Travel trips for Ramazan: Don’t let your fast slow you down!

Summer is here and everyone is looking for a reason to pack up, jet off to a relaxing holiday with friends and family.

Summer is here and everyone is looking for a reason to pack up and jet off to a relaxing holiday with friends and family. Unfortunately, when vacations, travels and the month of Ramzan collide — as they did this year — a trip automatically requires an extra bit of planning before you make your way out.

With the intense heat and at least 15-hour long fasts, it can be hard to fully enjoy your time abroad and rake in as many sights and activities as you would want. Nonetheless, here are some quick and easy tips to make your Ramzan travels as fulfilling as any other. No matter where you are headed, they will keep you organised, energised and satisfied during your fasts.

Plan everything in advance

It goes without saying that any trip, be it domestic or international, by air or by road, is only as good as the planning even if it’s not during Ramadan. If you are travelling and wish to make it worthwhile then always book your accommodations, tours and transportation in advance. This is especially important during Ramzan wherein one needs to account for sehri, iftaari, taraveeh and other necessary activities. Travel applications, websites and agencies allow you to manage all bookings prior to your departure, making travelling during Ramzan completely hassle-free. Therefore, do your research and formulate your itinerary in accordance with the local Ramzan schedules to avoid any complications.

Pre-pack your meals

Unfortunately, no matter how thoroughly you plan, there is always room for a minor hiccup. If you are travelling during Ramadan, the smallest complication, such as your transport not arriving on time can cause you to miss your next tour, prayer or meal. Therefore, it is advisable to pre-pack a light snack before you leave your accomodation, such as a couple of dates, some dry fruits and bottled juice or water. These will not only give you energy but are also easy to carry and can keep you covered in case there are no shops or halal restaurants nearby.

Make use of technology

If you are travelling to a foreign country and unsure of local meal/prayer timings and locations of mosques, etc, download mobile applications that will keep you updated. These can be downloaded directly to your mobiles and sync themselves to the destination where you are at, providing real time information at the blink of an eye. Keep in mind that some countries may discourage public observations of religious rituals and so, it is best to determine possible places of worship beforehand. Remember to have your international phone services activated prior to departure as not every place you visit will offer wi-fi services.

Fasting in air

Keeping a fast on the day of your flight can be a daunting task, especially if your journey includes long stop-overs and multiple time zones. When does one start or break their flying across the world? Although fasting during travel isn’t obligatory, many people prefer not to skip their fasts in order to maintain their routine. Under such circumstances, the general consensus is that a fasting person may break their fast upon nightfall. If the sun is still visible in the sky outside, even though a nearby city may have reached Iftaar time, one must still wait until nightfall to open their fast.

Respect local customs

If you happen to be travelling to another Muslim state, always make sure that you dress accordingly, even if you are not fasting.  Locals during the month of Ramzan may easily get offended by immodest dressing or other public activities that are not permitted during the month. It is always great to research local customs, traditions and preferences on travel blogs and websites beforehand. Locals tend to show greater respect to tourists that respect their customs. If you are not fasting, avoid eating, drinking, and even smoking, etc, in public before sunset to avoid offending others.

Published in The Express Tribune, Ms T, July 6^th, 2014.