Rihla – UK’s First Halal Travel Event
Last week, I was kindly invited to attend Rihla – the UK’s first halal travel event – at the Arab British Chamber of Commerce. Considering I had just arrived back from Dubai a couple of days beforehand, it seemed fitting to see what this event was all about!
Hosted by both Serendipity Tailormade and Emerald, Rihla (meaning journey in Arabic) is simply an event of travel inspiration. We began the evening by either sitting in the screening room, filled with delicious sweet popcorn and drinks, or partaking in a short and sweet travel photography class, taught by Rooful Ali (founder of Emerald). Once the seminars were done, we made our way downstairs and greeted with a huge feast of foods originated from around the world such as Sri Lanka’s staple mutton rolls or Thai vegetable spring rolls. Travel AND food? This was definitely my kind of place. As you walk around the several exhibitors offering information on a variety of popular destinations, such as Seychelles to Vietnam, this event really was an eye opener to some real extravagant yet achievable travel options.
Serendipity Tailormade is a personalised and halal friendly travel agency. Not only are they budget friendly, but they will provide you with the most breath-taking and halal friendly options available. When you think about halal travel, you’re either thinking about pilgrimage, visiting home or the usual places such as Dubai, according to Nabeel Shariff, the founder of Serendipity Tailormade. But there is so much more one can do.
Source: Aliway Photography
For those of you who have planned a holiday, you know this is not an easy task. You want a halal friendly destination which is also unique at the same time, however, due to our lack of travel knowledge; we tend to stay on the safe side. But what if I told you that places like Argentina, Sydney, Sri Lanka and, as of recently, New Zealand, are one of the most halal friendly locations that are just waiting to be discovered, and that all it takes is a phone call to be well on your way!
Nabeel assures us that they “go that extra mile to find out which hotels serve halal food; whether it is sourced from a Muslim country; if not, is it certified”. However, it does not only stop at halal food, its about “maintaining the halal lifestyle” according to Nabeel. The booking process starts with a detailed consultation where you can voice out your likes and dislikes, what you want to experience, even what food you like. Once you have found exactly the holiday you are looking for, you’ll then be provided with a halal restaurant guide, prayer timetables, and even access to their travellers loyalty club which offers continuing personalised travel guidance. If only BW had known before spending hours carefully planning our honeymoon all by himself!
From honeymooners to large extended families to solo and groups of female travellers, Serendipity Tailormade are able to provide you with destinations that have been thoroughly researched and halal approved – to the extent of making sure they work with hotels that cook their non-halal products in separate kitchens! If you are planning a holiday and could use some help, this could really be a good way to go. For more information and for news on upcoming events, the website details are as follows: http://www.serendipity.travel/
