Elephant Encounters in Africa

Elephants are often one of the animals that our clients are most looking forward to seeing while on safari. They are considered a keystone species, meaning they are one of the most vital parts of the ecosystems in which they live and are important to the survival of all other species in the system. For Read more…

A Gourmet Lunch at a Cape Point Cottage

On my most recent familiarization trip to South Africa in December 2019, I was lucky enough to, once again, enjoy the iconic Peninsula Tour.  This time the excursion included a few special changes along the way, one of which was that we spent the day with our private guide and Cape Town based colleague David Read more…

A Front Row Seat to the Circle of Life

Sitting in the front row of the safari jeep with my eyes wide and camera ready, I didn’t know where to look —I didn’t even want to blink, worried I would miss an animal hiding behind a tree, just out of sight. On the edge of my seat, I scanned the horizon for signs of Read more…

Walking with Meerkats

I was told that in the Kalahari Desert, I would have a high chance of seeing meerkats. I, therefore, arrived thinking I’d likely see a few from our safari vehicle. What I wasn’t expecting was to go on an evening walk and have a wonderful close encounter with them. To my surprise, it would be Read more…

The Unmatched Beauty of Tswalu

I recently returned from a visit to the stunning Tswalu Private Game Reserve in South Africa and was reminded once again what a very special place it is! I’ve been fortunate to have had the chance to visit many varied safari regions over the years, and I find that Tswalu offers a truly unique environment Read more…

Travel Beyond Named “World’s Best” of 2019!

For the third straight year, Travel Beyond has been honored as a “Top 10 Safari Outfitter” in the Travel + Leisure World’s Best Awards! The annual World’s Best Awards are voted on by Travel + Leisure readers, who rate and review the tour operators, hotels, cities, cruise lines and other travel companies and destinations they’ve Read more…

Craig Beal Named to Travel + Leisure A-List for 9th Year!

For the 9th straight year, Travel Beyond owner Craig Beal was named to the elite Travel + Leisure A-List as a Safari Specialist! As Craig’s 2019 member profile on Travel + Leisure’s website explains, “Safari travel runs in Beal’s blood. His mother founded Travel Beyond — the company he now owns — and he has Read more…

A Sea Turtle Soiree in South Africa

The Leatherback sea turtle is the biggest and one of the rarest of all sea turtles. Threatened by activities like commercial fishing and pollution, there are only 34,000-36,000 left in the wild, so catching a glimpse of these giant turtles can be a once in a lifetime opportunity and a breathtaking sight. During my January Read more…

Safari Guides: Storytellers, Zoologists and More

Bleary-eyed, we raced over the plains of the Masai Mara, the chilly morning air whipping around us as we gripped our thermoses with one hand and the vehicle with the other. Far in the distance, our guide had spotted a cloud of dust rising from a rocky outcropping—to our untrained vision, yet another feature of Read more…