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Experiencing the Wonders of China: Crown Jewel of Asia (Luxury OR Upgraded Version), with Shelby H. Saberon (May 13-22, 2011)

We have had some amazing things happen in our company this last year. Most of you know that I started Liahona Guided Tours about ten years ago and in that time we have conducted over 80 tours. We have had increasing demand for tours not only to our areas of expertise from groups outside of LDS circles, but to destinations around the world, so this year I decided to expand and formed a new company called “The Passion Travel Company”. This company focuses on smaller group tours with a theme. For LDS groups, the passion is obviously for the scriptures and traveling with like-minded people. But with the new company we do theme groups of any kind, from photographers, to family history, doctor groups, you name it. Click below to read more about our new company and see our current tours:

ThePassionTravelCompany.com

We are still running our Classic Programs such as Book of Mormon, Israel, and Peru. Our high-school seminary student Book of Mormon tour has been running for 5 years now and many youth have reported that they have had life-changing experiences on these tours. There is no better gift you can give to a child or grand child than experience and education. If you would like info on these, or any of our other Classic Programs, click this link:

Our Classic Tours

We have many of our former directors and some excellent new directors you might like to read about here:

Our Directors

With my new company, I joined forces with one of my most successful friends and peers, Larry Hanson. Larry has extensive experience in European travel and adds tremendous business and technical expertise to the company. I am beyond excited about our New Programs. With Larry, we are headed full force into Europe. But we are also developing other fun programs. You may know that I played varsity tennis for BYU and was a tennis teaching pro for a while. We are going to run tennis tours to NYC and the US Open, London tours coupled with Wimbledon, and Paris tours around French Open time. If you would like to read about our new company and what I personally have been up to this last year, and our New Programs, please read further by clicking here:

What we’ve been up to

I would like to keep in touch with you every six months (September/October and end of January) to let you know about our tour schedules, but I would also like to periodically send you a fun email newsletter, featuring interesting topics/studies from me and our directors such as scholarly info or other interesting information relating to the areas we travel to. We won’t send you an email more than once every 1-3 months and will never let your emails out, so don’t worry about that (we hate spam!). Please email us if you don’t want emails from me (or just opt out in the email themselves). Emails are the main way we will keep in contact with you, so we hope you don’t mind. I think of you all often, and our wonderful tours together.

Have a fantastic year!

Shelby Saberon
Founder of Liahona Guided Tours &
The Passion Travel Company

With the new company, I joined forces with one of my most successful friends and peers, Larry Hanson. Larry has extensive experience in European travel and adds tremendous business and technical expertise to the company (I will feature him later in a different newsletter).

We are still running our classic core programs, such as Book of Mormon tours to Guatemala, Mexico, or Belize, as well as our Holy Land tours to Israel, Egypt and Jordan, and our Machu Picchu tour to Peru. But we are using our system to develop tours to many new areas as well. Our focus is high quality small group tours (minimum of 10 people only!). My new personal area of interest is Asia (I have family roots there). In 2011, as I mentioned above, areas I will personally lead new tours to are China and Southeast Asia this next spring. China is the number 1 Asia destination, and I will co-direct a tour here with Sheldon Poon, who has conducted over 150 tours and has 30+years experience with groups here. I am probably the most excited about Southeast Asia, which has Angkor Wat and other amazing Khmer Civilization ruins in Cambodia. Hands down, this tour has the most incredible ruin in the world. Let me tell you, if you liked seeing Maya ruins or Machu Picchu with me, you will be absolutely blown away by this tour. Besides the ruins, the scenery is stunning beyond imagination, especially at the tiny spire-like island chains of Thailand and Viet Nam.

