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Travel, Uncategorized

Halal Holidays: 7 Picture-perfect idyllic Resorts for the Muslim female solo traveller

February 2, 2017February 2, 2017By Fay 3 Comments

Over the years, with the addition of exclusive specialist holidays such as Kosher and Vegetarian, there has been a huge demand in the tourism and travel industry for attending to the Muslim sectors needs. The birth of Halalbooking, Halalholidaypackages, Muslimbreak, Serendipity and Luxuryhalaltravel, has presented Muslims with a convenient tailor-made itinerary that is much more fitting for our needs. It ensures a seamless and idyllic experience; catering to dietary requirements, easy access to prayer facilities and of course, privacy for both genders. In this blog post, I’ve picked out 7 places around Asia that is the epitome of any travellers dream beach holiday, plenty of sand and sea, but with that modern halal twist.

These are all on my bucket list for the next 5 years! Let me know what’s on your bucket list in the comments section below, I’d love to hear what other resorts I could check out.

Angels Marmaris Resort, Turkey

This officially rated 5* grand luxury resort and spa hotel, set in a stunning seafront peninsula in the province of Muğla, Turkey, offers many facilities for the Muslim woman. Booking a half-board inclusive package gets you an open buffet or set menu breakfast & dinner, with no alcohol served on the property’s premises. All food at this resort is halal, and with an entire private beach- “Hidden Sea”, 100% exclusively for women, you won’t get tired of the breathtaking panoramic views of the crystal clear Aegean Sea. The resort has a Hisar outdoor and indoor swimming pool with designated hours for women, a spa centre with 100% privacy for ladies, and a female’s only sunbathing station for unprecedented hours of bliss.

Ofcourse, the resort boasts water sports, yacht landing wharfs, health clubs, Spa & fitness areas, Aromatherapy, Hamam, Saunas, Amphitheatre shows, Angel’s party for the ladies, live music and an orchestra and live band every night. I mean, I feel like this resort is just what the doctor ordered for us ladies, after what feels like months of hard work. Much needed indeed.

The resort opens from 1^st April until the 31^st October, so get booking if you’re looking to kick-start your dream vacation break with a good one this year!

Katamaran Resort, Indonesia

Can we take a moment to appreciate Indonesia in general?! I mean… Indonesia’s cluster of tropical islands, snow-capped mountain tops, stunning landscapes and white sandy beaches with water clearer than a crystal, make it a geographical masterwork of nature. Predominantly a Muslim country, there is no scarcity of halal food and activities, with Indonesia’s own Bali, Lombok, Java and Jakarta giving you breathtaking views of nature.

One of the resorts in Senggigi, Lombok, is Katamaran Resort, a 4* rated hotel that is 20 minutes from the boat pier to the Gilis and the famed Bali. The resort features 52 private retreats with 32 units of Ocean View Suites (Hell Yeah!) and 20 units of Tropical Pool Villas. The menu options vary, with only some options being halal, but halal food is available in restaurant and cafes only a short 500m walk away. No alcohol is served in your rooms, ensured by halalbooking.com if booked through them. Beaches are mixed and so are most of the facilities, but to avoid this- booking a Villa comes with secluded private pools, secluded outdoor area with gazebos and an open-air shower, furnished with outdoor furniture.

With the addition of Burkini, a female Muslim can enjoy the two-level infinity pools, spa and wellness centre with private rooms and beachfront cafe & bistro for those unfiltered holiday breakfast snaps!

Marjan Island Resort & Spa, UAE

This 5* rated hotel is located on Al Marjan Island in Rad Al Khaimah, the first manmade island of its kind, offering the most remarkable views of clear waters around the Arabian Gulf. Dubai is 45 minutes and the popular Ice land Water Park is only 10 minutes away. Their definitely isn’t a shortage of entertainment at this property, with a private beach for families, an indoor pool for women only and a spa centre with 100% privacy for ladies during certain hours of the day.

All food at this property is Halal! As well as restaurants with cuisine ranging from Lebanese, international, Italian, Moroccan, Japanese and Arabian, the property also boasts a no-alcohol zone and does not serve or allow alcohol on hotel premises.

