No Muslim's life is considered complete without a trip to Makkah and Madina – the two holiest sites in Islam. For those who live in Saudi Arabia, the journey to these revered places is like travel to any other place for tourism or pleasure. The only difference is that it is for spiritual fulfillment and religious duty. There are places to see, new cuisines to try out and most important of all worship to perform. On our family's recent trip to Makkah and Madina, we had the nagging thought at the back of our minds that this might be our last trip. We might well be moving out of the country, and we would not have the chance to visit these places any time we would like. Many people who live here take trips to the holy cities for granted, but it can be an expensive, tough task for those who live in different parts of the world and who yearn to come and pray at these two holy sites. That is not to say that it is very easy for those living in the cities of Saudi Arabia, excluding Jeddah of course. It requires planning and preparation just like any form of travel. Saudi Arabian Airlines, Sama and Nas fly to Madina and Jeddah, from which Makkah is roughly 90 km by road. Booking and purchasing flight tickets in advance especially for travel in Ramadan to the holy cities is highly recommended as flights tend to get fully booked and also very expensive. Many people also prefer taking buses which have scheduled Makkah/Madina tours which can be fairly easy on the pocket and not very arduous, especially if one is traveling alone and can sleep through the night on the bus. One should remember to carry a neck pillow with him/her – it can be quite a lifesaver. Driving your own car can be fun, especially when two or three families travel together, either in one car or one following the other. Many Saudi and expatriate families prefer to travel this way because they can stop where they like and enjoy themselves. However, given the high number of highway accidents in Saudi Arabia, one might want to reconsider the decision to drive or at least be very careful to get a good night's rest before hitting the road. Hotels in Makkah and Madina are becoming more comfortable, service-oriented and of better quality, and booking over the phone or through a travel agent can make things easier. There is also the option of arriving without a reservation and looking for a hotel, but this can be a tiring and exhausting process. Carrying a map of the two Harams and surrounding areas can prevent travelers from getting lost in the maze of people, under-construction buildings, and roadside vendors. The best piece of advice anybody can give is to enter the mosques well before prayer time. The crowd is enormous and finding a place inside the mosque can be quite a task, with people unwilling to squeeze into places in order to give you space. Another warning: Ladies, do not take a mobile phone with a camera or you will not be allowed inside the Prophet's Mosque. There are various eating places scattered around in the vicinity of the mosques in both cities. It can be difficult to find healthy food for kids to eat, and sometimes you have to survive on shawarmas. The hotels you stay in also have restaurants and are worth checking. On your visit to Makkah and Madina you will come across people from all over the world, and of course another bonus that you will not find elsewhere is the fulfillment of religious duty and the Bounty of Allah. __
