A conversation on travel and stories at market with Zahirah Marty

Thursday, 3 July 2025 05:46 -     - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

By Divya Thotawatte 


Under the sweltering midday heat at Colombo’s Pettah market, Dubai-based presenter and travel journalist Zahirah Marty, visiting Sri Lanka to film an episode of her show My Travel Diary, was in her element, discovering stories in every corner with Director Buddy Gaylard. Daily FT joined her as she explored the market, curating moments and capturing the spirit of the city in its vibrant chaos. 

As we wandered through the maze-like grids of the market, looking at lacy floral fabric designs and trying out local street food, she told us about her long journey to get to her current renowned position in the TV and travel industry. 

Marty’s career in media and presenting had begun almost by accident, she recalled. Her journey had begun 19 years ago in South Africa, her home country, when, unbeknownst to her, a friend had submitted an application to a presenter search competition by one of the country’s leading lifestyle shows. She had then made it to its top 12, bringing a once impossible dream closer to her reach. 

Though she had not won the competition, the exposure had opened the doors to the presenting world, where she had been later invited to present for South Africa’s iconic Top Billing, a show she said she had always dreamed of working on. From there, she was cast in the spinoff show, Top Travel. However, soon, imposter syndrome hit her. “I presented a few episodes of the travel show and panicked. I had no experience and it was very much a hit the ground running kind of show.”

Craving growth and experience, she had moved to Dubai at the age of 22 where she began a career in marketing. Where her true passion lied in travel, people and food, she had quickly found her rhythm working with restaurants and nightclubs, experiencing and building a home in the pulse of the country. She had worked in the marketing and public relations industry until 2022, when she had gotten a call from Gaylard to host a travel show for an American network. That call marked her return to travel journalism. 

Leaning into her background in PR and media, she had also turned her PR agency into a destination marketing consultancy. “Now everything I do is centred around travel. If I’m not shooting, I’m consulting. If I’m not consulting, I’m speaking at travel workshops around the world.” 



Chaos and colours for the cameras 

Despite her love for the luxury of five-star hotels and high-end destinations, Marty explained that she often preferred the ordinary and day-to-day parts of the city where its chaos thrived. Being a visual storyteller, it was always better to witness the reality of a location and be able to watch and capture real life. Colombo’s bustling urban market district Pettah was therefore the ideal location to capture the city’s essence, she said. 

The heat was almost stifling by noon, but Marty remained unfazed, a bright smile constant on her face. “I love what I do. My main passion is travel storytelling. Going into the market, meeting the real, everyday people, it’s amazing. I like staying in five star hotels. But meeting people and feeling the stories in every country or city, that’s my favourite.”

She was dressed in a bright, eye-catching dress that not only made her stand out but also blended perfectly with the market’s vibrant chaos. Explaining her love for wearing bold colours whenever she filmed, “they always work really well on camera!” Behind the lens, Gaylard, her creative collaborator, captured each moment with precision, his visual instincts complementing Marty’s lively on-camera presence. 



Marty’s thoughts on Sri Lanka

When asked about her experience in Sri Lanka so far, Marty said, “Incredible. When you travel a lot, there are small things that make a difference. It’s that first impression of how easily I can get off the plane and into my hotel. Sri Lanka’s one of those that’s super easy. They were super friendly. It was quick. There were no major long transfers between airport and hotel.”

She praised how easy and accessible Colombo was, highlighting how straightforward it was to explore the city. While travelling between other regions could be slightly more challenging and time-consuming, she noted that the colours and other interesting things of the roadside life made even a five hour drive pass by almost unnoticed. 

“It is a beautiful story to tell, and it’s got a lot of the key pieces we look for in a story. It’s got people, it’s got places, it’s got food, and it’s got lots of culture. In terms of place, it’s so diverse. You’ve got the city and you’ve got the tea plantations and you have the ocean. So for storytelling, it’s like when you lay out a puzzle. What are the pieces we need to put together to make that story?”

Marty also told us a story about one of her most cherished experiences in Sri Lanka. It was two visits ago to the country, when she had tried wild orange juice for the first time from a stand on the side of the street. It had been made with salt and peppers which had been an unexpectedly delightful experience that had left her a lasting impression. 

“It was so unique and it’s these moments that you can’t replicate anywhere else in the world. These are the things that stay with me, because I don’t know how many times I’ve told that wild orange story, but it’s like a special Sri Lanka moment. I feel like it’s a country that gives you a lot of those special moments.” 



Coconut, curries, culture 

For Marty, who called herself a devoted foodie, culture was also more intimately experienced through its food. Among the many Sri Lankan dishes that she had tried, hoppers had stood out to her as a clear favourite. Her love for the crispy edges and pillowy centre of hoppers had even led her to attempt making them herself. 

“I realised how intricate and scientific making them is. I think the chef officially failed me at my hopper making skills. In the end, I just said to him, “The best arrangement here is you make them and I eat them, because with the heat and the pot and the swirling, I was not doing a very good job.”

Beyond hoppers, Marty’s love for Sri Lankan food still ran deep. When she had been pregnant, she had gone through a phase of being obsessed with coconut bread and sambol: “I had them everyday and it got me through my pregnancy.”

Additionally, she loved Sri Lankan food in general, because of their coconut milk base. There was not too much spice as the coconut milk evens it out, the food was simpler and not too heavy, and the ingredients were better for the taste, she explained cheerfully. “Potato curry, beetroot curry, shrimp curry! I’m obsessed with all of it. It’s just not the best for me when I’m eating it three times a day in Sri Lanka. But it’s part of the hospitality. You’re constantly being fed here, which is great.” 



Travelling with purpose 

Travel and culture has always been the most important for Marty. “There has never been a country I visited that I’ve not wanted to return to,” she said, recalling how even in her high school years, she had earned and saved money doing makeup for shoots and weddings with the sole aim of travelling the world. 

While that curiosity and love for luxury travel had stayed with her, it had also evolved into a more purposeful kind of travel. Her work today spanned regions, often also focusing on sustainability and social consciousness. 

“I want to leave an impact on the world. I want to know that through my travel and my ability to tell stories, I’m not just using it to inspire rich people to spend money, but I’m using it to improve the lives of people wherever I go.” 



Being a woman in travel journalism 

Marty also reflected on her experience as a woman in travel journalism, acknowledging the privileges and precautions that came with the role. Though she had not encountered any gender bias throughout her career, she admitted that some parts of the world might be more accessible and easier to navigate as a man. However, “I think South Africans, we’re a little bit hardier. So we’re not as easily scared as I think a lot of other nationalities are.”

Her perspective and experience were also shaped by her responsibility as a travel TV presenter to tell positive stories of destinations. She explained that if she found herself in a place that did not feel safe, she would not be able to tell an authentic story about the place, nor could she recommend it to others. Therefore, she would typically avoid visiting places that could put her in danger or uncomfortable positions. 

She also noted that discomfort was still inevitable when walking alone at night, for her and women in general, even in everyday life. However, she also found that the issue of safety was not always as expected. 

“People have strong opinions about South Africa not being safe, and there are parts of it that 100% aren’t. But it is a perfectly safe country for women to travel to alone. It’s actually a wonderful girl’s trip destination. Same with Sri Lanka and a lot of other places.” However, cities such as London and Los Angeles which are traditionally thought to be safer or better had made her feel more unsafe, even during daytime. 

Being a woman in travel meant seeing the world from a different lens, added Marty. Women travellers had much to consider where even their wardrobe had to be created with cultural consciousness and safety as a priority. “But does that put me off going anywhere, or has it made me feel prejudiced in any way? Absolutely not.” 

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