The Cook Islands Showcase at the Polynesian Cultural Center

Complimentary general admission passes were provided by our sponsor

The Cook Islands showcase run at the Polynesian Cultural Center is wrapping up its 6 week exhibition on Oahu's north shore, but there are still a few days left to see it, and believe me, you don't want to miss out on this special opportunity to get a taste of the Cook Islands.

Last Friday the four of us visited the Polynesian Cultural Center (PCC). It was the first visit for our twin sons.

So much has changed since my husband and I last visited PCC. We managed to find the ticket office, which is now located in the new Hukilau Marketplace.  But where is the front entrance?  Just follow the painted yellow flowers!

We wanted to catch the first performance at the Cook Islands exhibit, so we had to make a bee-line from the entrance all the way to the opposite end of the center t catch the 1pm performance.  The center itself covers 42 acres, so that gives you an idea of how far we had to speed-walk!

We arrived just as they were starting the show. Thankfully there was covered seating.

The performance was spectacular, from the drumming, to the dancing by both the female and male performers.  It's definitely entertaining for people of all ages.

They even taught us a couple of their dance moves!

After the 30 minute performance was over, we had the opportunity to learn more about the Cook Islands through their handouts and cultural demonstrations. 

The Cook Islands is comprised of 15 islands in the South Pacific.  Rarotonga (pictured below) is the most populated of all islands, and where the international airport is located. There is one non-stop flight between Los Angles and Rarotonga once a week.  It's a 10 hour flight.  Otherwise, you have to fly into New Zealand and then catch another flight from New Zealand to Rarotonga.

The art displays hands-on demonstrations are always fun to watch. My boys were too shy to participate...

After spending time at the Cook Islands exhibit, we were hoping to take a canoe ride, but when this canoe arrived at the landing, we were told the canoes were going to get prepped for the canoe pageant at 2:30.  

It turned out to be a blessing because we ended up taking a leisurely walk through some of the other villages at PCC (there are 6 villages in total).

At about 2:15 pm, we took a seat in the stands and waited for the start of the canoe pageant. We bought some ice cream to cool off while we were waiting.

Promptly at 2:30, the canoe pageant started.  The canoes came through one by one.  Each island had its own canoe and performed a dance representative of their culture.

There were a lot of activities that we missed out on (like the canoe tours, Hawaiian Journey Movie Experience, Laie Tram Tour, and the other cultural demonstrations and activities in the villages). We will have to save those experiences for our next visit!

The Cook Island showcase is open from 12:00 pm to 5:00 pm through August 24, 2017.  Here is the daily schedule:

1:00 p.m.    Main Cultural Presentation

1:30 p.m.    Activities

1:55 p.m.    Main Cultural Presentation

3:05 p.m.    Main Cultural Presentation

3:30 p.m.    Activities

4:00 p.m.    Main Cultural Presentation

General Admission:

Adults: $59.95

Children (4 -11): $47.96

Kamaaina pricing available

Visit the Polynesian Cultural Center website for more information.

I would like to extend a big mahalo to our sponsor for providing us with complimentary admission tickets to the Polynesian Cultural Center.

Polynesian Cultural Center

55-370 Kamehameha Highway

1-800-367-7060

Monday - Saturday: 12:00 pm - 9:00 pm | Sunday: Closed