Madinat al-Muslimeen Islamic Message Board
| Practical Guide to booking your Hajj trip |
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| BrKhalid |
| 01/07/02 at 11:58:57 |
| Asalaamu Alaikum ;-) As promised this week we will be posting advice on booking your Hajj trip and what sort of things you should be looking out for. By no means is this list designed to be exhaustive or definitive but we hope it will be a useful guide and a starting point for those who have the intention to go for Hajj in the near future and in the years to come. Which group/travel agency should I use? If you’re serious about going to Hajj then trying to find a group to go with can be a minefield!! So many different groups, so many different tours, so many different prices ;-) Our first piece of advice would be to go with someone you trust/know/have been recommended to. A lot of Hajj groups, especially in the UK, will produce colourful leaflets and brochures telling you about their programs but you won’t know how good it really is until you’ve been on it. By that time though it’s too late. Unlike investing on the stock market, past performance is usually a very good indicator of the future when it comes to the quality of a Hajj tour so try and do some research with people that have been before you. It’s also a really good idea to go with friends, acquaintances, relatives particularly if they have never been there for Hajj or umrah before. During Hajj it is a great help to have people who are looking out for you and you looking out for them. This is really helpful for married couples because a lot of married couples go on their own and especially during the Hajj the husband and wife won't see one another much of the time so if the husband and wife don't know anyone else they are sort of on their own when they are segregated. The coolest thing is when a bunch of married couples who know each other go together; that way the sisters can support one another and the brothers can do the same when the spouses are separated. If you don’t know anyone then these are some of the things which you should be looking out for : Visa applications A good group should administer the visa applications process for all those travelling to Saudi Arabia for Hajj. Normally this would involve submission of your passports, vaccination certificates and other necessary documents to the Saudi Embassy of the country in question in order to obtain a Hajj visa. Make sure that your Hajj group does this for you. Vaccinations Your group should inform you of the vaccinations that you require in order to obtain a Hajj visa. Please note that the Saudi authorities will not allow you to travel to Hajj without documentation of the necessary vaccinations. For those in the UK, the main vaccination is the new Meningitis ACWY injection which is now compulsory. For more details see the following [url=http://www.jannah.org/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl/YaBB.pl?board=uk&action=display&num=5421]thread[/url] The crowds at Hajj make the spread of contagious disease a major risk, hence the need for vaccinations prior to departure. [To Be Continued] |
| Re: Practical Guide to booking your Hajj trip |
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| BrKhalid |
| 01/08/02 at 06:31:32 |
| Length of stay The cost of your Hajj trip will obviously depend on how long you stay. Hajj, itself, actually only last for 5 days from the 8th of Dhul-Hijja to the 12th Dhul-Hijja. However, you should probably set aside 3 weeks for your trip. For those who work and are unable to get such a long time off work, there are packages which last for 2 weeks but this means there is less time spent in Madinah. Another point to bear in mind is the physical and emotional tiredness you will feel when you return home. If possible try and give yourself a couple of days to recover before you have to return to work. Be careful especially about tour groups who schedule departure close to the 12th of Dhul-Hijjah. Lots of them (most) don't have the intention of staying the three days in Mina and leave after two so if you are intending to stay three, make sure that your tour gives ample time on the tail end of dates listed. Airline flights This is an area which you have to look at very closely and one which can affect the price of your trip considerably. The majority of flights go to Jeddah direct although there are some flights which go directly to Madinah for those who are visiting Madinah before Hajj. Saudi Arabian Airlines have their own terminal at Jeddah and as a result getting through immigration process is an easier process. Saudi Airlines are also the only airline into Madinah during Hajj season (to the best of my knowledge). The benefit of flying to Madinah is that one does not have to put one’s ihram before boarding, or on the plane, as is the case for those flying to Jeddah.[More on this later inshaAllah] The net result of the above is that flying by Saudi Airlines will cost you more and this is a factor which you will have to consider. If the group is not flying by Saudi, find out what airline they are using and if there are any stopovers. For example, I know of one group in the UK which flies London to Jeddah by Olympic Airways. Normally this would be a 6-7 hour flight and one would have to put one’s ihram on before or during the flight. However, further investigation revealed that they make a stop at Cyprus on the way thereby increasing the journey time. The majority of Saudi Airlines flights fly direct with no stops. In summary, make sure you ask about the details of your flight and are happy with the travel arrangements which have been made for you. Madina first or Hajj/Makkah first? Most groups go to Madina first and then Makkah but some will go to Madina after the Hajj. There are positives and negatives to both. Some people like going to Madina first to get ready for the Hajj and to get warmed up spiritually; but sometimes people can exhaust themselves before the Hajj and are too tired. Alternatively some people can build/preserve on the spiritual benefit of Hajj or cool down before returning home if they go to Madina after. Everyone has their own opinion about what works. Another point is to make sure there is sufficient time between your arrival in Makkah and the Hajj. Leave some gap in between so you don't have to worry about missing the Hajj if some travel mishap occurs. The days in Makkah before Hajj are also good as a warm-up whether you go to Madina first or afterward, particularly if you're doing tamattu hajj (More on this in later weeks) [To Be Continued] |
| Re: Practical Guide to booking your Hajj trip |
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| BrKhalid |
| 01/09/02 at 07:03:21 |
