The month of Ramadan is a time of spiritual reflection and involves fasting from dusk to dawn for 29 to 30 days. Despite the Ramadan, your life routine won’t be halted. In this case, you may want to travel. If you’re planning on travelling during Ramadan, these travel tips will make your trip seamless. Remember that you can book your trip on Jumia’s hotel and flight marketplace.
Plan ahead
Ramadan affects business as usual and this definitely isn’t the best time to attempt a sightseeing marathon. Some venues operate with limited hours and staff, so try to book accommodation, transport and tours before you arrive. Plan your daytime meals in advance. Packed lunches are also a good option, although you’ll need to make sure you have somewhere private to eat them.
Pack emergency iftar/sahur snacks
Unforeseen circumstances can crop up at any time, from delayed flights to traffic jams so you might find yourself having to grab a quick bite to eat for iftar (evening meal) or sahur (morning meal) while on the go. For these instances, pack some easy-to-carry snacks like a bag of nuts, dates or a cereal bar. A pack of biscuits and a juice box also works.
Know the local laws and customs
Check the laws of the country you’re travelling to before you arrive, as some places are much stricter than others about the public observance of the fast. At best, eating or drinking in front of people who are probably fasting is bad and it’s also a good idea to dress more conservatively than you would normally.
Be discreet
If you’re not partaking in the fast, it should be considered common courtesy to avoid public displays of eating or drinking. There are sometimes strict rules in Muslim countries to this effect (although these tend to be relaxed for foreigners).
Download fasting/Ramadan mobile app
A fasting mobile app can do a whole lot of things for you when on a trip. It will help you keep track of prayer timings, and send you reminders when it is time for you to pray and break your fast. And they all have prayer apps showing the Qibla (the direction to face during prayer). This will come in really handy when you are in an unfamiliar place looking to offer your prayers. You can download the HalalTrip app to help you find mosques, Halal restaurants and Muslim-friendly hotels near you.
Skip the Fast
Fasting while travelling is not compulsory. Among the people who are exempted from fasting along with the young, elderly, disabled, etc. is also the traveller. But it’s important to note that unlike the categories of people mentioned previously, the skipped fast of a traveller must be made up once the journey has been completed.
