Absam / Tyrol, Oktober 2008: The Austrian manufacturer of top-of-the-range precision optical instruments is stepping up its cooperation with travel companies that specialise in soft adventure holidays with a focus on nature. Swarovski Optik adds a new dimension to this experience by providing binoculars and giving participants fascinating insights into the world of digiscoping – creating powerful impressions and enabling them to capture and preserve precious moments. In the Chilean high-end travel company explora Swarovski Optik has now found the ideal partner for an exclusive cooperation in South America. explora stands for a new travel philosophy, with guided excursions and deluxe hotels that blend harmoniously into spectacular landscapes. The first cooperation will start at the explora hotels in Atacama and Patagonia.
Today, more and more people are discovering the joys of watching and observing nature and are prepared to take time to enjoy the nature experience at leisure. This is the vision that inspired Swarovski Optik to develop its precision optical instruments, binoculars and telescopes. In combination with a high-quality digital camera and a few additional items of equipment it opens up the world of digiscoping – taking photographs with a compact digital camera through the eyepiece of a telescope. Digiscoping is becoming increasingly popular for travel photography, as it makes it possible to take close-up pictures of distant objects with high-quality results.
The strategic aim behind Swarovski Optik's latest cooperation is to introduce travellers all over the world, who are looking for that special nature experience to the benefits that Swarovski Optik precision instruments can bring in capturing and "freezing" special moments. The Austrian company works with select travel operators and is now launching a partnership with Explora in two South American locations.
A journey for the soul – A feast for the senses
Since 1993 explora has introduced travellers from all over the world to the remote and lesser-known regions at the southernmost tip of South America – sharing with them its magical landscapes and mysterious beauty. The name "explora" (Discovery) expresses the company’s mission: it stands for the discovery of untouched nature and culture as well as of the country and its people.
explora's programme includes the crossing of the Andes from the Chilean and Bolivian high-altitude plains expeditions and vice versa, guided excursions of the Atacama region, Patagonia and Easter Island. explora hotels are built using local materials whenever possible. They feature designer or custom designed furniture, Purist in design, explora hotels offer every imaginable amenity and facility for relaxation and leisure.
The professionally guided excursions change daily and are tailor-made to suit the wishes and needs of small groups of up to eight guests. The top-quality equipment provided for the excursions leaving the Hotel de Larache in Atacama and the Hotel Salto Chico will now be supplemented by Swarovski Optik SLC binoculars with 8x magnification.
These binoculars are particularly popular with nature lovers, offering excellent picture quality and optimum colour fidelity even in poor light conditions. Their ergonomic design and easy handling also contribute to their popularity. Additionally, explora guides in both locations will be provided with Swarovski Optik telescopes complete with digiscoping equipment. Thus equipped, in future they will be in a position to instruct their guests in the basics of this fascinating new dimension of photography that is guaranteed to make their journey even more memorable.
Nature Conservation in action
explora's philosophy advocates a new way of travelling that broadens our perception of the world's treasures while showing a deep respect for our natural and cultural environment. "This respectful attitude to nature is totally in line with the philosophy of Swarovski Optik“, says Carina Schiestl-Swarovski, Managing Director of the Austrian company, commenting on the new partnership. She is particularly appreciative of the fact that explora is donating a sum equivalent to the value of the binoculars to local environmental protection organisations. "This is nature conservation with personal involvement and direct benefits – exactly the approach we always take in our worldwide activities.“
Magical landscapes of mysterious beauty
Journeys with explora are journeys into our innermost selves. Or, as an Atacama shepherdess, referring to the Altiplanos, put it, "We call them Points of View, because the same thing can be seen in many different ways.“ The Atacama region in northern Chile, between the Pacific Ocean and the Cordillera de los Andes, is a vast expanse of land steeped in mystery, where numerous prehistoric remains bear witness to 3000 years of history. A spectacular landscape encompassing the world's driest desert, oases and hot springs, volcanoes and salt flats. On the high plains, the "Altiplanos", travellers encounter a breathtakingly alien environment – a place that is literally "out of this world". The explora Hotel de Larache, not far from San Pedro de Atacama, is the perfect base from which to explore the outlandish beauty of the area.
Patagonia, at the southernmost tip of Chile, is another of South America's mythical places – a region synonymous with voyages of discovery and such legendary names as Ferdinand Magellan and Sir Francis Drake. Here, in the heart of Patagonia, lies one of the world's most beautiful National Parks, Torres del Paine, which encompasses 3000-metre-high mountain ranges, glaciers and waterfalls and is home to a unique flora and fauna with more than 120 varieties of birds. The Hotel Salto Chico is set on the shores of Lake Pehoé amidst the spectacular scenery of the national park.
The cooperation between Swarovski Optik and explora will contribute to making the nature experience at the southernmost tip of South America even more intense and lasting. The initial project in Chile is to be followed by further ventures in other countries and on other continents.