| Hotel accommodation in Makkah Factors which you should consider include the following: Proximity to Al Masjid Al Haram [The Sacred Mosque] Most of us know the difficulty of getting out of Jumma at our local Masjid on a Friday. Its packed and everyone wants to leave at the same time. Well imagine what its like when 3.5 million people want to leave all at the same time? ;-) During Hajj it can take nearly 20-30 minutes to leave the Masjid complex. Once outside the crowds are such that even if your hotel is 50m away, it can take 5-10 minutes to get there, as you slowly make your way there. So in total that’s about 30-40 minutes to get back to your hotel after prayer even though you’re staying 50m away from the Masjid!!! Now add on the time you take to get to the Masjid through the crowds *before* prayer!!! Now realise that you have to do this 5 times a day. Given the above, it’s important to find out where you hotel is in relation to the Masjid. The further away your group is staying, the greater your journey time. It may well be the case that it becomes inefficient to travel back to your hotel after every prayer and you will have to stay in the Masjid. As a general rule, the nearer the hotel is the Masjid the more expensive it will be and this is a huge factor to consider when deciding upon accommodation. Sharing of rooms Owing to the numbers performing Hajj, rooms in Makkah are usually shared between people in the group. Most groups segregate men and women in Makkah. Groups tend to put anything between 4-8 people in a room (although I have heard larger numbers) Obviously there are practical difficulties associated with sharing with 7 other people. Some may want the air conditioning on, others off. Some may be talking whilst others are trying to sleep. There is an obvious difficulty when it comes to using the toilet facilities when there are 8 people. Again, as a general rule, the cost of accommodation will be influenced by the numbers sharing. The more people, the cheaper the room and vice versa. If a whole family is travelling, then most groups will allow families to stay together but this needs to be agreed up front. Furthermore, if you wish to have a room to yourself, for husband and wife for example, then this may be possible but it will involve extra cost. Again make enquiries when you are making your Hajj arrangements. Types of rooms These can range from 8 mattresses on the floor of a room with an en suite toilet to a traditional 4/5 Star room with associated facilities. Needless to say, the type of accommodation will influence the cost of your trip and again make sure you confirm the details before you depart. Our advice when it comes to accommodation is that you have to choose somewhere you will be comfortable with. You are performing Hajj for Allah [swt] and all your focus and concentration should be on this and *not* on troubles with the hotel or tiredness because its taking ages to get to the Masjid. Hajj is something you may do only once in your lifetime so make use of the time as much as you can and avoid any unnecessary distractions. Hotel accommodation in Madinah Hotel accommodation in Madinah tends to be of a better quality than that in Makkah but the importance of staying near the Masjid still is applicable. Its is generally easier to share rooms with family members in Madinah and usually there is no segregation but again please check when you make your booking. [To Be Continued] |
| Re: Practical Guide to booking your Hajj trip |
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| BrKhalid |
| 01/10/02 at 07:06:44 |
| Food Be careful not to overlook this point when deciding whom to go with. Some groups will provide full board catering which includes breakfast, lunch and dinner at your hotel. Others will exclude food completely from the package and you will need to buy your food. There are plenty of places to eat in Makkah and Madinah but one word of warning. The “queues” are horrendous, especially at the busy times and finding somewhere quiet to eat can be some feat. I put queues in inverted commas because some simply end up being pushing contests to get to the counter!!! All in all it can be a very tiring experience trying to buy food especially when the stomach starts grumbling ;-) Accommodation in Mina During the actual days of Hajj, everyone has to leave Makkah and stay at Mina which is just outside of Makkah. The Saudi authorities have provided air conditioned tents here which is why you sometimes hear Mina being referred to as tent city. To make things easier the authorities separate the pilgrims based on country of origin and hence people from the UK and Germany will stay in the European Camp whilst those from the States will stay at the Americas camp. Again, men and women are segregated and everyone usually sleeps on mattresses on the floor. During the time spent at Mina, one of the rituals of Hajj, namely the stoning of Shaitan, has to be performed. One has to walk from one’s camp to complete this ritual and this journey is about 2 miles from the European Camp for example. There are some groups who provide tents outside of the recognised camps because they hire private accommodation for the stay in Mina. This usually means the distance walked to the place of stoning is a lot less; a significant advantage given the huge crowds. As ever this will increase the price of your package so make sure you know where you are staying in Mina. Accommodation in Arafat As with Mina, most people stay in tents in their own respective camps but there are groups who provide private and better facilities which will increase the price paid [To Be Continued] |
| Re: Practical Guide to booking your Hajj trip |
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| BrKhalid |
| 01/11/02 at 05:55:45 |
| Qurbani Some groups include the price of your sacrifice in your price whilst others don’t. Find out before you leave. One note of caution here though is that there are some situations where the sacrifice is not actually done by the group. If you're not actually going to do the sacrifice yourself, an alternative way is to just go yourself to the billion or so zabiha places the Saudis set up, pay the price to them in riyals, and get the voucher personally from them confirming it with that stamp. At least that way you’ll have piece of mind that your sacrifice has been done. Transport The Saudi authorities provide transport for all pilgrims and this should be included in the price of the package you pay to your group. As ever, some groups hire their own private transport and this tends to increase the price of their package. Guides Everyone should be well aware of the requirements and duties they need to fulfil to complete their Hajj. Some groups however provide a religious guide to help you through the process and to ask questions. Tours Some groups will provide tours of famous places and mosques in Makkah and Madinah during your stay, such as a visit to Uhud. Please check if this is included in your package. As a summary we have highlighted what we think are the main factors that need to be taken into account when going to Hajj and choosing someone to go with. InshaAllah we pray it will be of some use to those who wish to go for Hajj. Wasalaam Brs Khalid & Abdul Basir |
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