The Luxury Travel Magazine
The Luxury Travel Magazine
Luxurious travel can mean knowing that all your needs and wants are taken care of. Or going beyond the standard, simply for pleasure. For others, it means doing something that no one you know has experienced. When we travel we all want to leave the mundane far behind, travelling in style allows us to do just that. Add a slice of adventure to the mix, and you are definitely escaping the norm. For travel expert Emmanuel Burgio, Founder and President of Blue Parallel, luxurious travel is the fine balance between style and adventure. He shares his thoughts on why luxurious travel should have many meanings.
Emmanuel founded Blue Parallel in 2003, an idea that blossomed into a bespoke, boutique travel company that combines adventure and luxury. To the nth degree, everything is accounted for, from the expert travel guides and hosts, to the backdrop, the lavish accommodation and gastronomic meals.
The trips Emmanuel creates for Blue Parallel are inspired by his own travels. Blue Parallel’s travel expertise spans Latin America and the Mediterranean, and now they are expanding their catalogue to the depths of Antarctica. Their bespoke trips focus on exclusive access, such as to UNESCO World Heritage sites like the Mezquita in Cordoba, Spain; and privacy, like their private air travel, or their yacht charters in Greece. “Our clients want more and more to fly privately, and to have a private estate or villa. This growing desire to have privacy is something we’ve been catering for since day one.”
Adventure is another main ingredient, like dog-sledding in Lapland or kayaking in the Galapagos Islands. Every experience is polished with sheer luxury, a dedicated team provides white glove service throughout the trip. But Emmanuel’s definition of luxury is far from just a plush hotel room and a chilled bottle of Dom Perignon. He travels to the ends of the earth to find the perfect experience. “I think the word luxury can mean many different things to different people.”
Emmanuel has an intrinsic passion to seek adventure. “I go on adventures every day and travel exposes us to different playgrounds.” His international background – born in the Netherlands, educated in the south of France and London, then embarking on a professional life in the Big Apple – meant travelling was instinctive. His career began in investment banking in New York City, but he couldn’t extinguish that yearning for travel. He packed his bags and waved Wall Street farewell. He ventured to Bolivia, Chile, Pakistan, and Australia, visiting awe-inspiring world heritage sites and quenching his thirst for adventure.
As his horizon expanded, so did his entrepreneurial spirit. Although he had quickly come to realise that Wall Street was not for him, a revelation was upon him. “I came up with a concept that would enable me to reach out to my ex-colleagues, who appreciate and expect the best in service. People who are working long hours to provide excellent service to their clients, but find it difficult to get that same service in return.”
Emmanuel decided to create a product that would be perfect for his former colleagues. “Everything would be custom made, and time sensitive, with outdoor adventures and bucket list sites in the itinerary.” Emmanuel’s luxurious travel niche was now clear.
Emmanuel had an insight into the meaning of luxury in the early days of Blue Parallel. When the company was only a year old, he was approached by Bobby Haas, a photographer for National Geographic who wanted to capture never-before-documented locations in Latin America. The result was the best-selling aerial photobook, Through the Eyes of the Condor. “It was a huge, multi-year project and we were asked to arrange the entire thing. I was fortunate to go in the plane with the photographer.” The team obtained special permits from national park authorities, selected the aircrafts, and assigned hosts and hostesses. Helping one man fulfill his dream by photographing places that would not have been accessible otherwise was one of Emmanuel’s great luxuries.
Accessing the inaccessible is not something reserved for one-off projects. “On our trips travellers are exposed to very natural beauty. Many have very busy lives in a hectic city environment,” Emmanuel understands the need for escapism through a change of scenery, taking care of everything is the pinnacle. No planning, no routine, just absorbing the surroundings.
Exploring your surroundings, according to Emmanuel, is best done actively, “Whether biking, hiking – doing things that make you happy. Whatever enables you to get off the beaten path, go the extra mile and see something different to everyone else just sitting on a bus.” Which is why helicopter rides over the Iguassu Falls in Brazil, sea kayaking along the Old Walls of Dubrovnik, and private hot air balloon rides over Cappadocia, are part of the agenda. And the reward after being adventurous in a spectacular natural environment? Arriving at a luxury remote lodge, with a glacier view or overlooking ancient ruins, being served a beautiful meal, followed by a massage. “When you add those components together you think, ‘Wow, I had an incredible day.’ That’s what it’s all about.”
“Different travellers are attracted to different things, so finding the destination is important. All of our destinations I have vetted myself. For some it’s man made wonders, like the Insider Access to the Alhambra, Granada. For others it’s lava flowing over the Stromboli volcano on the Aeolian islands.” To Blue Parallel, there is never a one-size-fits-all approach.
Now with the launch of Blue Parallel Polar, taking intrepid luxurious travel to the Arctic and Antarctic, Emmanuel is spreading his wings to lesser-travelled destinations. “Part of the thing I enjoy the most is the creation part – building new products, visiting venues, trying the different excursions and adventures, knowing what our clients would love. Out of 100 things to see or do there might be five that make the cut. Then I come back and share them with my team.” Almost like a guinea pig? Emmanuel laughs, “Yes – a lucky one.”
Emmanuel has created the perfect recipe for escapism: getting outside of your comfort zone whilst basking in the lap of luxury. Blue Parallel brings together jaw-dropping adventure, with travel expertise, and a generous helping of sophistication, turning the definition of luxurious travel up a notch. Understanding that need to escape, that need for a more refined adventure is their priority, “It’s just part of our DNA.”