I am also open to directing tours to other areas (there has been interest in Greece and Peru with me as the director). If you have a tiny group of 10, we can make it happen. We are also developing tours right here at home. Our New York City tour is phenomenal, and has to be one of the great tours of the world. I am developing a twist on this tour by combining it with the US Open pro tennis tournament (with similar plans for Wimbledon & the French Open). It may seem odd to do a guided tour here on our own soils, but most who go to NYC on their own miss 80% of the best stuff and only hit a few main tourist attractions. Our guided tours in the U.S. will give you the maximum experience to classic US destinations, places like San Francisco and the Deep South (amazing guided tours, I had been to San Francisco four or five times but missed most of what you do there). With Larry’s European expertise, we will be doing tours all over Europe, including Italy, France, Iceland, the UK, the Adriatic (our Forgotten Kingdoms of the Alps tour), and more. These tours will range in theme from culture/history to cuisine, bicycling, tennis, and more. We have some private family history/family reunion tours going to places like Poland, where a group has rounded up their east coast Polish relatives (mostly non-LDS) for a fantastic tour to their ancestral homelands. Of Course, we continue to do the best Book of Mormon tours around, so if you have family and friends that you want to send with me, I would love to take them. I have 3 Book of Mormon tours in 2011: one classic, one extreme jungle to El Mirador (Bountiful candidate) and Laguna Lachua (Zarahemla candidate), and one to Belize (a fabulous tour with half jungle ruins and B of M, and half vacationing on an island in the stunning waters of the Caribbean, with snorkeling, scuba diving, sailing, deep sea fishing, deserted island picnics, and much more).

Many of our previous directors are still leading groups for us, and we have some fantastic new directors as well. If you have children our grand children in seminary, send them on our student tour with Scott Pearce and Ron Adams. These brothers have run four years of Book of Mormon trips with high school students, many of whom have had life changing experiences. In addition to my Book of Mormon tours, we have many other excellent directors here, including Mark Wright, one of our greatest up-and-coming LDS scholars. Mark is working on his Ph.D in Maya archaeology at UC Riverside and is a part time Book of Mormon instructor at BYU. He is world-class. We also added Stanley Guenter to our schedule. Stan is a world-famous Maya archaeologist/hieroglyph translator and has been mentioned frequently in National Geographic productions (magazine and documentary movies). Stan has been guiding tours since 2002 and has the academic AND tour director skill set to make every trip special. In 2011 he will be taking cultural tours for us to Mexico, Belize, Guatemala (regular and El Mirador), Southeast Asia, Egypt, and Peru and in 2012 will expand to Spain, the South Pacific Islands, China, Japan, and other locations.

I would like to keep in touch with you every six months (September/October and end of January) to let you know about our tour schedules, but I would also like to periodically send you a fun email newsletter, featuring interesting topics/studies from me and our directors such as scholarly info or other interesting information relating to the areas we travel to. We won’t send you an email more than once every 1-3 months and will never let your emails out so don’t worry about that (I hate spam!). Please email us if you don’t want emails from me. Emails are the main way we will keep in contact with you, so hope you don’t mind.

For more info on all our tours, keep an eye on our website: www.thepassiontravelcompany.com. I am super excited about this incredible new site. My partner Larry has been a main manager at places like weather.com (one of the most visited websites in the country) and recently built a huge weather website for NBC. He has worked at the highest levels in that industry, so it is a treat to have him creating this website. There will be director blogs, movie clips, and lots of fun features on the website, besides the descriptions of our tours. You can sign up securely for any tour right on the site.

Hope you are all having a great year and I wish you a wonderful fall season. Keep in touch!

Shelby H Saberon
Founder / Manager
The Passion Travel Company

We will cook at the world-renowned Cordon Bleu, visit the famed gourmet epiceries, patisseries, and chocolateries of Paris, sample local cheeses and produce at the oldest and largest weekly market in Provence (in existence since the 12th Century), and learn (and taste) the art of French country cooking, all while taking in the best and brightest that these tour destinations have to offer: view the work of the Masters at the Louvre, stroll down the Champs-Elysees, immerse yourself in the world of impressionism at the Museé d’Orsay, inhale the sweet air of the largest lavender producing region in France, visit the tiny hilltop towns of the Luberon Region, stand in the very room where Van Gogh created some of his most beloved works, and walk across the ancient Roman aqueduct Pont du Gard.

If you are interested in taking this tour or have questions about it, use this form to contact us and we will keep you informed as we finalize the dates of this special tour.

Airfares are low and in many areas, hotel prices have come down. You may get the best deals in years over this next year. On the Book of Mormon tour end, we have developed a new favorite tour that focuses on Belize. In this tour we do half jungle/ruins adventure and half fun in the beautiful turquoise waters of the Caribbean Sea. We just ran this tour last August with a family of 20 and absolutely loved this experience. What a tour!