The hotel features 299 guest rooms ranging from Superior double rooms to 3-bedroom suites with bathroom speakers, rain showers, plasma TV and a pillow menu. I don’t think you’ll find a more relaxing spot for a lazy trip that will embrace your Islamic vacation needs.

Banana Island Resort, Qatar

This lavish, alcohol-free resort is located on its own extensive 13-hectare island overlooking Hamad International Airport, next to Doha. It boasts its own marina, reefs, private beach, 9 dining options and a vast lagoon pool. All food at this property is halal, catering to international and Qatari cuisine, Italian, Arabian and Mediterranean, American cuisine, a beach grill and also in-room dining experiences. Banana Island Resort has a spa centre with 100% privacy for ladies at certain hours, including Jacuzzi’s, steam rooms, saunas, ice well, social Moroccan and Turkish baths and spa boutique with a ladies hydropool.

To say this resort is the ultimate comfort goals would be an understatement. Every room is decked out with free wifi, Plasma TVs, iPod docks and tea and coffee makers.

The resorts Villa type rooms (apart from over water villas) have 100% privacy from outside eyes in the swimming pools. The Over Water Villas at this resort give those Fiji and Maldives picturesque huts a definite run for their money, proving to be just as indulgent and luxurious. The resort boasts a complementary private marina for to 30 boats, a wellness centre and a stunning indoor botanical garden, entertainment centres including 8 lane bowling allies, VIP Cinema, billiards and extensive motorised and non-motorised water sport activities.

The ferry transfer service operates 24 hours (every hour) and is complimentary but allows a maximum of one piece of luggage with one hand carry on per person.

The Regency, Kuwait

This 5* alcohol-free property overlooks the exquisite Persian gulf, a coastal resort with broad leisure activities- located close enough to the city centre of Salmiya and yet still secluded and extremely tranquil. The majority of the official population of Kuwait’s citizens are Muslim, making it very easy to access halal food and gender-specific activities.

All food at this resort is halal, and the property dons an impressive spa centre, sunbathing area and indoor swimming pools that guarantee 100% privacy for ladies. High tea is served in an ornate marble lobby with glass atrium and the opulent rooms with gulf/garden views have marble bathrooms with rainfall showers.

This resort definitely doesn’t fall short of the customary requisites that come with 5* resorts and rooms come with fat-screen TVs and free wifi. Suites have added lounges, Jacuzzis and pantries. 2 storey apartments are available which include a kitchen and even a butler service, available 24 hours. Fitness centre for women is available, and a secluded beach surrounded by portable fences for women.

Hotel Mavi Deniz, Turkey

Although this resort doesn’t scream the conventional ‘luxury’ interior structure quite like the other properties, the panoramic crystal clear waters of the Mediterranean Sea around Turunç Village make up vastly for that omitted touch. Wedged between the enormous tree covered Taurus mountains from both sides, this alcohol-free resort swanks a private female outdoor swimming pool, spa centre and relaxation clinic, with amenities including Turkish baths, sauna, steam rooms and massages to pleasantly indulge in for us ladies! All food is halal, with an all inclusive meal board for breakfast, lunch and dinner and even snacks between meals, pools, spa and beach! To say you’re looked after would be a total understatement here.

Sit back, relax and enjoy the view from your furnished and simple decor room or head down to revel in the 120 square metres of the women’s-only secluded swimming pool with a waterslide, and masjid and pool bar (mocktails and juice ofcourse!) available extremely close by.

Every room gets a balcony, but make sure you book yourself one of the Sea View rooms. Thank me later. The last thing I want is for your view every morning to be of boisterous tourists clambering into the hotel to check in, when you could be waking up to serene and peaceful bliss and quiet of the sea. If your here for the breathtaking views and not necessarily to be bowled over by the accommodation, this resort is just the thing. The hotel is only open from May 1^st until 30^th October, so get booking!

The old English proverb “Saving the best till last” might prove true in this illustration. Let me know in the comments what you think but this one is by farrrrr my absolute number one!

Adenya Beach Resort, Turkey

Set on over 5000 square meters of landscaped grounds, this stylish beachfront resort has polished, upscale and sophisticated rooms the each feature balconies and floor-to-ceilings- which in my opinion is the paramount part of this entire property. I love the idea of a full and undisturbed view from my hotel room. This resort is a spanking new halal and alcohol-free property in a small peninsula, offering an enticing blend of exotic design with lavishly decorated interiors, perfect for stylish relaxation.

