Gillian Lyons´ journey from Liverpool, England to becoming a safari expert began with a marketing and languages degree and an adventurous spirit that led her to Tanzania in 1993.
She enjoyed her travels there so much that she returned the following year and started teaching English and French in Arusha, Tanzania’s safari capital. There she met Justin Bell, who at the time was running a mobile safari outfit with his brother. Soon afterwards she seized an opportunity to help establish a branch for the prestigious safari outfitter Abercrombie & Kent on the Indian Ocean island of Zanzibar.
After returning to Arusha in 1996, she and Justin started a family and their business designing bespoke safaris, initially with a focus on Tanzania, called Wilderness Africa at the time. This expanded to include other parts of Africa. Gillian´s time on safari with Justin and their extensive travels across Ethiopia, Botswana, Kenya, Namibia, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe have given her unparalleled insight into African safari experiences.
Today, Gillian directs A Step Ahead from an unlikely location, a charming village in the Spanish Pyrenees, where the family moved in 2008. From her office in the mountains, she orchestrates the company’s bookings and accounts, ensuring each safari runs seamlessly from initial planning until the moment guests meet their guide in Africa. Among many other interests she enjoys hiking, botany, mountain biking and yoga.
She and her team will prepare you for your adventure, arrange the bookings, and answer many of your questions.
