When the Polynesian Cultural Center goes to sleep, tour guides still speak the legends of their ancestors underneath the brightly beaming moon. The PCC hosts nightly kayak and paddle board tours on the lagoon called Lunar Legends of Polynesia.
The lunar legends website reads the tour gives “an exclusive look behind the scenes [while guests] float around the lagoon on a stand-up paddle board or kayak.”
Katie Grow, who took a paddle board trip at the PCC, said lunar legends provides visitors with an opportunity to resync with the land, the people and their self during the peaceful journey on the lagoon.
Lighted by a few tiki torches and underwater, colored LED lightbulbs, flickering shadows give enough visibility to paddle through the lagoon. A guide teaches paddlers Hawaiian words, instructs them on proper kayak/paddle board use and steering, and takes the group through the lagoon, stopping at intervals to pause and tell of Polynesian legends.
Brett Lee, the founder of lunar legends, said the idea for the tour started out as paddle board lessons in the lagoon in 2015. He said he added the legends to add a more cultural aspect and stay in line with the PCC’s mission.
Lee said he asked a friend from Samoa to fill his story line with Polynesian legends. From there, he said the lunar legend teams have tried out different lighting effects, music and activities for their visitors to fine tune it to the tour visitors enjoy today.
The tour gives couples, families and individuals a time to reflect, ponder and appreciate their ancestors and the land around them. In contrast to the drums, dancing and music of the day, the Lunar Legends of Polynesia tour is quiet and tranquil. “One of the most common responses [from our visitors] is they really love the reflection time. It’s kind of like a spiritual moment.”
He said he outlined the script with legends that teach morals important to reinforce in the family. “It was really important to me we did it in a way that these morals would resonate with people, no matter which culture or country they’re from,” he explained.
Lee said they made the whole framework about family and ancestors so everyone could relate because everyone is a part of a family. “I wanted them to feel the Spirit. … The goal is they leave thinking there is something special about this place.”
Grow said her experience was special because it was with a smaller group, so it was a more private experience. “I always feel like the PCC at night is a sacred spot.”
She said she was raised partly in Hawaii and, while she was here, learned to respect the land, including the plants, trees, people and the spirit of the earth. “Inside the PCC, I get that feeling I had when I was climbing trees as a kid.” Grow teared up as she remembered her childhood memories and said the lunar legends tour helped her remember those special times.
Grow said she enjoyed the night tour with her husband and children. She said she definitely recommends people do the tour with their families. “[It’s] great. It’s a quiet reconnection. My son said there’s a mindfulness aspect that comes with being slowed way down, not moving fast and being very purposeful with movement. It’s really centering.”