Bringing the village indoors.

I know many of the great Tiki palaces went all out on escapism. We have threads on murals, dioramas and waterfalls but the ones I would like to have seen in person were the places with indoor villages. Places like the Kahiki and the Tur Mai Kai had a dark village feel with lush jungles and water features with streams and bridges and in some cases rainfall. You would be lead to your table often located in it's own hut by the hostess along the village paths under a dark sky with the sound of running water all around. Some times off in the distance day would give way to night with the help of lighting effects. Damn! those were the days. Trader Vic's and many others gave the feel of being inside a native meeting house or hut under a bamboo and thatched ceiling. But the truly great experience must have been being in another world of an indoor village far away from the everyday world outside. So please post some pictures of these indoor villages. It would be great to see. Thanks.
Tur Mai Kai 1969

I don't have any pictures to post, but want to add that this is the part of escapism that I like the best!

I can't think of any modern examples, but though it is not tiki, the Blue Bayou restaraunt is disneyland....wow!

On 2009-05-26 10:48, lucas vigor wrote:
I don't have any pictures to post, but want to add that this is the part of escapism that I like the best!

I can't think of any modern examples, but though it is not tiki, the Blue Bayou restaraunt is disneyland....wow!

http://www.anaheimoc.org/client_upload/Membership/6215_image1.jpg

http://davelandweb.com/neworleanssquare/images/bluebayou/BlueBayouRestaurant.jpg

[ Edited by: lucas vigor 2009-05-26 10:54 ]

If I was one of those lucky people winning the mega-lottery, I know what I would design and build...a tiki bar with a few rooms, each a different theme..

for example, one room has the rain effect outside (You would be able to hear it) and the lightning flashes through the fake windows, indicating a massive tropical storm outside, while you are inside drinking...like the Haunted mansion in disneyland...(The lightning effects), another room would be evening time on the lagoon, with perhaps the look and sound of waves breaking on the reef about 100 yards out...the other room would be pure rainforest jungle, with the sound of natives drumming in the distance, and insects, birds, all that Martin Denny stuff!!

Well, I can dream, right??

The key is a lush, tropical feel and the rain effects and jungle sounds are neccessary to get that effect. I don't know why more tiki bars nowadays don't have them!

I have atmoshpheric jungle sounds CDs that I made myself,and sometimes while drinking in the garage I play them...it's not prefect, but sometimes if you squint your eyes and listen......

Lucas,
you drink in your garage?
hell we can't even walk into our Garage.
unless we take stuff out,bikes,lawnmowers,engines on dollys, etc....

my tiki bar is always open, and waiting, come on over man,

Jeff(bigtikidude)

On 2009-05-26 12:24, bigtikidude wrote:
Lucas,
you drink in your garage?
hell we can't even walk into our Garage.
unless we take stuff out,bikes,lawnmowers,engines on dollys, etc....

my tiki bar is always open, and waiting, come on over man,

Jeff(bigtikidude)

Oh, it's packed to the rafters with "Balikbayan" (ask any filipino what that means) so, yeah, I have to squint my eyes and pretend!!!!

Yeah, I will make it over there one of these days!

Here is the village-like interior floor plan of the Kahiki.