&Beyond

Arguably Africa’s leading purveyor of upmarket safaris, ground-breaking &Beyond started life in South Africa but is now represented in five African countries, as well as in Asia and South America. It specialises in sustainable experiential travel that not only offers exceptional safari experiences and other journeys to its guests, but also adheres to a high-cost, low-impact conservation model, providing lasting benefits to the natural environment and associated communities. This fine balance is symbolised in the company logo, a type of eagle known as a bateleur (‘acrobat’ in French) after its distinctive rocking flight pattern, which resembles a masterful tightrope walker in stealthy action.

If &Beyond has a flagship destination, it is undoubtedly Phinda Private Game Reserve, which stands in the lush subtropical bush of the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal, bordering the iSimangaliso Wetlands, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. &Beyond salvaged Phinda from neglected farmland in 1991, then subjected it to a massive clean-up operation, followed by an ambitious programme of reintroductions. The result is arguably the most rewarding self-contained private Big Five reserve in South Africa, serviced by a scattering of six prestigious lodges with few peers anywhere in the country.

Today, &Beyond operates 29 luxury lodges and camps across Africa, all sumptuously stylish but strong on individual character inspired by their natural setting. These lodges and camps operate on an all-inclusive basis, offering their guests a combination of world-class cuisine complemented by superb Cape wines, warm and engaging staff, and an array of exciting guided activities – foot and 4×4 safaris in Big Five territory, diving and snorkelling on pristine coral reefs, or boat trips on tropical African waterways – tailored to the location.

Aside from Phinda, &Beyond’s main centres of operation are Tanzania’s northern safari circuit (which includes the Serengeti and Lake Manyara National Parks, Ngorongoro Crater and Zanzibar), Kenya’s Masai Mara, South Africa’s Kruger National Park and Sabi Sand, Botswana’s Okavango Delta, and Sossusvlei in the deserts of Namibia.

In addition to focusing on low impact tourism in the private reserves, concessions and national parks where it operates, &Beyond is dedicated to supporting international conservation efforts as well as local communities. Organisations it supports include Oceans Without Frontiers, Rhinos Without Frontiers, the trans-frontier Lionscape Coalition, the African Pangolin Working Group and a charitable non-profit organisation called the Africa Foundation.