HunanUniversity
In this issue...
13th Anniversary Promotion
Saving Money for Homeland Tours
New Payment Plan Option
Vietnam Orphanage Visits
Winter Heritage Tours!
Great Wall in Winter
 
This Winter Holiday, come with Lotus Travel for an extraordinary trip.  Which holiday would your family like to spend in China?Thanksgiving, just after Christmas, or Chinese New Year? Each scheduled tour has some of the best rates of the year and great holiday atmosphere for an unforgettable family trip! Visit our website to learn more about reserving your family's spot today.  
Free Opening Ceremony DVD!
Now is a great time to select a standard group trip, or plan your custom Homeland Heritage Tour!  Be one of the first 100 families to secure your reservation with a deposit and you will receive a DVD of the 2008 Beijing Olympics Opening Ceremony, compliments of Lotus Travel. Click here to view our Homeland Heritage Tour options.
 
Panda Corner
Panda Corner 
Panda Cam at Atlanta Zoo!
 
The Atlanta Zoo currently has four giant pandas in residence, Lun Lun (female), Yang Yang (male), and their two offspring Mei Lan (female), and a soon-to-be-named male cub.  Lun Lun gave birth to their second cub on August 30, 2008.  He will receive his name at his 100-day ceremony. 
 

Melamine Issues
Many families have been concerned for their children waiting in China for adoption, and wonder whether children they have already brought home are affected by the melamine contamination found in some brands of formula.  Please click here to read the latest information available regarding this issue.
Special Services
TravelEx Travel InsuranceTravelex Travel Insurance
 
 
Visa ImageChina and Vietnam Visa Services
 
Cell Phone PromoCell Phone Rentals 
Love Without Boundaries
Visit Love Without Boundaries
Heritage Connections
October
2008
Greetings!

 
Lea XuAs the days cool and the leaves change, your mind may be focused on school schedules, extracurricular activities and possibly future holidays.   One thing to think about as the weather cools, is to examine what time of year will be best for your family to travel.  This year, we have put together a special Winter Homeland Tour lineup, designed to take advantage of some great locales with the best prices of the year. If your plans include exploring parts of Southern China, wintertime is an ideal time with great weather and the best travel rates of the year. Whether the best time may be Thanksgiving, after Christmas, or around CNY, we have three great tour options to consider.
 
October is always a special month for us at Lotus Travel, as we celebrate another great year serving the wonderful group of people that we work with in the adoptive community.  Lotus Travel began operations on October 13, 1995; so this year is our 13th anniversary on October 13th!  You can read about our special anniversary promotion in this newsletter.  We will be announcing an additional promotion for adoption travel so watch for this exciting offer in your email soon.  As always, we hope you find our newsletter informative. Please contact us if there are any special topics you would like to have covered, and we will try to include them in future newsletters.
 
Thank you for your continued business with Lotus Travel! 

Lea Xu
Vice President and
Sales and Marketing Director
 Lotus Travel Celebrates 13 Years in Business! Celebration
 
Lotus Travel is offering a special promotion on October 13, 2008.  We are offering a $50 per traveler discount on homeland heritage tours for families who book their tour between October 13, 2008 and December 13, 2008, and secure it with a deposit. 

Savings Image Saving Money for a Homeland Heritage Tour
 
by Kimberlie Meyer
 
 
"How can I save enough money for a homeland trip?" is a question advisors at Lotus Travel often hear as we support people as they plan for a homeland trip. With the economic issues being a very prevalent topics these days, we at Lotus Travel decided to offer some practical suggestions on this topic for our readers.  Some families may be able to take advantage of the great winter rates offered at the end of this year, with our great winter tour rates (link to winter tours).  However if you're just starting to plan, you may want to lift an idea or two from our hypothetical "Jones" family of three.
 
So, let's "peek in" (Click Here) on the budget of the "Jones" family and see how they created a financial plan to achieve their homeland trip goal.
 
Homeland PictureLotus Travel Announces a New Payment Plan Option for Homeland Heritage Tours!
 
Lotus Travel is excited to offer a new payment plan option to assist families scheduling Homeland Heritage Tours!  We understand that gathering funds for a homeland trip can be a challenge for many families.  In response, we have provided an installment payment plan for Homeland Heritage in-county travel and accommodations to allow more families the ability to afford such an excursion.
Upon payment of your initial deposit, you may elect to spread out the payments of your in-country trip cost balance over a period of up to 12-months. For example, a family of three on our Panda Tour package will total $6,158.  After an initial deposit of $1,500 (500 x 3 people) the balance of $4,658 can be paid monthly for up to 12 months.
We believe that this option will not only allow families the opportunity to afford a once in a lifetime journey, but to unite families through connecting cultures.
Feel free to contact your Lotus travel advisors at [email protected] or toll-free 1-800-956-8873 regarding this flexible option today! 
 Adoptee Wins Silver Medal in 2008 Paralympics
SuGui KrissOn September 6, 2008, SuGui Kriss walked into the Bird's Nest in Beijing as a member of the US Paralympics Sitting Volleyball team.  For SuGui, adopted from an SWI in Kunming in 1995 at the age of 8, it was an experience she never would have imagined until 2007.  Click here to read the rest of her inspiring story. 
Vietnam Orphanage Visits
by Joyce Yiu and Iris Culp
 
Conducting a return visit to an adoptee's homeland is often a powerful experience. Positive cultural heritage reinforcements provide a healthy context for adopted children.   According to clinical child psychologist Dr. Rebecca Nelson, birth country visits are essential as they are considered to be "prime opportunities for adoptees to learn about themselves and further a positive adoptive identity within a guided and emotionally supportive context."  Learning and exploring their ethnic backgrounds under parental guidance and unconditional love supports a child as they mature.  Such an experience enhances self-confidence and is a key to develop a positive personal identity. 
 
Click here to read more. 

 
About Us
 
Address:  5990 158th Ave SE, Bellevue, WA, 98006
 
Toll Free:  1-800-956-8873 
Phone:  425-679-5598
Fax:  425-679-5149   
 
Email: [email protected]
 
Website:  www.lotustours.net