News / FOR WHEREVER LIFE’S ADVENTURE LEAD

Built on an a ever-expanding lava field, Hawaii's Big Island is one of the most diverse landscapes out of all the Hawaiian islands. We made a trip to the Big Island to see all that the island has to offer for us to explore, from the open ranges to the black sand beaches. Our trip landed us in the most populated area of the Big Island, Kailua-Kona. One of the most active beaches on this side is Kahalu'u Beach Park which is known for snorkeling and surfing. If you're just looking for a beautiful beach to lay on, your best option is Hapuna Beach State Park. Hapuna is the largest white sand beach on the island. If you're looking for some adventure, Kona is known for it's lava fields which runs right next to HI-19 just past the Kona airport. Keep in mind, lava rocks are sharp and uneven so be careful if you plan on venturing down into lava tubes.

All this beach time and lava rock hiking can work up quite an appetite, if you want an amazing meal around Kona I will recommend two options, Lava Lava Beach Club and Kona Brewing Company. Lava Lava Beach Club is your iconic feet in the sand, 5 star dining. Kona Brewing Company is best known for, well...beer. Let's face it, pizza and beer always go hand and hand and Kona Brewing makes some of the best pizza on the island.

Kona also has great shopping, resorts, and plenty of outdoor activities. If you're looking for cooler climate and something more remote you should drive out to Waimea. Waimea has an average temperature of 65 degrees, plan on bringing a jacket, and cowboy boots. Waimea is known for their Hawaiian cowboys (Paniolo). This area is filled with rolling, green pastures and livestock. Waimea is an unexpected surprise on the Big Island by being a remote area which provides a southwest atmosphere in a tropical landscape. If you're looking for some fun, check out Parker Ranch for hunting or horseback riding. Throughout the year, Waimea hosts many rodeos but the most well known rodeo is held at Parker Ranch. For more info about Hawaiian Rodeos click here.

The Big Island is most well known for it's active volcano. The Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is the world's only drive-in volcano. As scary as it may be, you are able to get extremely close to one of the world's most active volcanoes. The Hawaii Volcanoes National Park has many hiking trails, including one that allows you to view the lava flow as it makes it's way towards the ocean. After a long hike nothing is more rewarding than a relaxing glass of wine from Volcano Winery or nice dinner at the Volcano House. 

The Kilauea Volcano is the main reason why the Big Island has such beautiful waterfalls, black sand beaches, and lush green vegetation. The Big Island has some of the most beautiful waterfalls, such as Akaka Falls, Rainbow Falls, Pe'epe'e Falls and Umauma Falls. Most of these waterfalls are accessible by a short hike. To learn more about the beautiful waterfalls the Big Island offers click here. 

An island shaped by a volcano is the only place where you can find the best black sand beaches. Punlu'u Beach is a black sand beach that offers breathtaking views, sea turtle sightings, and great swimming. 

The Big Island is the perfect life adventure with 14 different climate zones, great surfing, vast ranches, amazing food, beautiful hikes, and some of the most unique beaches in the world. Let BEX help you prepare for your next adventure to the Big Island with the perfect lightweight polarized sunglasses, the Deklyn.

By: Kevin Rugnetta, Photo credit (majority): Kevin Rugnetta

Life's adventures lead us to the country of India. India has a very diverse landscape with lots of beauty, rich history, and friendly people.

We took an adventure through the Golden Triangle. The Golden Triangle consists of a trip around India's three major tourist destinations: New Delhi, Agra, and Jaipur. To really experience this tour, we found it best to book a driver that can take you from place to place. Sun Tours provided us with a very nice and knowledgeable driver for a reasonable price. Driving in India is very crazy so it is best left to the professionals.

New Delhi is know for it's rich history, lush landscapes, and vast markets. Our first adventure landed us to a hectic, but fun, bicycle tour. Delhi By Cycle takes you through Old Delhi, explaining all about the rich history and leads you to a world renowned spice market. Whether you are a pro cyclist or just a beginner, this tour will really test your skills. Weaving in and out of traffic and narrow corridors makes this adventure extremely fun. 

Our next stop was Jaipur, also know as the Pink City. This beautiful city is known for all of it's locally sourced stone that has a pinkish hue. There are many things to do in this city, some of the main attractions are Hawa Mahal (shown below), block printing factories, the Amber Palace, and the Birla Temple.

Our outdoor adventure lead us to Elefantastic, just on the outskirts of Jaipur. Elefantastic was created for many reasons, one of which was to show foreigners the elephant past of India. One of Jaipur's oldest tradition is painting an elephant (in non-toxic paint made from vegetable oil and natural dyes). Painting an elephant is a bonding experience which shows love, respect, and great devotion to the elephant. Not only do you get to paint your own elephant, but you also get to feed the elephant, bathe the elephant, and take a ride. 

The final destination on our tour lead us to Agra, home to the Taj Mahal. The Taj Mahal, also know as the Temple Of Love, was built in remembrance of Emperor Shah Jahan's love for his favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal. After she passed from complications due to child birth, the Emperor vowed to never marry again and to erect a beautiful mausoleum in her honor. The Taj Mahal is perfectly symmetrical and built out of the finest marble and jewels. It is considered one of the 7 Wonders of the World. 

India is one of the most populated places on Earth and it is not hard to see the allure. This country has some of the most vibrant colors, people, smells, and landscapes.

For wherever life's adventures lead...BEX Sunglasses. Never Compromise.

(Image below: Shuyk sunglass, Jaypee Hotel, Agra)

By: Kevin Rugnetta