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Elona Karafin

@elona

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⁣‎⁣↠ ⁣luxury travel | aviation | film
↠ [email protected] 💌
↠ founder @japanlikealocal
↠ based in NYC & tokyo
↠ ⁣‎⁣cancer Survivor🎗⁣

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Hi, I’m Elona ☺️

I’ve lived many lives in one, and this space has grown with me.

If you’re new here, welcome 🫶🏽
If you’ve been here a while, thank you for growing with me.

If you’re here for travel with depth, culture with context, and a softer way of seeing the world, you’re in the right place.

Ten years ago, I started documenting my journeys as a full-time corporate finance employee traveling over long weekends. What began as documenting my personal travels slowly became a career, a business, and my voice.

In my professional work, I show you some of the world’s most exclusive places and experiences. My work is a mix of things: consulting for big companies, producing social campaigns, and creating content for hotels, airlines, tourism boards, etc. Growing and optimizing my channels, selling guides, building out @japanlikealocal, running group trips, and figuring out the rest.

In my personal “passion” work, I humanize places that people misunderstand. Curiosity is my compass.

I am a global citizen driven by a commitment to make a positive impact on the world. I firmly believe in the collective power to reshape global narratives. By doing so, we not only provide a more accurate portrayal but also center the people and places often reduced to stereotypes and headlines 🙌🏼

I remind myself every day that travel is a privilege, not a right.

I don’t always get it right. And sometimes I get caught up in the “constant output” nature of social media. I am more self-aware now, though, and I’m here to keep learning. Keep creating. And to keep telling stories that bring people like you closer to the world, and to each other.

Thank you for being here with me. Tell me something about you! 👇🏼

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#travelbloggerlife #nycbloggers #travelcontentcreator taken in New York, New York by @elona

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9 months ago

Still pinching ourselves … 🥹🤯

We feel incredibly grateful to share this moment with all of you who have followed our journey for years. Many of you have been part of our lives separately, long before we became a couple, which makes celebrating this together feel even more magical!

For those new here: we first met in Paris, became best friends, and spent 5 years traveling the world together. Until one day we both realized that a life without each other simply wouldn’t make sense. That was in Uzbekistan in 2023. And the rest … well that is what you’re looking at now 😁

If you’d like to read our full story, the details behind our wedding weekend, and dozens of new photos we havent yet shared - you can read the article linked in bio. We are deeply honored to be featured in Vogue France 🙌🏼

Thank you to everyone who was involved in making this happen 🙇🏻‍♂️😇

Venue: @shangrilaparis
Planners: @dreamparis_wedding
Photographer: @audelucas.weddingphotography

#paris #vogue #shangrila #shangrilaparis taken in Shangri-La Paris by @elona

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7 months ago

You know the saying, “when in Rome, do as the Romans do?”

@jerometraveller said to me as I stood there, listening cluelessly.

“I know that in Antarctica, the penguin brings a little stone to his partner 🐧 So I think it’s my turn to give a stone to you.”

And then it hit me.

Well, not really.

I realized what was happening, but it felt surreal. The only words I could blurt out were, “You’re joking!”

And just like that, in less than a minute, I made a lifetime promise to my best friend 💍

Time, they say, stands still in moments like these. And for me, in the middle of massive glacier Antarctica, it truly did 🥹

Nothing could have prepared me for this moment 🙈 I was completely shocked and overwhelmed - even after years of learning to understand my own emotions, this experience was unlike anything I’ve ever felt.

I love you @jerometraveller 🤍🐧

Thank you for bringing this moment to life @white.desert.antarctica 🙌🏼

📸 @a_mac_photo & @sarah__wang 🤍 penguin video by @moretti from our trip to Antarctica two years ago!

#engaged #proposal #isaidyes #whitedesertantarctica by @elona

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2 years ago

There is First Class… and then there are Singapore Suites 🤩

Only six suites take up the entire upper deck of the A380, each with its own enclosed room, a separate leather armchair and, if you’re traveling together, select suites can even be combined so the beds turn into one.

We redeemed 225,000 KrisFlyer miles, transferred from AMEX, + about S$140 for this ~5hr flight. It’s definitely not the best redemption for this specific route but worth it for the bucket list experience ☺️

And the suite itself is only part of the fun. There’s a whole journey before you even step onto the A380, plus quite a few details onboard that I want to show properly rather than squeeze into a caption.

Full video is coming soon 👀

Who are you bringing for this ride?

#A380 #singaporesuites #aviation_lovers #avgeeks #firstclass by @elona

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4 days ago

@rafflesdoha might have one of the most recognizable hotel exteriors in the Middle East.

It’s inside the Katara Towers, the building design resembles the crossed swords on Qatar’s national emblem and it houses two hotels, Raffles & Fairmont 🇶🇦

Raffles is entirely made up of suites, with personalized butler service for every guest. The design has soaring spaces, natural light, intricate details and some incredible views over the Gulf. The architecture is as much a part of the stay as the room itself and every detailed is accounted for ✨

It’s been a truly memorable stay - I cant recomemnd it enough and can’t wait to be back.

#rafflesdoha taken in Raffles Doha by @elona

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11 days ago

Tour of our Crescent Signature Suite at @rafflesdoha ✨

One of Qatar’s most iconic landmarks, Katara Towers, is shaped after the crossed swords on Qatar’s national emblem. One tower is home to Raffles, the other to Fairmont, with both curving over the Lusail waterfront.