For those coming to unwind and experience the fusion of sea and sun, this resort offers nothing short of superlative levels in standard and excellent hospitality. For us ladies, we have 5 secluded swimming pool areas with Jacuzzi’s, a private beach area with special Egyptian sand and 100% private and secluded sunbathing areas to achieve our tan goals, a women’s spa centre donning; a sauna, steam bath, authentic Turkish bath and steam rooms and even a dedicated women’s fitness room. The masjid (mosque) is close by and every room comes with a Koran (Quran), prayer rug and Qibla directions, making life easier for the practicing Muslim.

Dining options include a restaurant, 3 cafes and a hookah bar. The food served ranges from International to Turkish cuisine for breakfast, lunch and dinner, provided as an open buffet in the resorts main restaurant.

Personally, I’d recommend staying in the Select Room, a luxury designed room with a perfect full sea view and balcony Jacuzzi overlooking the sea, complete with foam. What better way to experience the true definition and sense of alternative tourism merged with its own Turkish magnificence, than at this glorious paradise resort.

Open all year long, but summer season is from April 10^th until October 31^st. Summer daytime activities and evening entertainment include games, sports, competitions, live folk music, poetry, comedy plays, parachutes, surfing the sea and Jet skis.

I reckon I definitely saved the best till last!

Am I right?

Have I missed out any that you think are worthy to go on this list?

You! Reading this right now, leave a comment. Let me know your thoughts.

Travelling soon? For help with what to take with you, click here for my Ultimate Packing Checklist and dont forget my 5 Must-Haves for any Muslim traveler!

First time travelling? Read about mine and know what you need to prepare for! I’m saving you from making the same mistakes I made!

5 MUST-haves for any Muslim Traveler

January 29, 2017February 2, 2017By Fay 8 Comments

A Muslim and non-Muslim persons packing list doesn’t vary much. Besides the fact that we only add a few more items to our list, there really isn’t much difference at all. After all, we are all great travelers and adventurers, we worry about the exact same things and we share the exact same excitement that travel ignites in all of us.

In any case, since Islam is a lifestyle covering each part of our day-to-day norms, even during travel, it makes travelling a little more extraordinary and a special experience and with religious observance in mind, here are some tips for the travelling Muslim and packing equipment you’ll need, in addition to my Packing 101 checklist:

Compartments, compartments, compartments!

Finding your prayer mat during an airborne flight? The last thing you need to have to do is open up your luggage and fish out items you need from the bottom of your bag. You need to be able to have things close by, easy access, no fuss and the best way to do that is by having compartmentalized bags! The more sections and pockets in the bag, the better! Below are some examples of what I use and recommend:

hey — ~~28.99~~ now £13.89, Iata Cabin Hand Luggage Trolley Backpack

Travel Prayer Mat

Prayer mats are the most basic and essential travel item for any Muslim. Nowadays, the silk/sateen material prayer mats especially made for travelling are readily available and do not soil easily. Most come with their own travel pouch to store them in, making having a travel mat a lightweight and compact task.

download — £3.23 + Free UK Delivery, Pocket Size Portable Prayer Mat

Compass

To help with the direction of the Qibla, travelers should have an accurate compass needle that will point them in the right direction during the five daily prayers. Best way to do this in my opinion, is to have a physical compass, and many prayer mats today have these pre-ingrained into the mat available at most Islamic stores. Alternatively, download the HalalTrip app onto your phone and use this, although I highly recommend getting an actual compass- apps are totally overrated!

