Civil war taxi rides and a boutique hotel inside a volcano

Riding a motorcycle across the Tanzanian savanna while zebras run beside you. Freeride skiing on a Japanese volcano, then indulging in local gastronomic specialties. Surfing in the Philippines, followed by a party on a nearby uninhabited island. Cycling across the 5,000-meter-high passes of the Himalayas and immersing yourself in Buddhist culture. Exploring Iceland in a camper van and falling asleep under the Northern Lights.

The founders of the Gobeyond (formerly Beyond the Standard) travel brand, Janó and Fanni, have turned their passion into a thriving business, balancing work with family life while growing their company to impressive heights. In their founding year, 2016, they generated revenue of 12 million HUF, and this year, with their Vienna branch included, they are on track to potentially reach 400 million HUF.

Thirteen years ago, Janó, who was working in event planning at the time, set off on a year-long backpacking trip through Asia, exploring its most fascinating regions.

Along the way, he accumulated a wealth of knowledge, complemented by his experience in professional freeride skiing and surfing. He discovered that not only was he skilled in event planning, but also in travel organization – two fields that had more in common than he initially thought. It was then that he realized his hobby could become his profession, combining his expertise, love for extreme sports and exotic landscapes, extensive network, and passion for gastronomy.

Janó started organizing trips. First for skiing, then for surfing, initially with a group of friends. Soon, the idea of motorcycle tours took shape. In 2016, Fanni entered the picture – not only as his wife but as the Bonnie to his Clyde. Together, they founded their own travel agency, Beyond the Standard (BTS World Kft.), which has seen remarkable growth over the past six years in terms of team size, trip offerings, and revenue.

Their portfolio includes surf camps in Panama and Sri Lanka, freeride skiing in Japan, motorcycle trips in Mongolia, Tanzania, and the Himalayas, camper van tours in Iceland, and the Balkan Rally. The team thrives on exploring uncharted or seemingly risky destinations, always incorporating an extreme sport option led by an experienced guide. Speaking of guides – their international team consists of extraordinary individuals who excel not only in extreme sports but also in a variety of other fields, such as pizza-making, skydiving, motorcycle collecting, emergency blood and organ transport, baking, and even operating a motorcycle taxi service. But that’s another story altogether. The Secret to Gobeyond’s success according to Levi, one of their motorcycle tour leaders:

Fanni adds that out of their 30 trips, only the Iceland camper van tour and the Azores surf camp are repeated twice a year – every other trip is organized only once annually. This is necessary because they have a high number of returning guests who are eager to try new adventures.

I’ll admit, I’ve always been wary of organized tours where you’re herded like cattle under the scorching sun, following a guide waving a flag and shouting into a megaphone about the sights around you. It quickly becomes clear that the GoBeyond team shares my sentiment – this very frustration motivated them to redefine travel planning.

“We are more expensive than other agencies, and that’s evident to everyone. The reason is that we avoid mass solutions that cut costs but make organized tours feel impersonal and uninspiring. Even on a corporate trip with 100 people, we won’t serve buffet food,” Janó explains. “Every trip is built around four key elements: accommodation, activities, food, and transportation. And everything can be enhanced!

Later, it turns out that this is how they ended up on a volcano in Lanzarote, where they dined in a secret boutique hotel inside its crater, feasting on young goats buried in embers. It’s also how they managed to ride motorcycles across a Mongolian river known only to local nomads, and how they survived a civil war– more on that later.

Levi says that Janó is essentially the “artisan baker influencer” of travel planning:

He adds that what he loves most about their trips is that nothing is mandatory, but everything they recommend is genuinely worth trying.

As I listen to their stories, it quickly becomes clear that they are all self-proclaimed adrenaline junkies – if they’re not doing extreme sports, they’re up for any kind of crazy adventure. The way Janó talks about surfing and Levi about motorcycles, I can’t help but picture scenes from Easy Rider, Mavericks, and Jackass all at once. However, while many of their activities push participants out of their comfort zones, they do everything possible to ensure maximum safety.

“Motorcycling is an ancient symbol of exploration. You’re in direct contact with your surroundings as you glide through them. And the fact that we ride as a team, have a support vehicle, and know exactly where and when we’ll stop to rest or eat – that gives a strong sense of security. And that’s something you really need when traveling through a third-world country, like in the Himalayas, where you don’t know anyone.”

When I start hinting at the risks involved in their trips – like the Balkan Rally or the Mongolian motorcycle tour – the team bursts into laughter.

“Janó’s top guides have all faced difficult situations that they had to figure out. And once you’ve been through a few of those, a… civil war doesn’t really faze you anymore.”

One of the team’s legendary stories is about how they got caught in a civil war in Kashmir during their India-Pakistan tour. Since then, they say: flexibility and strong local connections are the two pillars of Gobeyond.

“We decided to organize the trip because, at the time, Kashmir seemed to be in a peaceful period. But then, on a national holiday, local separatists shot a soldier in the head, which sparked a civil war and led to a curfew. I found out about this on the second day from our local contact, who kept us updated from that point on. Of course, we also consulted with the consular services. I kept this information to myself for 10 days – I didn’t want to panic the group until I had a solution. The problem was that the airport we were supposed to fly home from was right at the center of the conflict, meaning we had no way to avoid it. The local chief outlined three options: we don’t go there at all, and everyone gets a new ticket, which means an extra 3 million forints in expenses; we try to get to the airport, drop off the motorcycles at a military checkpoint, then board a night convoy, which locals were known to throw rocks at and even shoot at – but hopefully, it would be fine; or we fly directly to the airport but don’t leave its premises, since that would at least be safe.

Eventually, I explained the situation to the travelers, and we chose the third option.

When we got off the plane, a soldier stood behind an armored wall, pointing his rifle at us through a firing slot. This, of course, only made us more curious – so in the end, during our layover, we decided to go into the city anyway, take a taxi ride, and go on a boat trip. Granted, every taxi had already had its windows smashed in. But honestly? It was an unforgettable experience.”

Janó added that in this situation, too, their luck was that their local guide, with whom they maintained a good relationship, was able to assist them throughout.

Gobeyond’s trips range between 900 and 3290 euros (2022 prices), depending on the distance and itinerary, and include everything except airfare. The reason for this is that ticket prices are inherently dynamic, especially since travelers have different preferences and are flying in from various countries. Plus, this way, those who wish can stay longer in the destination and personalize their journey.

“We want to sell trips where there’s no question as to why it’s worth traveling in an organized setting. These are experiences of such complexity that they simply wouldn’t have come together otherwise. In addition to offering extreme adventures, we make everything easier for the participants,” says Janó. Their authenticity is reflected in their exponential revenue growth: in 2016, the year of their founding, they had a revenue of 12 million forints, in 2017 it was 48 million, in 2019 (including the Vienna branch) it reached 140 million, and in 2022, if all goes well, they will hit one million euros. A key part of this is that they also organize corporate trips, so-called power weeks, which can cost up to 500,000 euros for 300 people over four days.

Gobeyond is also continuously expanding. Their long-term goal is to enter the international market, with the first step already taken by organizing trips from Vienna. The aim of their growth is nothing less than to launch even more extreme tours, perhaps even full-scale expeditions, for audiences from Hungary, Germany, or anywhere in the world. They haven’t revealed much about this yet, but Janó did mention that he would love to explore Kamchatka with an off-road vehicle, a rooftop tent, and a surfboard.