About Us


Welcome to The Hellenic Odyssey, a project created from the heart, driven by a passion for food and inspired by a love for travel.

With a proud Greek heritage, we are driven by philotimo (a Greek word translating to “filos” meaning friend and “timi” meaning honour). For us, it simply means to do the right thing and to give to others.

As the Greece Food and Travel Experts, our aim is to expose you to the parts of Greece which are off the beaten track. We focus mainly on Crete; with its authentic food, hospitable locals and rich culture.

We see it as our duty to add value, meaning and connection to the events and experiences that we offer you and a duty to ourselves to keep our heritage alive for future generations.

Whether it is through our online content, our Melbourne walking food tours in Oakleigh and QV market, our Greek food cooking classes, our private Greek cooking classes or our Crete small group travel tours, we want you to experience a truly extraordinary Hellenic Odyssey.

Here at The Hellenic Odyssey, there are two of us (for now); Zen, a photographer & fitness enthusiast and Kelly, a cook & travel enthusiast.

We started The Hellenic Odyssey out of a passion for food and a love for travel. We are always dreaming of our next travel destination and thinking about how to create greater connections and bring likeminded people together.

Together, we can learn to cook better, experience travel in a meaningful way and slow down to appreciate the simpler things in life.

Here are the principles that we believe in:

1. Travel is a privilege and we appreciate its true value.

1. Food is an experience and it brings people together.

1. Being present is important; it provides the time to observe and to be grateful.

A bit more about Kelly

Always ambitious and a dreamer that believes all things are possible with enough time, effort and a little luck from the universe. Lover of desserts. Could talk about food and travel all day. A health, fitness and wellbeing enthusiast. Ideal place of residence would be any Greek Island, sipping on a frappe by the beach, eating fresh fruit and yoghurt from now until the rest of her life.

A bit more about Zen

Easy going with a good sense of humour, loves a chat and can be a provider of great advice and guidance. Zen has been told on numerous occasions a career as a life coach would be most appropriate. His second home is the gym and he is a certified personal trainer. He is passionate about photography and loves to get creative.

Our Tours

Our tours are immersive cultural and culinary travel experiences.  Transformative in nature and aimed at promoting connection with oneself, others and the world. Designed to provide an escape from the noise that can at times block clarity. The experience will allow you to leave behind your everyday routine so you get a proper chance to reset, recharge and reconnect. By travelling with likeminded people in natural surrounds, you can get inspired and focus on the things you truly want. You will leave with the energy and vision to go back and do what you love, whatever that may be.