Peter Minkoff
Traveling around the world, discovering new places and having new experiences is always a blast, but not everybody’s experience is the same. If you’re a Muslim, you may be facing certain issues people of other religions aren’t, and the thing is that you have to be prepared to do whatever it takes in order to make your travels as safe and enjoyable as possible. That’s why you should find out a thing or two about your future trips that could change this experience for the better, so here are five of the most essential tips every Muslim traveler should know about.
Get prepared in advance
Whether you’ve had previous traveling experience or not, you need to approach every trip you take as it’s the first one in your life. That means getting prepared for different scenarios in advance and knowing what situations you may come across while you’re away from home. Getting familiar with the most common traveling tips is something all Muslims need to do, wherever they go.
These tips include searching for the cheapest plane tickets a few months before you actually start traveling, booking hotel rooms in advance as well, packing proper clothes, making the most of modern technology and apps that help you get around new places, carrying your prayer mat with you, etc. These will help you have a more successful and enjoyable trip, so getting prepared in advance is something you definitely need to do.
Find a great hotel
Finding a reputable hotel is one of the most important decisions on all your trips, and no matter where you go, this is something you need to insist on. Luckily, using modern search engines makes this job much easier, and the best thing is that you can, as mentioned before, book your hotel months in advance. This way, you may end up saving a ton of money, but you could also get better accommodation, which is always good.
The thing with hotels today is that they include lots of different facilities, and some of them might suit Muslims travelers more than others. For instance, having a separate prayer room and a short walking distance to the nearest mosque could mean the world to you, so looking into these things before making your final decision will help you find a hotel that works for you the most.
There are things and people you can rely on
Traveling to foreign countries and being stuck in unknown places isn’t easy, but it’s good to know that there’s someone or something you can rely on. Whether it’s people you know from before, people you’ve just met, or useful apps on your mobile phone, the important thing is not to feel like you’re all alone in the world.
What most Muslim travelers don’t know, though, is that there are lots of amazing and quite helpful Muslim apps they can use anywhere in the world, and these will come in quite handy in a number of different situations – from finding halal restaurants to reading the Quran, and everything in between. Sometimes, these apps can make a major difference in your traveling experience and take it to a whole new level, so download them and enjoy their benefits.
Your hijab shouldn’t constrain you
This is an issue lots of Muslim women around the world are facing at the moment, and they’re having more and more troubles due to their decision to wear a hijab. They’re being judged and frowned upon by people on all meridians, and this is why they have a hard time deciding to go traveling to other parts of the world, fearing they might be unwanted.
However, the truth is that your hijab doesn’t have to constrain you and prevent you from living your life – on the contrary, it’s something that defines you and is a part of your identity. There are lots of women who travel the world wearing a hijab, and their stories should inspire you to do the same, as soon as possible.
Traveling alone isn’t such a big deal
This is another issue lots of Muslim travelers, especially women, have to deal with, and, again, it’s a matter of perspective. They feel unsafe and unprotected when traveling on their own, which is why they opt not to travel anywhere at all, but this is ultimately the worst thing they could do.
In reality, traveling alone can be an amazing experience and something you should definitely try doing at least once in your life. This is a chance to learn and grow as a person, as well as an opportunity to face your fears and show the world that Muslim women aren’t afraid of new experiences.
So, now that you know all of these things, it’s time to start planning your next trip and fully enjoying it on a whole new level.