Why A Step Ahead

Our reputation

Our greatest asset is the trust we’ve cultivated with travelers who returned for a second or third journey. Over a third of our safari bookings come from repeat guests—a testament to the transformative experiences we deliver. The remainder of our clientele arrives through heartfelt recommendations from those aficionados who have traveled with us before.

Our background

Since 1989, Justin was involved in pioneering a mobile safari outfit in Tanzania. Aside from designing camps, training staff and the logistics he also guided travelers on safaris through breathtaking landscapes in East Africa. After meeting Gillian in Arusha, Tanzania in 1994, the couple transformed a passion for travel, diverse cultures and the wilderness into a family-run travel design business, crafting specialized journeys in various African countries while raising their children. In 2008, they moved to Spain and expanded their travel portfolio to include the rich cultural landscapes of the Iberian Peninsula, continuing their legacy of personalized, experiential travel.

Our guides

Our professional guides form the cornerstone of A Step Ahead journeys. Justin Bell and Dave Christensen, longtime colleagues who have collaborated since 1998, bring authentic African insights from their respective homelands of Kenya and Zimbabwe. Their expansive understanding of African ecosystems, wildlife, and cultural landscapes reflects a lifetime on safari forming an intimate connection with the continent’s diverse natural environments.

In 2019, Carl Nicholson, another Zimbabwe native, joined our team, further enriching our local knowledge base. Richard Cash forms part of our Iberian Peninsula expertise, accumulating an impressive 25-year career in guiding that has honed his understanding of the region’s intricate landscapes, wildlife, history and cultures.

Our carefully selected guides do more than navigate routes—they transform travel into immersive experiences. Their profound local knowledge, storytelling skills, and passion for their homelands elevate each Premium Style trip to a special journey of discovery and connection.

Our custom itineraries

Africa is dynamic. Conditions, camps, and service standards change frequently. Before we design your itinerary our guides know what it was like camping in a particular spot last season and remember where we saw the most game. We constantly adapt our itineraries according to experiences we have had in the past. Whichever journey style you choose, we do not delegate this task to booking or marketing personnel.

Accommodations

Although we have decades of expertise collaborating with premier accommodation providers, we’re not constrained by exclusive partnerships. Our outfitter selection is tailored to your specific travel objectives, ensuring a customized journey aligned with your aspirations.

The range of accommodations, like Africa, is vast. In order to make your choice easier we have categorized them into three distinct categories – luxury, boutique and adventurous. We often select a blend of these categories when designing your itinerary to suit your preferences.

Communities

In order for wild areas and wildlife to thrive it is imperative that the local inhabitants view these as beneficial to their livelihoods. We support projects that enable local communities to benefit through the income tourism and wildlife can generate.

Details

An expert tracker is aware of his quarry before sighting it. The signal might be a flock of oxpeckers taking flight, or signs of freshly stripped leaves from the bushes. The difference between a good safari and an exceptional one is all in the details. Details are what we focus on.

We are members of the African Travel and Tourism Association (Atta).