Prayer Dress

Many people overlook this one simply because they think the clothes they are packing can substitute as a prayer dress as well. Your regular clothes could work, but when Fajr is just before sunrise and after making wudhu, you’re getting entirely changed into your going-out clothes just to pray and then fall asleep again, it becomes inconvenient. Many Muslims own at least one abaya, the long black dress or equally simple to wear. Don’t forget to pack one! This has happened to me so many times, don’t make the same mistake.

impressions-48_4 — £19.99, Black Classic Jersey Abaya

Flat Water Bottle

Last but certainly not least, a flat water bottle! You didn’t think of this one did you?! I’d say carry a water bottle with you at all times, but airport security is bound to take that from you so to avoid this, flat water bottles are a life saving alternative. Besides being compact, durable and foldable, these little goodies can easily be filled up and used for ablution. Sometimes when travelling, find a clean or even modest bathroom might prove difficult- the stares can even be daunting! Grab yourself one of these bottles, fill it up and find somewhere quiet to perform your ablution. If filling up for drinking purposes, take care of impurities in tap water. Ask for tap water from hostesses or airport staff who can easily access clean water. A must-have for every Muslim traveller!

41v2fkubigl-_sy355_ — £2.65 + Free UK Delivery, Summit Eco Foldable 480ml Water Bottle

Click on the pictures to take you directly to the seller pages! This post is not sponsored by any of the sellers included in this post, but I’ve highlighted their products as something I use and make my life a hell of alot easier when travelling as a Muslim female.

Anything else you think is essential for a muslim traveller or agree with my post? Let me know below! Leave me a comment with your thoughts, I’d love to hear what you think!

Travel, Uncategorized

AZIMUT Hotel – München, Germany

January 26, 2017February 2, 2017By Fay 1 Comment

During my trip to Germany late 2014, I stayed in a fairly pleasant and modern hotel. Being my first ever experience alone, I can’t say I was disappointed with the service and what I got. A whole host of fuss went down before I arrived, check it out in my last blog post, but when I finally arrived at the hotel, I was ready to get things underway. I booked my flight and accommodation combined with Booking.com which was probably the simplest and easiest process I have ever used.

During vacations and holiday or quick city breaks, hotels have slowly become a mere roof over ones head. Maybe that’s because you just want to be out there, exploring and discovering new treasures in a new city. Nobody wants to be indoors during a getaway. Either way, where you stay plays a big role in your city experience- from the views you wake up to, the way house-keeping treats your belongings to how safe the room really is. The blogpost reviews Azimut for the Hijabi Muslim like myself or for anyone who decides to stay.

Environment

AZIMUT Hotel Munich City East is predominantly, a contemporary business hotel in the heart of the city’s commercial sector. It’s located next door to the esteem Messe Riem exhibition centre, a stone’s throw away from the German HQ of the Walt Disney Company and round the corner from local shops and supermarkets. Rated a strong 4-star hotel, it ensures the hotel offers everything just shy of what a luxury accommodation would have, including Soundproof walls, umlimited internet, 24 hour reception desk and underground private parking for any of those that choose to grab a rental. Basically, it’s a quiet and ideal area for any professional persons or anybody looking for somewhere quiet to stay. It’s not the busiest area in the world, with local shops just a 15 minute walk away.

The hotel itself is huge. Depending on what you need, there is a whole host of hotel services available for residents from free wifi throughout the hotel, 5 modern conference halls with daylight, left luggage facilities, round the clock check-ins and breakfast restaurant, bar and Grab&Go services.

The Room

I requested for a room with a good view, higher up and was emailed back within 24 hours from the Front Office worker changing my room to the top floor. There are only 4 floors to this colossal structure, and I got a modestly spacious room with a view of meadows and industrial warehouses far in the distance.

The windows in the room are absolutely huge, measuring perhaps what is my entire bedroom wall at home. The room was a superior twin room with separated single comfortable memory-foam mattress beds. On booking, they were no deluxe rooms available with double beds so I decided two singles pushed together would make up for that. It worked. The price was around 335.61 Euros, with the hotels standard added VAT (7%)- another 23.49 Euros, the total stay at for this room was 359.10 Euros or in GBP, £288.10. The room included a wide flat screen TV, an armchair and desk, a fridge with minibar, kettle with coffee & tea satchets and additional cutlery.

Payment

The property takes payment directly at the hotel, and only after your entire stay is complete. Obviously, the total will then include any additional amenities used during your stay including breakfasts and minibar consumptions. Payment is taken both by cash or card in the Euro form and how much exactly is taken out of your card in your respective currency will have to be calculated and converted from EUR first. AZIMUT hotel accepts payment from American Express, Visa/Euro, Mastercard and Bankcard payments.