If you have been on our Book of Mormon tour and want to bring family and friends, but yet do something a little different, this is the tour for you! Contact us and we will make it happen for you. Make your next trip a Terra Cognita quality tour that will build memories to treasure. Please call us at 801-737-6496 or email us here for information on any of our programs.

For those who have been to Nauvoo recently, or would like a shorter tour, we offer a 9 day tour which focuses on church history sites in the east (Sharon, Palmyra, Kirtland). This tour is combined with our longer tour that also visits Nauvoo and the Independence area (Jackson County Missouri sites), but your tour will end after Kirtland. This tour is the ideal Church History Tour and visits critical church history sites, but at a relaxed pace. In fact we stay for two consecutive nights in Boston, Palmyra, and Kirtland. That means we have plenty of time to enjoy those areas thoroughly and we aren’t constantly on the move. AND WE ENJOY TWO FABULOUS DAYS IN THE HEART OF NEW ENGLAND DURING PEAK FOLIAGE. This tour is directed by Karen Lesser who has directed the tour many times. Karen has taught church history for many years and has directed multiple groups to all of these sites. You won’t find a person with her unique skills. She is unanimously loved by all those who travel with her.

Here is a sampling of what last year’s participants had to say:

“My expectations were high. You exceeded them in every way. It’s an experience I will cherish. I wish every member of the church could enjoy such a crash course on church history.” B. Gardner

“Thanks for helping us fulfill a life-long dream. These were places we always wanted to see. To see them with a great director and like-minded people made it that much better. Thanks for your genuine efforts to please us.” K Hansen

“Karen Lesser is the perfect tour director. Her knowledge, personality and spirit added immensely to our tour. Everything was so enjoyable.” S. Adams

“We watched quietly as Karen consistently went out of her way to do special things for people. She is so thoughtful, and we loved her enthusiasm as she taught us. F. Winslow

U.S. History and Fall Foliage Portion:

• Experience Boston, heart of the American Revolutionary War, Lexington and Concord where the Revolutionary War began, The U.S.S. Constitution, Bunker Hill, the Old North Church, and Boston’s Quincy Market.
• Travel on the spectacular Kankamangus Highway, one of America’s premier fall foliage drives and stroll through the beautiful Sabbaday Falls.
• View tree covered hills in every direction in the heart of New Hampshire’s White Mountains.
• See the best autumn colors between New Hampshire and Vermont, at places like Sharon. Visi the Maple Syrup Museum for a demonstration and interesting gifts.
• Explore Niagara Falls, a spectacle of wonder.
• Visit an authentic Amish community and enjoy and unforgettable dinner with an Amish family at their farm.

LDS Church History Portion:

• Visit Sharon Vermont, the birthplace of the Prophet Joseph Smith.
• See LDS church visitor’s centers at Kirtland, Palmyra, Sharon, and other locations.
• Stop at sacred locations like the Susquehanna River and Aaronic Priesthood Memorial.
• Experience the Sacred Grove, Fayette, Hill Cumorah, historic Palmyra, and the Palmyra New York Temple.
• Reflect at the Kirtland Temple, Isaac Morely Farm, John Johnson Farm, and Newel K. Whitney store in Historic Kirtland.

Included in your Autumn Reflections Church History tour:

• Round-trip airfare from Salt Lake City to Boston, and Cleveland back to Salt Lake City
• Escorted sightseeing by luxury motor coach
• Professional, experienced director (Karen Lesser) who is an exceptional church history teacher, and has directed this tour over a dozen times
• Clean and comfortable three and four star accommodations, selected for location, quality, and economic value
• 12 delicious meals including dinner with an Amish family
• Optional temple visit at Palmyra.
• Tips for baggage handling, taxes, and hotel gratuities

NOT included:

• Tips to drivers and local guides

Meals not included in the itinerary

If you have any questions about this tour (101004US03LDSWEB-E), please call 801-737-6496 or email the director here.

