10 Things to Do Before you Go!

بِسْمِ ٱللَّٰهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

Planning travel can be overwhelming and there are so many variables to consider, but we try to help you get off on the right foot with the basics - here are 10 things to make sure you do while planning your next trip:

1. Choose Your Destination

This is often the most time-consuming part of your research phase. There are many Muslim-Friendly countries in the world, but you have to consider your situation.

Are you going to be working or going to school remotely while on your trip? How long do you want to go for? What is your budget? Please see our blogs on the different countries we have been to and others on our list, which will hopefully inspire you.

2. Check Visa Regulations and Timings

Investigate any visa requirements for your chosen destination, and ensure you allow enough time for processing. Depending on the passport you hold you may have to apply for a visa or there might be a visa-free entry.

Many sites list these out, but I find the easiest way is just to Google it and look for reputable websites like your country-specific site or an official consulate site. I just search "Visa requirements Malaysia for US citizens" and went to the us.gov page - for example.

IMPORTANT: Make sure your(and your family's) passport expiry date meets the needs of entry for your destination. Many countries need a certain time of validity after entry/exit in order to enter the country.

3. Research Flights

There are many search engines specific for flights, where you can filter and choose how and when you want to go and even see previews and tracking of prices, luggage restrictions, stopovers, etc. My favorite is Google Flights, which has a ton of great features and shows live pricing. Try to always link to the official airline from this site as you will generally get the best terms and conditions.

Or search directly on some of my favorite airlines, which are great for Muslim travelers and are often the best priced with many different destinations and options: Qatar Airways and Turkish Airlines.

4. Find Accommodation

This is split into two basic categories depending on the length of your stay and the amenities you want. Make sure you narrow down your search area before searching so you are looking at what you want.

1. Hotels - These are ideal for shorter stays(2 weeks or less), have room and cleaning services, and are generally more centrally located to the more tourist and attraction sites you probably want to visit. You won't get a kitchen, so make sure to budget to eat out most of the time, and sometimes WIFI is not that great. These are also great to keep in mind if you want to visit a specific city further away from your base for a few night stay.

   My favorite sites to book for the best prices are Trip.com, Booking.com, and Expedia.com.

2. Long Term Rentals - These are homes or apartments that you can rent fully furnished, are better for bigger families and generally have a kitchen and space, but always check on the WIFI speed and router access if you need it. If you want the experience of living in the country, this is the way to go. For longer stays, it is often much cheaper, you can cook and shop like a local, and in my opinion, better for Muslim families in general, and always my first choice.

   There are 2 major sites for this that I have used and recommend: Airbnb.com and Vrbo.com. These are really easy to filter to your needs and use the map function to help find the right place.

5. Digitally Explore the Area

While you are checking on the accommodation, use the address or landmark shown on the sites to look for key features nearby using Google Maps. This is crucial to ensure what you want and need is close by and how far you need to travel to see what you want to see. You can use the 'nearby' function in Google Maps to search for grocery stores, mosques, restaurants, and much more.

6. Check the Weather

It is important to know what to pack, and a big part of that is what the weather is going to be like at your destination when you go there. You can check this on most weather apps on your phone or Google "30 day weather in December Istanbul' for example.

7. Get the hardware and services if needed

A VPN is key when traveling, especially if you are a freelancer or have some classes to attend, or just want to be able to get access to your banking or other location-based services. Some of the most common VPN services I use are Express VPN, NordVPN, and SurfShark. If you need serious VPN setups, you can even buy a capable router and upload the specs directly to that so that whenever you connect to that WIFI signal, you are in the location you need. For this, I recommend GL.iNet GL-MT6000 or GL.iNet GL-AXT1800 from Amazon,

You can also try some cheaper ones with good reviews from Temu: Tenda AX3000 WiFi Router and Tenda AX3000 Dual Band.

If you download the Temu App, you can get some first-time user deals so check it out here - Temu App Download.

8. Get an E-Sim

Traditional sim cards can be purchased from almost anywhere after you get settled in, but my go-to choice on my travels has been an E-sim. While you can generally not make calls with these, I find that I don't need to make calls often, if at all, and all I need is data for maps and WhatsApp etc. You can always get a normal sim later, if you want, but I prefer an E-sim as I don't have to change my sim every time I land in a new country, I have immediate access to the internet when I land, and I can load multiple country sims at once. There are many out there, but my favorite is AloSIM as they have options depending on what you need and even have a voice call option you can utilize, you can download the app and check it out.

9. Get a rental car(if you need it)

Rental cars are expensive, so make sure you research your location and the places you want to go as well as other modes of transport, but if you need a rental car there are some good sites to check out to start comparing. Always check what ride-sharing services are available at your destination. Even if you don't need one for your main stay, you may want to take a short road trip or explore other areas of the country, and choosing the right rental will save you money. I often use Booking.com, Priceline.com, and Expedia.com, but I have recently used a newer company that saved me a bundle on my last trip to Saudi Arabia - Qeeq.com.

10. Get your wallet right

One of the drawbacks of international travel are the fees imposed by credit and debit cards. Most credit cards have international transaction fees and most banks charge for international withdrawals, both of which you will need as you don't want to carry too much cash. These fees can really put a damper on your fun as they are over the top and nobody wants to pay to spend their hard-earned money. Check your current credit cards and ATM cards to see what is their international policy. Keep in mind that international ATMs sometimes charge their own fees, which you can research based on what is close to you.

I don't promote any specific banks or credit cards as they are obviously issues Islamically with these, but do your research and make sure you don't get 'fee' fatigue!

Nomad Links

Flights: Google Flights

Stays: Trip.com

VPN Routers: GL.iNet GL-MT6000 - GL.iNet GL-AXT1800 - Tenda AX3000 WiFi Router

VPN Services: SurfShark, NordVPN

Temu: Temu App Download

Esim: AloSIM

Airport Transfers: Trip.com

Car Rental: Qeeq.com

Full Product Recommendation Page

Please see our list of blogs to learn more, and you can contact us directly at muslimfamilynomad@gmail.com for any questions and even set up a live consultation.

** Disclaimer: We are compensated for some of the links provided in this article if you purchase something, but we only recommend what we have used and found successful or we have done some research to find. This blog should not be used as financial advice and we are not travel agents, we are just letting you know our opinions from real life experience. May Allah bless you and your family on your travels!