Underground Private Parking for rentals costs 13 EUR per day, speak to Reception on arrival for your ticket and they will talk you through the process.

Breakfast costs about 16 EUR, it comes in a Buffet standard.

Halal?!

Meat at this property is NOT HALAL. The hotel provides bacon, sausages and beef for breakfast and these are not halal at this particular property, assured to me by the chef onsite and the receptionist. However, Breakfast at this hotel also provides fresh fruit, toast, coffee and other morning delights and delectable’s to kick start the day.

Breakfast starts at 6:30am until 10am and on holidays, goes from 7am until 11am.

A short walking distance away is the Simplemento HG Supermarket. A friendly Jörg will meet you and assist you with what you need. His English is pretty good, has worked there for over 5 years and the supermarket is a family-run business. Here you’ll find bread, butter, beans, fresh fruit (mangos, grapes, apples) and a whole array of German nourishments including Pretzels, to indulge in. We bought 50 EUR worth of snacks each and took it back to our hotel room to serve as breakfast and midday snacks throughout the trip.

Hotel Policy

Cancellations are not ideal. If they happen, AZIMUT depending on the package selected can either refund you, or deny. If your stay is cancelled or modified up until 18:00 on the date of arrival, no fee will be charged. This means, you can go to the hotel at 3pm and change your itinerary as long as it’s before 18:00 on the date of arrival. Keep ‘em in the loop is all. If cancelled or modified late or in case of a no show, the hotel will charge you for 100% of the reservation.

Check- In starts at 15:00/3pm, and Check-Out is by 12:00 midday. Additional charges may incur if this is violated.

Getting Around

Once you’re ready to leave for the day, the receptionist will happily contact a taxi company for you to take you to your destination. Taxi’s roughly cost from around 15 to 35 EUR, respective of journey distance. Having it in cash is most ideal as taxis don’t take card payments. Rentals are also a good idea, but the road laws are always different in European countries to that of the UK, so unless your familiar with European road laws, I personally don’t and didn’t and never will recommend it. Another option is by train, by far the easiest and simplest mode of transport for me.

The nearest station is München-Berg Laim on the S-Bahn suburban line and is only a 1.5km walking distance from the hotel. This line runs through the city centre and connects tourists with all the popular attractions like Marienplatz and Karlsplatz.

The same ticket is valid for all forms of transport. You do not need different tickets if you travel between the tram, bus and train. Before embarking on a journey, tickets need to be “validated” which is basically slotting it into the machine at the U- and S- line tracks or on trams & buses. A single day ticket costs 6.60 EUR and a 3-day single (1 person) ticket costs 16.50 EUR. Travelling in a group gets you little discount, but if 5 adults travel together and purchase a group day ticket, it will cost 12.60 EUR and a 3-day group ticket will cost 29.10 EUR.

Additionally, a single trip in one direction, valid for 3 hours, gets you a single ticket (Einzelfahrkarte) costing 2.80 EUR.

The City Tour Card costs abit more than the day tickets. It serves the same purpose, but offers additional discounts on many museums and tourist attractions.

Local buses are also nearby and will get you to city centre in 25 minutes. This mode of transport is better for the avid photographer or keen explorer, who gets to see more of the city above ground and finds new spots to explore. I recommend this route as a means of exploring, and the train as a means of getting to a particular and predecided destination.

All in all, Munich is a beautiful city. I definitely enjoyed what the city had to offer, went with people who were absolute comedians throughout the journey, and my stay at AZIMUT was a pleasure. I spend 4 nights in this hotel, from Thurs 9^th October to Monday 13^th 2014. Although wifi is available in all public places of this hotel, the internet connection was absolutely rubbish at 512kbps and capping at 600Mb. Streaming movies or simply watching Youtube was nearly impossible, so we went and stole the wifi access from a nearby hotels lobby. I don’t recommend it, but it had to be done. If you need to upload content online, or heavily require internet connection, the one downfall of this hotel will not be in your favour.