This tour is the ideal Church History Tour and visits virtually all of the critical church history sites, but at a relaxed pace. In fact we stay for two consecutive nights in Boston, Palmyra, Kirtland and Nauvoo. That means we have plenty of time to enjoy those areas thoroughly and we aren’t constantly on the move. AND WE ENJOY TWO FABULOUS DAYS IN THE HEART OF NEW ENGLAND DURING PEAK FOLIAGE. This tour is directed by Karen Lesser who has directed the tour many times. Karen has taught church history for many years and has directed multiple groups to all of these sites. You won’t find a person with her unique skills. She is unanimously loved by all those who travel with her.

Here is a sampling of what last year’s participants had to say:

“My expectations were high. You exceeded them in every way. It’s an experience I will cherish. I wish every member of the church could enjoy such a crash course on church history.” B. Gardner

“Thanks for helping us fulfill a life-long dream. These were places we always wanted to see. To see them with a great director and like-minded people made it that much better. Thanks for your genuine efforts to please us.” K Hansen

“Karen Lesser is the perfect tour director. Her knowledge, personality and spirit added immensely to our tour. Everything was so enjoyable.” S. Adams

“We watched quietly as Karen consistently went out of her way to do special things for people. She is so thoughtful, and we loved her enthusiasm as she taught us. F. Winslow

As you’ll note, the tour visits virtually all of the critical church history sites, but at a relaxed pace. In fact we stay for two consecutive nights in Boston, Palmyra, Kirtland and Nauvoo. That means we have plenty of time to enjoy those areas thoroughly and we aren’t constantly on the move. AND WE ENJOY TWO FABULOUS DAYS IN THE HEART OF NEW ENGLAND DURING PEAK FOLIAGE. This tour is directed by Karen Lesser who has directed the tour many times. Karen has taught church history for many years and has directed multiple groups to all of these sites. You won’t find a person with her unique skills. She is unanimously loved by all those who travel with her.

U.S. History and Fall Foliage Portion:

• Experience Boston, heart of the American Revolutionary War, Lexington and Concord where the Revolutionary War began, The U.S.S. Constitution, Bunker Hill, the Old North Church, and Boston’s Quincy Market.
• Travel on the spectacular Kankamangus Highway, one of America’s premier fall foliage drives and stroll through the beautiful Sabbaday Falls.
• View tree covered hills in every direction in the heart of New Hampshire’s White Mountains.
• See the best autumn colors between New Hampshire and Vermont, at places like Sharon. Visi the Maple Syrup Museum for a demonstration and interesting gifts.
• Explore Niagara Falls, a spectacle of wonder

LDS Church History Portion:

• Visit Sharon Vermont, the birthplace of the Prophet Joseph Smith
• Explore the pinnacle accomplishment in the early days of the church–Nauvoo, and its many restored historic sites, including the Mansion House, Smith Homestead and Cemetery, Community of Christ Visitor’s Center, and numerous other restored sites. Feel deeply with an optional visit to the Nauvoo temple.
• See LDS church visitor’s centers at Independence, Nauvoo, Kirtland, Carthage, Palmyra, Sharon, and other locations.
• Stop at sacred locations like the Susquehanna River and Aaronic Priesthood Memorial.
• Experience the Sacred Grove, Hill Cumorah, historic Palmyra, and the Palmyra New York Temple
• Reflect at the Kirtland Temple, Isaac Morely Farm, John Johnson Farm, and Newel K. Whitney store in Historic Kirtland.
• Visit an authentic Amish community and enjoy an unforgettable dinner with an Amish family at their farm.
• Reflect at Carthage Jail, location of the martyrdom of Joseph Smith, Far West, Adam-Ondi-Ahman, and the Liberty Jail, known as the “prison-temple”.

Included in your Autumn Reflections Church History tour:

• Round-trip airfare from Salt Lake City to Boston, and Kansas City back to Salt Lake City
• Escorted sightseeing by luxury motor coach
• Professional, experienced director (Karen Lesser) who is an exceptional church history teacher, and has directed this tour over a dozen times
• Clean and comfortable three and four star accommodations, selected for location, quality, and economic value
• 21 delicious meals including dinner with an Amish family
• Optional temple visits in Palmyra and Nauvoo
• Tips for baggage handling, taxes, and hotel gratuities

NOT included:

• Tips to drivers and local guides
• Meals not included in the itinerary

If you have any questions about this tour (101004US02LDSWEB-E), please call 801-737-6496 or email the director here.