Founded by award-winning underwater and wildlife photographer Kat Zhou, One Step Beyond offers a bespoke, personalized approach to adventure travel, grounded in firsthand expertise and a commitment to conservation.

Our journey began with a passion for capturing the world's beauty and a desire for exploration and adventure. Over time, we discovered a universal truth: everyone dreams of adventure, but no two definitions of adventure are the same. With this realization, we built a company dedicated to making the impossible happen. We specialize in highly customized, private trips tailored exactly to your wildest requests. We travel beyond the conventional boundaries of luxury travel, leveraging our deep industry connections to obtain privileged access to unique destinations. We aim to help guests push their boundaries, develop new skills, and connect with the natural world.

Our philosophy is built directly into our name. True transformation happens at the edge of the familiar, which is why we encourage our clients to go one step beyond their comfort zones, one step beyond their perceived limits, and one step beyond anywhere they’ve ever gone before.

Join us to redefine the possibilities of luxury adventure.

Kat Zhou

Founder / Lead Trip Designer

Kat Zhou is an avid adventurer, award-winning nature photographer, and expert adventure travel designer. A licensed skydiver, hang glider pilot, freediver, and scuba divemaster, she is driven by a passion for stepping beyond her comfort zone and always chasing new learning opportunities. Her quest for continual exploration has led her to a wide range of adventurous experiences, from bull-riding courses at a rodeo school to mounted archery, jungle survival, gator wrestling, wing-walking, jetpack flying, and more.

Living a semi-nomadic lifestyle, Kat spends 250+ days each year away from home, guiding guests through life-changing expeditions and scouting new, off-the-grid adventure opportunities to share with future clients. With over 8 years of adventure planning experience and a personal bucket list that is now 200+ pages long (and continuously growing), Kat is expertly prepared to curate unforgettable, life-changing experiences.

Kat’s photography portfolio has gained international acclaim, with a diverse collection that ranges from underwater photography to landscape, night sky, and wildlife photography. She was named Underwater Photographer of the Year in 2023, and, since then, her work has been featured in numerous competitions, publications, and museums worldwide. She is passionate about capturing and raising awareness of often overlooked species and destinations and she hopes that, through photography, she can encourage a deeper appreciation for the diversity of our world.