Further Details

For any questions related to the property, you can contact AZIMUT Hotel Munich City East directly at:

+49899438440 or info.muenchen@azimuthotels.com

Travel, Uncategorized

My First Ever Flight Experience

January 26, 2017March 21, 2019By Fay 4 Comments

On the October of 2014, I embarked on my

first.

ever.

flight.

alone.

to the city of München- the World City with Heart or as it is formally known, Millionendorf. Being the A-type calculating and meticulous person that I am, I needed everything to go smoothly. I’d heard countless ill-fated tales of flights missed, gates shut, delayed check-ins and miserable security staff that I’d ensured every possible precaution was taken. I was alone, nobody was coming to save me if I got a step wrong so to say my antenna’s were on high alert, was a total understatement.

My flight was taking off from London Heathrow Airport (LHR) at exactly 09:05 from Terminal 2. I’m 20 years old, armed with a boarding pass I’d printed the night before, 250 euros and a carry-on suitcase stuffed to the brim. The smart move would’ve been to fly on the same day as my friends, but I couldn’t get the Wednesday off work so I was left trudging the airport alone. Another smart move would’ve been to perhaps get a taxi to Heathrow, perhaps at 5am or 6am. Something somewhere on this planet had convinced me to be at the airport 3 hours early for check-in and all the security measures. So that’s a 9am flight, and arriving at LHR 6am sharp. Means I leave my house for 4am for the 1 hour and 45 minute journey door to door, leaving 15 minutes leeway for traffic or unexpected delays. Made sense. I was ready but see that’s the thing. During the October of 2015, the first train on the Transport for London (TFL) Underground Jubilee line operates from 5:23am. Couldn’t risk it. Couldn’t stand at the back of 200 people at check-in and wait patiently when I could’ve been at the front. Couldn’t miss my flight. Just couldn’t risk it.

Guess what I did.. Caught the last train from North Greenwich station the night before, at exactly 00:19 and made the tedious and lengthy journey to the airport. I got there around 02:25 and got to the airport waiting lounge in under 30 minutes. Easy breezy. Now came the most agonizing and mentally torturing few hours of my entire life.

The wait.

In packing like some sort of professional, I was entirely ready for the glow of 21 degree weather in Munich. I entirely neglected to pack for the -1 degree weather in London that night, sitting entirely diminutive in stature compared to the colossal glass ceilings of the airport. The wind howled so loud, I couldn’t hear myself think. I noticed my feet wouldn’t stay still, jumping frantically up and down in a continuous and uncontrollable synchronization. For the first time on this journey, I noticed I wasn’t even wearing socks. My skin had turned white. It is -1 degrees in an entirely empty airport, with glass walls and ceilings, uncomfortably ice-cold rigid seats and I am not even wearing socks. Boy, I would’ve killed for some socks. 7 hours of waiting in absolute agony, with nothing to read, not dressed for this weather, every hair follicle standing on end and my skin doing dances of its own, the airport started buzzing with life again.

Well-rested faces nonchalantly walked in, full of life, sporting layers of coats and jackets and faux fur clasped around their necks. My jaws had frozen; I couldn’t get myself to move. I remember leaving my debit card at home to avoid incurring bank charges and transactions fees abroad. Everything I had was in Euros.

I strolled into a shoddy little Starbucks and asked for searing hot coffee. Once he handed it to me, I pulled out a crisp 5 euro note and handed it to him without batting an eyelid and promptly walked away. I don’t remember ever scurrying so fast. I remember expecting the dark haired barista to return with some sort of request for “real” money, so I changed seats, pulled up my hood and moved so far from gate A12 even I forgot where I was sitting. The sun majestically began its rise and basked the airport with gilded glow. I sat, ready to start my holiday and thanking God he got me through the night. I felt the ends of my hair on my skin just relax, I was warm, basking in warm sunlight and wanting to be in the sky. What a beautiful morning.

My gate was called. Lufthansa flight LH2471 to Munich – Franz Josef Strauss (MUC) was boarding at A20. It was time.

Donning a pair of earphones, I walked on and took my window seat. The whole experience felt surreal. The plane started circulating the airport runway, warming up, accelerating and finally became airborne. That feeling of being carried into the sky, away from the safe ground, carried by a gigantic steel machine… that feeling will forever be embedded into my conscious mind- I’ll never forget it!

CONSTANT FERNWEH. \\ FAYSWORLD

Compartments, compartments, compartments!

Travel Prayer Mat

Compass

Prayer Dress

Flat Water Bottle

Fay