Polynesian Cultural Center, also called PCC, is one of the biggest attractions on Oahu. PCC has seven villages---Samoa, New Zealand, Fiji, Tahiti, Tonga, the Marquesas and Hawaii---representing the Polynesian islands close by. In each village, students from the displayed country are dressed in native clothes and perform dances, games, songs and crafts. The general admission also includes a boat ride and the Pageant of the Long Canoes along the waterway flowing through PCC. Dinner and night show tickets are also available.
The 1,800-acre valley on the North Shore offers visitors the opportunity to learn about past and present Hawaiian culture. You experience cultural, botanical, ecological and historical sites when you walk around the garden full of endemic and indigenous flora and fauna, visit the only fully restored heiau (Hawaiian temple) on Oahu, hike to Waimea Falls and enjoy offered cultural activities, such as lei making, kapa demonstration, hula lessons, Hawaiian games and storytelling with the elders.
Luau, the traditional Hawaiian fest, is not only about delicious Hawaiian foods. Luaus are also an opportunity to learn about Polynesian culture. Dances, songs and crafts are demonstrated, and the audience is invited to participate as they sip mai tais and taste kalua pig.
Hawaiian Hall at the Bishop Museum displays artifacts from the museum's Hawaiian art collection. The first floor is dedicated to Hawaiian gods, legends, beliefs and the world of pre-contact Hawaii. The second floor represents the land and nature in the daily lives of Hawaiian people. The third floor focuses on the key moments in Hawaiian history. Polynesian Hall, on the other hand, has two floors of artifacts from the Pacific countries of Polynesia, Micronesia and Melanesia. Artifacts from rituals, daily life, warfare, religion, clothing, music and dance are showcased.
The South Pacific Cultural Center is located close to the Waikiki Shell in Waikiki. The center features cultures from Hawaii, Tonga, Fiji, Samoa, Australia and other Polynesian countries. Hawaiian buffet dinner and Polynesian show are part of the night program and Polynesian bazaar and craft demonstrations can be experienced during the day.
