Umu Experience — Attraction in Avarua

Tonight we went to the 'Umu Experience" dinner and show.

Sadly it was very disappointing.

Unfortunately the drummers/men were not able to make it due to practicing for their cultural competitions coming up, and the three dancers, that came late, did not do much imo.

They were also meant to run through the Umu preparation and, while the host did do a good job of explaining what this use to look like in a normal household, there was not a lot covered in this, which, when looking at the information about the show/dinner was meant to be much more informative and definitely longer, with more emphasis on the cultural significance of the umu. They did get some guests to help open the Umu though, which is good.

Instead, because the dancers were late and the drummers did not arrive, the hostess tried her best to revive the evening, with one drummer, and herself drumming too, and invited two young men from the audience to drum, which is lovely, but not the expected show. Then played her ukulele and sang a song as they waited for the dancers. Sadly, a bit lacking. Food was ok, but nothing special either, still edible though, just not special.

In my opinion, it would have been better for them to cancel this evening and move it to tomorrow night, or the next night. Yes, they were trying to do their best, but, it sadly was a let down, and I so wanted it...

Mixed Experience at Umu Experience

Umu Experience has the potential to be a truly unforgettable night out, but it’s not quite there yet. The food was delicious, with plenty of vegetarian options, and we enjoyed learning about the umu cooking method. The entertainment included dancers, a drumming group, and some storytelling by Terry, the owner, which was a nice touch.

However, a few things detracted from the experience for us:

• The transport to the venue was 30 minutes late. • Upon arrival, we were seated with strangers, which made the evening feel a bit awkward as neither party was eager to chat. • The dancers were the same performers we had seen at the Saturday Punanga Nui Market, which was a bit repetitive. • Lastly, being asked to join in the dancing felt cringeworthy and uncomfortable for us, though others seemed to enjoy it.

I also noticed that there seemed to be more staff than guests, which gave the event an odd vibe. With some adjustments, Umu Experience could...

Such an amazing night! We did this on our second last night on the island, so we had tasted alot of the local food and seen alot of dancers already. I think this show was one of our favourites! It was a nice small group, capped at 30 (or there abouts). We loved that it was a nice small, intimate experience. They showed us the process of an umu and included everyone in the demonstrations of it all. Explained our foods we were eating. The food was amazing, so many sides as well as a huge platter of umu on the table. Absolutely delicious!! The show was just awesome! They got everyone up and dancing. Amazing to watch! We had a family of 17 attend and it was just such a special experience for us all. We will be doing this again when we are back in the cook islands. An absolute must in my eyes!! Terry and co have created a pretty special thing here to showcase the beauty of the cook islands, both in food and dance- and the drumming was...