Our Approach
The Science Behind the Safari
MaiaWildlife is a photographic safari and conservation travel company, built around a single purpose: to protect and restore the world’s wild places and the wildlife that depends on them.
We do it by taking small groups to some of the most remote and unspoilt corners of the planet — and by making sure the people and communities who live there share in the benefit. We don’t just visit these places; we partner with the people protecting them, so they’re still there for the next generation.
We believe that travelling with responsibility and care can change how people see the planet — and move them to act on it long after they’re home.
Our vision is to increase the world’s wilderness, together.
Why travel with MaiaWildlife
There’s no shortage of choice today — which country, which company, which trip. We make it simple.
Not only do we work with some of the finest camps and lodges in the world’s great wild areas, but every one of us guiding you is a naturalist with a reason for doing this. Our guests don’t travel just to see; they travel to matter — and that sense of purpose is one of modern life’s real luxuries.
We give you exclusive access to extraordinary wildlife areas, with the seclusion, space and quiet that make the experience yours. And we share everything we know — about the animals, the habitats, the work of conservation — because that knowledge is the only thing that turns a safari into something you carry for life.
Our Story
The idea behind MaiaWildlife began with a simple desire: Henrique Maia wanted to share what he loved most — travel, photography, and wildlife. Driven by a lifelong fascination with animals, he organised his first safari to South Africa in 2015.
“That first trip to South Africa, I fell for the place completely. The warmth of the people, the food, and of course the wildlife — watching animals up close, in their own world, with nothing between us. I’d never felt anything like it.”
What started as one trip became a way of life. Since 2015, Henrique has travelled the world for safaris, wildlife conservation work, and veterinary conferences. It was on a return to Africa in 2019 that the question first took hold: how could he share this — the wildlife, the cultures, the feeling of being out there — with other people?
The idea took shape through 2020. Drawing on years of contacts across Africa — lodge owners, guides, event managers, and in particular the Robbetze family — it grew from a wish into a plan.
In June 2021, MaiaWildlife was born.
Tell Us What You're After
Dear guests,
We’re always working to make MaiaWildlife better — the trips, the events, and this website — and the people best placed to tell us how are the ones who travel with us.
So we’re asking directly: what would make your experience better? A destination you wish we ran? Something on the site that’s hard to find? An idea for an event you’d actually want to attend? Big or small, we want to hear it.
Everything we build is shaped by conservation and by the people who join us. Your thoughts genuinely help us decide where to go next.
Drop us a line anytime — we read every message.
With thanks,
The MaiaWildlife team
