Tiki Wanderlust

🌴 About Tiki Wanderlust

Tiki Wanderlust grew out of two long-standing loves: travel and escapism.

My first real connection to “tiki” probably started without me realizing it—through Disney. As a lifelong Disney Parks fan (and former Disney travel agent), I was always drawn to Adventureland and Walt Disney World’s Polynesian Resort. I stayed there as a kid, and looking back, that early exposure to Polynesian-inspired design, storytelling, and atmosphere clearly stuck with me.

Years later, through friends in the Disney and travel communities—many of whom were already deep into tiki culture—I began discovering just how rich, creative, and welcoming the tiki world really is.

When I started exploring more seriously, I relied heavily on a site called Critiki, which documented tiki bars past and present. It became my go-to reference when planning trips. When that site eventually went offline, I realized how much I depended on having a reliable, centralized place for this information.

Around the same time, I took a Route 66 road trip to Disneyland with my son, who is a huge Cars fan. While most of the journey focused on film locations and roadside Americana, I couldn’t resist weaving in a few tiki stops along the way—visits to Trader Sam’s, a stay at Caliente Tropics in Palm Springs, a stop at The Reef, and Damon’s Steakhouse in Glendale.

That trip planted a bigger idea.

After returning home, I started mapping out a future, adults-only tiki road trip—one that included nearly twenty tiki bars and restaurants. As I researched and organized everything, it became clear that other travelers could benefit from having this kind of information in one place.

That’s how Tiki Wanderlust was born.

🌺 What This Site Is

Tiki Wanderlust is a curated travel directory and community hub for:

• Traditional tiki bars
• Tropical cocktail lounges
• Nautical and tiki-adjacent spaces
• Mid-century modern and vintage hotels and motels
• Tiki events and festivals

Rather than focusing on hype or rankings, this site emphasizes accurate, up-to-date information: locations, hours, menus, reservation links, social media, and practical travel details.

When I’ve personally visited a location, you’ll sometimes find field notes and observations. When I haven’t, I’m careful to keep listings factual and transparent. The goal is trust first, always.

I also try to clearly distinguish between traditional tiki spaces and related styles, so visitors can plan trips that match their interests and expectations.

🌴 A Community Effort

Tiki Wanderlust is not meant to be a one-way guide—it’s meant to be shared and shaped by the community.

If you notice missing information, outdated details, or changes in a venue’s status, I’m always grateful for a heads-up. And if you’ve visited one of these spots, your insights and experiences help make this resource better for everyone.

While the focus is primarily on currently operating establishments, the site also aims to respect tiki’s broader history and cultural context as it continues to grow.

🍹 Supporting the Project

Tiki Wanderlust is a passion project, built and maintained independently. Any support helps cover hosting, research, and travel costs—and allows me to continue expanding the site and community.

If you’d like to help keep the project going, you can support it through Patreon (or simply “buy me a Mai Tai”). In return, I hope to continue developing new features, guides, and community experiences—possibly even group trips down the road.

Most of all, thank you for being here, for exploring, and for helping keep the spirit of tiki travel alive.

Welcome to Tiki Wanderlust.