Raffles is entirely made up of suites and even the smallest start at around 85 sq meters, with a separate living room, huge terraces in some categories and 24-hour butler service.

Incredible inside and out.

It is also available at a special discounted rate if you’re on a stopover in Qatar with @qatarairwaysholidays ✈️

Tag someone you’d stay here with 🇶🇦

#rafflesdoha taken in Raffles Doha by @elona

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16 days ago

In the Gobi Desert, the horizon seems to go on forever 🇲🇳

Everything is connected: the land, the animals, the seasons, and the people.

It’s my second time in Mongolia. My first with a camera in hand. One of the things I still love most about it is seeing how deeply tradition lives here. Mongolian national dress, known as the deel, is worn with so much pride, and nomadic life revolves around the land, livestock, family, and the changing seasons.

We watched wrestling, one of Mongolia’s oldest and most celebrated traditions, and horse racing. Horses are so deeply woven into Mongolian identity 🐎🇲🇳 kids as young as 5 years old already galloping through the plains.

I am grateful for @theqexperiences for brining me back here. Luxury travel is not always about what is inside a hotel room.
Sometimes it’s the feeling of exclusivity in some of the most extraordinary places in the world.

Sitting in a yurt and learning from locals whose way of life has endured for centuries, and realizing how much of the world is still waiting to be understood.

@jlinhh: @sonycine FX3 🎥

Me: @sonyalpha A7V 📽️, drone @djiglobal Mini 5 Pro

Have you been to Mongolia?

#mongolia taken in Mongolia by @elona

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3 months ago

Which destination changed something in you?

A lot of my content is intended as a diary and a portrayal of my experiences, observations, and emotions. Especially my personal trips that tend to take me to many misunderstood & “unsafe” corners of the world.

It is not an invitation for you to travel to the same places.

It is an invitation to see these places through my eyes … acknowledging both their beauty and sometimes agony, which coexist just as they do anywhere else in the world.

By sharing my journeys, I hope to widen your understanding and appreciation of complex places, encouraging a nuanced perspective rather than simple judgments.

I believe in the collective power to reshape global narratives. By doing so, we can humanize the people and places often reduced to stereotypes and headlines.

Do any of these resonate with you?

🙏🏼🩶 by @elona

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2 months ago

In this epic new series, I will take you on an exclusive @theqexperiences charter around the world in 23 days ✈️🌍

I’ll be showing you what makes this all-business class experience so special: fewer passengers, spacious seats that convert to fully flat beds, premium amenities and meals prepared by a private chef who collaborates with local catering teams at each destination.

This Airbus A321 known as the Q Odyssey will be our home in the sky as we circle the globe and I can’t wait to take you with me to 8 countries 🌍

PINCH ME & let’s goooo!

#aviation_lovers #avgeeks #frequentflyer #businessclass #firstclass by @elona

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4 months ago

This part of China rarely makes it into the limelight.

Chongzuo sits right on the border with Vietnam. It has a striking terrain: lush forests and karst mountain formations that look like they were painted against the skyline.

@luxchongzuo unexpectedly turned out to be one of my favorite stays to date. And I’ve stayed in many luxury hotel. It’s a small property with only 56 rooms, giving it an intimate feel. The views, the service, the food, the activities … pretty much everything received a check mark.

I hope you add this place to your bucket list 🌟 have you heard of Chongzuo before?

I took 938372626 photos of the lobby, btw 😆

#chinatravel #hotelview #luxchongzuo by @elona

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10 months ago

Built into the hillside, its terraces, staircases, and rooms cascade down toward the water, with panoramic views of the lake and volcanoes from almost every angle 🌋 The property is only accessible by boat, and rooms start at ~$70 per night 🤯

Comment CASA & I’ll send you the link directly to your DMs!

Lake Atitlán in Guatemala is often called one of the most beautiful lakes in the world, and I can’t help but think of it as the Lake Como of Central America 🇬🇹

It’s dotted with small towns, each with its own personality, and getting around generally means hopping on a small boat 🚤

The Lake is formed inside a massive volcanic crater, and is surrounded by three striking volcanoes: Volcán San Pedro, Volcán Tolimán, and Volcán Atitlán. We rented a car and drove from the airport in Guatemala City to Panajachel, where we took a small boat to get around the towns & properties on the lake.

Alternatively, you can take a taxi or a shared shuttle … or even a helicopter 😉 Unfortunately, we didn’t manage to book a last-minute stay at 📍 Casa Del Mundo (pictured here) because it sells out quickly, so make sure to book far in advance! You can also visit for breakfast or lunch - reservations are required.

Let me know if you have questions 😊👇🏼

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#lakeatitlan #guatemalatravel #hotelview #perfectview #🇬🇹 taken in Lake Atitlán by @elona

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6 months ago

Jungle paradise @shintamaniwild 🍃

The area where the property stands was once at risk of being destroyed. The land was put up for a logging auction, until the [now] hotel owners stepped in and bought it to protect it.

Instead of cutting the jungle down, they created a luxury tented camp designed around conservation. @shintamaniwild funds the Wildlife Alliance ranger patrols that actively protect this rainforest corridor from poaching and illegal logging. As a guest, you can even join the rangers and experience this work firsthand.

The property was designed by legendary hotel designer @billbensley , and it feels like stepping into some glamorous old-world jungle expedition fantasy.

Have you been to Cambodia? 🇰🇭

#shintamani taken in Shinta Mani Wild - A Bensley Collection by @elona

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4 months ago