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Inca Throne, IntiRaymi, Cuzco, Peru

Michele Shelburne President   updated 05-12-2019

Phone ext: #8405 Direct line 800-405-8405 e-mail: mds@ladatco.com

Michele started with LADATCO in September 1969 in sales and worked her way through sales to Supervisor, Manager, Office Manager and Vice President to President.

An accomplished destination speaker, Michele has given educational destination presentations to more than ten thousand travel agents in the USA, Australia and New Zealand in such exotic sites as the Poodle Room at the Fontainbleau Hilton Miami Beach, the Ballroom at the Sands Hotel in Las Vegas, on the M/V Santa Cruz cruising the Galapagos Islands, while transiting the Panama Canal, in two mile high Quito, Ecuador and most recently at the Ariau Treetop Jungle Hotel near Manaus, Brasil, deep in the heart of the Amazonian rainforest.

She was the first woman and only the third recipient of the Oscar Lobo Award, presented by SATA in recognition of dedication to promoting South and Central America.

She was selected in 1997, 1998, and 1999  by Travel Agent Magazine for inclusion in the 200 Most Powerful Women in Travel issue, and in 2000, 2001, 2002  and 2003 for inclusion in "The Most Powerful Women in Travel".

Michele has traveled throughout the Central and South America and to the Falkland Islands. In her own words: "The more remote, the more pristine, the more I love it."

Some of her more recent travels include:

• March 2019 - I had the opportunity to make the journey to southern Chile, almost as far as the roads go before they end at the edge of the continental ice shelf, to visit the Patagonia Park, a project of Thompkins Conservation. I am a fan of Thompkins Conservation because of their great re-wilding project in Estero del Ibera (visited in June 2006) and other places in South America. And in 2019 they donated the Patagonia Park to the Chilean National Park system, becoming the Patagonia National Park and culminating in the Route of Parks - 17 parks covering 1,700 miles from mid-Chile to Cape Horn.

• March 2018 - My first visit ever to Sao Paulo, largest city in Brasil and largest city in the Western & Southern Hemispheres for hotel visits and fine dining. A revisit to Iguassu-Iguazu Falls including the newly opened Awasi Iguazu, stunning lodge with only 14 villas and all services on a private basis and finally a week-long return visit to Uruguay, where high-end chic, olive oil plantations and wineries are the draw.

• October 2017 - Rio de Janeiro to see changes for/from 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympics. And 4 hours north to  with only 8 rooms in a colonial era house, lots of activities, remote villages and stunning sculptures in the middle of nowhere.

• March 2017 - back to the Falklands after almost 20 years, and still as wonderful as first time around - Darwin House, Carcass Island with boat to Westpoint for 2nd largest Black Browed Albatross colony in the world, Sea Lion Island (all spruced up and still wonderful) and Volunteer Point, still impressive

• October 2016 - more Chile & Argentina - Tierra Chiloe (magical), Chilean Patagonia: Singular, Tierra, Awasi; Argentine Patagonia: Aguas Arriba, Nebepo AIke and across the Lake District Bariloche to Puerto Varas and the new AWA Hotel with side visit to Mitico Puelo, undiscovered & pristine

• May 2016 - Nicaragua - Managua, Granada, Jicaro, Ometeppe and San Juan del Sur

• October 2015 - Vira Vira Hacienda Hotel in the Chilean Lakes, San Martin de los Andes and Rio Hermoso in the Argentine northern Lakes

• March 2012: Peninsula Valdes for the logistics and the wildlife,  and Bahia Bustamante to the south of Peninsula Valdes, a great eco-experience

• October 2011: The Chilean Patagonia for new hotels such as The Singular Patagonia and Tierra Patagonia, and new Patagonia experiences such as Patagonia Camp and Cerro Guido, an authentic working estancia

• March 2011: Buenos - new hotels Algodon Mansion and MIO Buenos Aires and tango shows including Gala Tango and a day in Colonia, Uruguay to visit new options

• April 2009: Buenos Aires for new hotels such as the NUSS, Iguazu Falls for new hotels such as LoiSuites Iguazu and nearby Posada Puerto Bemberg and Estancia Las Mercedes, Rio de Janeiro for the new Santa Teresa Hotel, Buzios for the new Insolito and UNESCO designated Paraty

• May 2008: Chile, for the new luxury The Cliffs Preserve and Quincho Country Home near Puerto Montt the new Explora Lodge "Mike Rapu" on Easter Island

• April 2008: Peru for the new M/V AQUA Amazon cruise and the new Orient Express property in Colca Canyon, Las Casitas del Colca

• May 2007: Quito to update destination knowledge

• June 2006: Argentina's wetlands Estero del Ibera and the Rincon del Socorro Lodge

• May 2006: Argentine's wine cuntry and the fabulous Cavas Wione Lodge; the scenic northwest including Salta and Robert Duvall's House of Jasmine

• April 2006: Iguassu Falls - both Brasilian and Argentine side, and Yacutinga Lodge in Argentina

• March 2006: Argentine Patagonia, including Bariloche and the Estancia Peuma Hue; El Calafate - Eolo, Estancia Cristina; El Chalten - Los Cerros; Ushuaia -Tren del Fin del Mundo.

• May 2005: Peru, including Arequipa and the Colca Canyon, second deepest on earth, and the luxury rail trip aboard the Hiram Bingham

• March 2004: Skorpios III Southern Patagonia Ice Fields Cruise

• July 2002: Patagonia in the dead of winter!   Surprizingly delightful stay at Explora en Patagonia during the middle of winter only to discover breautifully calm, clear days of moderately cold weather!

• March-April 2002: ten days exploring the Lake District of Chile and Argentina, including the northern Lake District of Argentina from Bariloche via Villa La Angustura to San Martin de los Andes via the scenic Siete Lagos road

• January 2002: a week in Ecuador including 4 nights exploring upscale haciendas and spas and 3 nights in Cuenca attending the B.I.T.E. tourism congress where she did a presentation "El Mercado: The Marketplace".

• September 2000: 6 days visiting historical Recife and Olinda, Brasil, and Fernando do Noronha island off the coast of Brasil, a national marine park and one of the top dive sites in the world

• August 2000: 14 days in the northern part of Peru visiting Huaraz and Huascaran National Park and nearby Chavin de Huantar, Trujillo and Chiclayo with Sipan and other related archaeological sites, with a visit to Kuelap, Fortress in the Clouds

• April 1999: 18 days traveling more than 2000 kilometers along the Carretera Austral in Chile and Ruta 40 in Argentina visiting National Parks and remote estancias along the way

• August 1998: 19 days in the Andes around Cuzco, and over the Andes to both Manu and Tambopata-Candamo Reserves

• March 1998: one week in the Falkland (Malvinas) Islands

Michele's duties at LADATCO focus on day-to-day sales for FITs and groups as well as program and destination development, web site design, construction and maintenance.

Through the years Michele has been taking her friends to various parts of Latin America. These group trips of "friends only" has been christened "Amigo Michele" by LADATCO's operators and have ranged in size from a small group of 6 to a group of 26. To date Amigo Michele groups have done Guatemala, Costa Rica, Belize, Ecuador, Peru-Bolivia, Brasil and Argentine-Chilean Patagonia and spent the Millennium at Machu Picchu. Amigo Michele has also done Bostwana and South Africa, and China.

Katrina

Wilma

Irma