill is said to bring a huge response from the astounded kids, whose faces are described as lighting up like the flames that are kindled before them.
The excitement wraps up with song, dance, and some story telling, before they proceed on a canoe ride down to the New Zealand village for a good nights sleep. When you combine this night program with the various day-time offerings available at PCC, you can easily see why this is one of Oahu’s most popular attractions.
The program costs $45 per student and includes snacks, breakfast, and a workbook. If you are interested check out their website or call 1-808-293-3333. If you are looking for a day tour or a luau your best bet is certainly going to be with Discover Hawaii Tours.
The Polynesian Cultural Center is renowned for its unique blend of traditionally inspired Polynesian festivities. A major focus of these performances is on recreating the ancient techniques of Polynesian dance. Watching a highly energetic dance show is a great way to spend an exciting evening on the islands. For decades, visitors have left Hawaii with an appreciation for this traditional native art, and with the help of a former dancer for the Polynesian Cultural Center, gyrating hula dancers might soon be making an appearance at a gym near you.
Working it out Hawaiian Style
Laurianne Kapapa, who worked at the astounding Polynesian Cultural Center for three years, has taken her talents to the mainland where she is teaching Hula as a viable way to get a solid workout. Specifically, Kapapa’s ground-breaking workout will make you feel the burn throughout your core, arms, legs and especially the buttocks. The movements she teaches proceed through a range of motion that isn’t normally achieved in daily life. This makes every shake and wiggle target muscles that may have been neglected by traditional exercise. The moves are also smooth and easy on the joints, making this an excellent workout option for young and old alike.
If you are wondering how real results can be achieved by such an unconventional workout, look no further than the before mentioned Polynesian Cultural Canter. The performers seem to be keeping it together pretty nicely, no doubt thanks in part to their frequent and lively dancing. If you don’t find yourself near the Morton Community Center in West Lafayette Indiana –where Kapapa has brought her expertise– consider taking some notes the next time you are on the islands. We at Discover Hawaii Tours will be more than happy to help you make your way to the Polynesian Cultural Center for some in-depth exercise research. While planning your next life-changing exercise regime, feel free to put down your notebook and take in some of the awesome sights and sounds of the world renowned Polynesian Cultural Center.
