Established in 1975, Travel Beyond was the first company founded in the United States to plan luxury safaris to Africa. Our founders, South Africa-born Audrey Beal and Minnesota-born David Beal, started Travel Beyond to share their love of Africa with like-minded travelers.
Today, almost 50 years later, the mission of our family-owned luxury travel consultancy remains the same:
to design custom journeys that responsibly immerse guests into some of the world’s most inspiring destinations.
David and Audrey’s son, and Travel Beyond’s current owner, Craig Beal grew up in the safari planning business, whether on game drives in the back of a Land Rover on family vacations to Africa or working in the Travel Beyond office during school breaks. After attending the US Naval Academy and serving as a US Navy Submarine Officer, Craig and his wife Kay purchased Travel Beyond in 2005.
Our Team
Travel Beyond’s expert consultants are leaders in the travel industry. Several of our team members have lived or worked abroad, and many have received countless industry awards for their expert knowledge and skill. We’re especially proud of our annual recognition by the following prestigious national publications:
Travel+Leisure World’s Best List ®
“Top 10 Safari Outfitters” (2022): Number One
“Top 10 Safari Outfitters” (2021): Number Five
“Top 10 Safari Outfitters” (2019): Number Eight
“Top 10 Safari Outfitters” (2018): Number Seven
“Top 10 Safari Outfitters” (2017): Number Ten
Top Travel Specialist by Conde Nast Traveler
Craig Beal (2020-Present)
Jennifer Gillmore (2021-Present)
Jenny Mikkelson (2021-Present)
Kota Tabuchi (2021-Present)
Dianna Upton (2021-Present)
A-List Agents by Travel+Leisure ®
Craig Beal (2011-Present)
Top 25 Travel Advisors by Travel Agent
Kota Tabuchi
Jenny Mikkelson
Craig Beal
Trendsetter by Luxury Travel Advisor
Jenny Mikkelson (2019)
Rose Loggi (2018)
Kota Tabuchi (2017)
Jennifer Gillmore (2016)
“30 Under 30” Agents by Travel Agent
Megan Huntoon (2023)
Mel Reger (2022)
Rachel David (2019)
Kayla Hoyles (2015)
Katie Gomer (2014)
Recent Press
Travel Beyond consultants are frequently in the news, offering travel tips and destination ideas for notable travel publications. Most recently, our product manager for Southeast Asia, Dianna Upton, was heavily quoted in a Forbes article exploring top reasons to visit Cambodia and a CNN Travel article on traveling within Singapore.
Travel Beyond’s Latin America Product Manager, Jennifer Gillmore was also featured in The New York Times on Planning A Luxury Vacation to Brazil for Less and Affordable Luxury Travel in Buenos Aires. Jennifer also recently shared her “Five Secrets to Success” with industry publication Luxury Travel Advisor.
Travel Beyond consultants are also frequent sources for Travel Weekly, including a discussion of hidden gems in Africa, Craig’s input on trends in Africa and Kota’s ideas for creative safari experiences, Katie’s thoughts on millennial travel in Africa and Kayla’s reflections on the impact of Nelson Mandela’s legacy on South Africa tourism.
Want to know more about us? Meet our experts or contact us with questions. We look forward to designing a trip just for you. Welcome to Travel Beyond!