DEPARTURE LOUNGE // SUMMER 2019
INSTAMUNCH
@trufflejournal
Meet The Truffle Journal’s Melissa Delport, a
professional photographer and food blogger
who loves to travel, eat and experiment her
way around a kitchen. Most recently, she’s
added author to her list of accomplishments
with the release of her cookbook Whole:
Bowl Food for Balance. It’s a collection
of 90 easy recipes that aim to “heal our
relationship with food”.
I started doing food photography four years
ago. I entered MasterChef South Africa,
had my four minutes of fame and decided
afterwards that I wanted a career in food.
Because I was already a photographer I
decided to turn my lens on food.
Most recent travels, and did the
destination dish up as expected?
It was Thailand and yes, every single bite was
simply perfection. I am obsessed with Thai
food. But New York was also fantastic!
Your Instagram account is wellness
focused – yoga, fitness, healthy food
and balance. How has this changed the
way you travel?
To be honest, it used to stress me out. Now
I know how to plan to travel in a healthy way
by packing a certain snack or finding them
at airports. I also know that when I travel,
indulgence is part of it. So I often give myself
room to enjoy, indulge and experience the
destination.
What’s your idea of a perfect travel
destination for food and adventure?
Anywhere in Morocco or Italy. I would love
to capture the culture and the food and
submerge myself in the local culture.
MANAGER OF SALES | THOMPSONS HOLIDAYS
Kilauea volcano, Hawaii
When did you start blogging recipes
and focussing on food photography?
Meet our Partners | ANGELA WOOD
WHERE IN THE WORLD?
HAWAII!
Aside from being a Polynesian paradise,
the Hawaiian Islands are one of the
world’s most isolated ecosystems,
with plants and animals you won’t find
anywhere else.
America’s 50th state has more than 130
islands, atolls, islets and reefs to explore
– and it’s constantly growing due to the
eruptions of active volcanoes, like the
600 000 year-old Kilauea volcano.
Geographically diverse, the Hawaiian
Islands are home to 10 of the world’s 14
climate zones. Spend the morning on
the beach, the afternoon hiking through
tropical rainforests, the evening at the
mouth of a volcano’s fiery crater – and
the next day, switch to underwater
coral reefs and a helicopter ride over
an icy glacier.
Hawaiians themselves are just as
diverse: the islands are home to a
blend of Hawaiian, Filipino, Japanese,
Chinese, Korean, Portuguese and African
American cultures.
And if you really want to impress
the locals? Practice saying
“humuhumunukunukuapua’a” (the name
for Hawaii’s state fish) before you go!
Q VISIT HAWAII WITH SURE TRAVEL
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Follow Melissa @trufflejournal for more
healthy food and travel inspiration.
10 // MAKE MEMORIES FOR LIFE
Ask your Sure Travel consultant about
offers to one or more of Hawaii’s eight
major islands, including Maui, Oahu, Kauai
or Big Island. Visit www.suretravel.co.za/
agencies or call 0861 47 48 49.
Angela Wood knows about longevity and
reliability – she’s been with Thompsons
Holidays for nearly 30 years.
“It was a reliable family business when
I started, and it’s very successful today.
I love the people I work with, the travel
opportunities, the people I meet overseas,
and the different cultures,” says Angela.
Since finishing school and heading off
on her own adventures, Angela’s travels
have taken her to far-off destinations,
from Patagonia to Peru, China to India.
Yet Europe’s seductive culture, food and
history has made it difficult to forsake
that part of the world for very long.
“I’ve been so fortunate to travel … the
Mediterranean is my favourite holiday
spot – although I’ve just been to Zanzibar
with my family and we loved it. And
Mauritius is always good too!”
Married for 20 years with two children,
Angela says kid-friendly spots rank
high on her list of trip priorities – along
with a destination that’s “different and
exciting”. She’s also a staunch advocate
of reading anything (and everything)
one can about a destination, the hotel or
resort and activities of interest prior to
leaving home, to avoid disappointment
or unwelcome surprises. “Find out
everything you need to know – make
sure it’s suitable for your needs.”
This depth of knowledge is what
makes Thompsons Holidays such a
valuable resource, Angela adds. “We’re a
one-stop shop that sells the world, with
great package deals and value adds. And
we’ve also got superior service and 24/7
staff, so if anything happens we’ve got the
‘call to arms’. If you book on the internet,
you don’t have someone to go to.”
So where to next for Angela’s insatiable
travel bug?
“Iceland is top of my bucket list – but
I’m jumping on a plane to Mauritius soon,
so that’ll do for now!”