Advisor - Katherina Shabalov

Katherina Shabalov

She/Her
Fora - Logo
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  • Based in icon

    Based in Pittsburgh, PA

  • Based in icon

    Speaks English, Russian

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    Trip budgets start at $450/night

Ask me about

Luxury
Boutique Travel
Europe
Southeast Asia
South Africa

My Story

A cross between chronic over-planner and occasional day-of spontaneous flight booker. Can recite the best hotel turndown services in the world by heart.

My Travel Style

I think the key to enjoying travel is to mix high-low experiences, with the high and anchor of the trip centered on hotels that match the character of a destination. I love exploring the authenticity of a place — where any trip is not necessarily focused on big-name hotels (although there are some I make an exception for!), but on accommodations known for impeccable service and great style, combined with authentic, culturally grounded itineraries. That means I’ll recommend you the best local birria taco street food in Mexico City or book you a motorbike tour through Ho Chi Minh City… but that I also understand the value-add of an afternoon at a spa for post-flight recovery, a Michelin star meal and a luxury boutique hotel. Born abroad and have traveled to 40+ countries across South, Central and North America, Africa, Asia and Europe, I look forward to sharing my love of travel and recommendations with you.

Stay connected

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My reviews (6)

16 days ago

This was the first time we worked with this travel agent. Kathy exceeded all our expectations. Her attention to the level of details for each event she planned for us and to the schedule she created for our whole trip was something that made us truly enjoy our five days in Mexico. Kathy followed up with us during the trip to make sure our drivers were picking us up on time and that we were happy with our hotel rooms. We received a detailed itinerary from her once our plans were finalized detailing all events foe each day with helpful suggestions and recommendations. I highly recommend this travel agent to everyone, especially to the first-time visitors to the country. We already started to plan our next trip with her.

8 months ago

I booked my Dubai accommodations through Kathy via foratravel and cannot recommend her enough! She secured a stay at the resort I had been eyeing for a while but hesitated to book due to the price — and got us a better rate than anything I found on sites like Expedia. On top of that, she got us a $100 voucher we used for room service and included free daily breakfast at a lavish buffet that would’ve cost significantly more if we had booked elsewhere.

Kathy is now our go-to for any trip we plan. She’s thorough, provides all the details without any pressure, and delivers top-tier service. From coordinating with the hotel to sharing our flight info for early check-in, she made sure everything was seamless and that we got the best value for our money.

a year ago

Kathy was incredibly helpful in planning and booking our stay. She was thorough, provided several options, and made sure to clarify differences and benefits of the different options. After booking, Kathy was in communication with the hotel, making sure they had the details of our arrival and departure, and with us to ensure we had everything we needed for our stay. It was so sweet to arrive at our hotel and receive a treat and personalized note from Kathy. I would highly, highly recommend working with Kathy to book your next trip!

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Elizabeth C.

a year ago

Kathy was so wonderful to work with!! Really helpful in both planning and while we were there with troubleshooting. I already have sent her information to some of my friends and would have her help us again, she was so thorough in planning

a year ago

Kathy is an angel advisor with great taste and helpful guidance. She was on top of all of the planning, made sure to provide multiple itinerary options for our trip, and was extremely responsive. She even graciously wished me a happy birthday with a sweet surprise during my stay. Highly recommend using Kathy for your travel needs!

My travel photos

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Fora Travel, Inc. is registered with the following state licenses:
California - Seller of Travel Registration No. 2151995-50
Florida - Seller of Travel Registration No. ST43973
Washington - Seller of Travel Unified Business ID (UBI) # 605329242
British Columbia - CPBC License No. 88694
Ontario - TICO Registration No. 50027942

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