What It’s Like to Travel As a Muslim Woman in a Hijab

We are talking to passengers as to travel as a travel + leisure column, how he likes to find the world through his unique approach. We talked to Nazma Begum, who travels her adventures with her husband and toddler on YouTube as a Hannah Explorers, about what she likes to see the world while wearing a hijab. Here is his story …

For the past 10 years, I have been a hijab, which people call a scarf or hijab. I do this for religious reasons because I was born in Islamic faith as a Muslim. It has become part of my daily routine. No one forced me to do that – this is something I think to go in. Wearing a hijab is a great attachment, so you should not see anyone if they don’t. Some of my family do, do not do.

I decided during the month of Ramadan, when we do not eat and drink from sunrise to sunset. It is a sacred time that works like a reset for Muslims around the world. This year, I thought, I covered the prayers, so why can’t I do it all the time? I am now comfortable to wear a hijab. There are many different styles, even silk and other fancy material. I also enjoy doing this style.

Growing up, my parents didn’t have the mentality of traveling too much. I was born in Bangladesh, and my parents emigrated to Singapore when I was about 6 years old. We will travel to Malaysia on the road and visit our hometown in Bangladesh. Whether it’s cultural or safety, my family girl was not open to travel with herself or with her friends. But as I graduated from the university, I got married and my husband and I started traveling.

Our first big journey was South Korea – we wanted to experience snow. Unfortunately, we have not seen anyone, but I loved the journey. I also like external activities, such as hiking and camping. When you are hiking on a hijab, you’re going to sweat, but it is viable. Once you get to the top and the wind blows, it feels amazing.

I now have a 2 -year -old daughter and I took her to the first flight from Vancouver to Singapore, where I and my husband moved in 2019, when she was only 7 weeks. We have a one -year maternity leave in Canada, so I used it fully. She was amazingly good at flight and impressed me. I was breastfeeding and somehow knew how to relax when she was crying.

When she was about 4 months, we went to Japan to see the colors in the fall. It was beautiful. We visited Kyoto, Osaka, and Japanese Alps. My daughter is not remembering anything, but I will remember them all.

I have another favorite place. I try to go every year. I can’t swim, but I like to rotate from the beach. I also like snorkeling, and in Hawaii, the fish come to the beach exactly, so you don’t have to go deep. But I make sure that I still enjoy myself while enjoying myself. I wear what is called Barkani – it’s like a tall suit made of leggings and swimming suits, and it covers your hair. If I need to change and there is no washroom, I have this popup tent where I can go and change. Me and my family are accustomed to these challenges.

When traveling, my husband and my husband try and pack a lot. We go from sunrise to sunset, and we are brave. It has changed a bit with my daughter, but I enjoy traveling with her. Last year, we went to Ohoo, and this year, we went to the larger island, which is great for children, especially the toddler. They like to play in the sand, then they get tired and it’s time to blink, so they sleep in the car. When they wake up, they are on another coast.

We have a lot of adventures. In Italian dolomitis, my in -laws joined us and we rented a boat on a lake. The weather was very calm, but when we were in the middle of the lake, it changed and so much stone – we had to be saved.

I think my daughter really remembers these adventures. She says she remembers when Grandpa and Baba lined up the boat. He also remembers playing on the beach in the sand. I know that many parents don’t want to travel after they have children. Trust me, it is better to change the diaper in different places. You do not need to think about tasks around the world daily, such as laundry, sheets and cooking. In addition, there is a better view.

When we were in a small Italian city, it felt like everyone was looking at me. I don’t think they are abusing. They may have not yet seen tourists with the hijab. I attract a lot of attention. I know it’s difficult for some people who stare and comment, such as, “Go back to where you come from.” Fortunately, I’m not really in any unpleasant situation.

I have some problems on the border from Canada to the United States, which may be a bit offensive. This may be due to my Singapore passport. It has been easy in places like Italy and Switzerland, where they have a lot of tourists from all sides and many different people with different clothing see. But in small places, like Jeju Islands in South Korea, they stare at because they are curious.

There are pleasant experiences. Once, I was in Vietnam and because of the hijab, they immediately. He knew that I was a Muslim, and said, “Salam,” the Muslim greeted. Also, whenever I see any hijab, we always smile at each other and offer silent greetings.

The second challenge of travel is that it can be difficult to find halal food. Pork is not lawful, and chicken, sheep baby, or beef need to be slaughtered in an Islamic way. We do not use any alcohol, so we have to check the ingredients. For example, in Japan, sometimes sushi rice falls into it. We use an app to see if the food is lawful or not.

We always try to do our research, but with travel names it can be difficult. For example, you are probably traveling to the south, but the halal place is in the north. You just don’t want to lose places because you need to eat. He said, there are more places to acknowledge the fact that we, Muslim people, need to eat halal food. I can always choose vegetarian pasta or tofu cups. There is always one way. No need to stop travel.

The idea of ​​seeing many different places wants me to travel more and more. I want to show my daughter that traveling is easy and flexible if you do your job around the challenges.

She has already shielded a lot in two years. I do with it camping, booting, and snorkelings. There are moments they are scared, but I say to him, “I’m fine with you. There is nothing to be scared.”

I’m not going to force him to wear a hijab. If she wears it, it will be good. I want to show it that it will not stop you from doing something that is safe and good for you, like seeing the world.