Viator Viator Travel Blog

Editor’s note: The Muslim holy month of Ramadan (which began September 2) puts many people off travelling to the Middle East during the period, but travel writer and Dubai resident of 10 years Lara Dunston thinks it’s a fabulous time to visit. Here’s why.

Travel in the Middle East during Ramadan? You bet.

Ramadan #1: It’s all about the moon!

What’s not to love about a festival that only begins once the moon has been sighted? While astronomers can accurately confirm when the new crescent moon will be visible, Muslims prefer to be guided by the Moonsighting Committee. The Committee predicts when and where the crescent will be sighted, however, the holy month of Ramadan only begins once the new moon has been spotted by the naked eye. On the downside, this means the region’s governments won’t commit to the official start of Ramadan until just before it begins, and likewise won’t commit to its end (see #9). These dates are hotly debated among expats planning a mini-vacation at the end of Ramadan. Flights are booked left right and centre and once the date is announced everyone does a mad dash to embassies to collect visas and to travel agents to pick up tickets. Others wait and make last-minute decisions. The forced spontaneity is kind of exciting. I have lots of memories of picking up passports on the way to the airport!

Ramadan #2: Lazy days

For Muslims, Ramadan is about separating the physical from the spiritual so they can focus on the soul and on prayer. Ramadan requires Muslims to fast during daylight hours, although they also abstain from smoking, drinking and ‘intimacy’ (not even kissing!). Because everyone is lethargic and lacking the energy and skills of concentration to perform their work properly, for the Ramadan month working hours are shorter. As non-Muslims also shouldn’t eat, drink, smoke (or kiss) in public as a sign of respect (it’s illegal in some Muslim countries), they’re also feeling weary. Therefore, everyone gets to finish work early. In the United Arab Emirates and Dubai, for instance, we’d head home around 2pm. Small businesses, schools, universities, government offices, and many shops (excluding malls) close. The pace of life slows down and the cities have a more languid feel more akin to the Caribbean than the usually chaotic tempo of Cairo, Beirut and Dubai. For travellers, it’s a good excuse to take it easy too. Relax by the pool, beach or at the spa. Enjoy the languorous vibe while you can.

Ramadan #3: Silent streets

The cacophony of noise you’d normally expect of cities in the Middle East subsides with Ramadan – at least during the day. Apart from that early afternoon period when everyone is rushing home from work to take a nap before they wake to break their fast. Then, you’d be wise to stay off the roads when people’s driving is at its worst. (And that’s saying something!) For the rest of the day and particularly in the late afternoon before Iftar (see #7), the streets are silent and empty. It’s sublime. It’s always been our favourite time to take a saunter around the city. You can walk on the pavements without bumping into people or on the roads without risk of getting run over, and leisurely take in the architecture and buildings, and notice things you’d never paid attention to before. We love wandering the backstreets, exploring residential neighbourhoods we haven’t ventured into before, peeking into people’s homes and buildings, and stealing a look at their preparations for Iftar. You should do the same!

Ramadan #4: The call to prayer sounds better

Ramadan at Dubai's Jumeirah Mosque

The melodic call to prayer becomes a familiar sound in the Middle East. Muslims pray five times a day, and while they can pray anywhere they like, women prefer to pray in the privacy of their home or workplace, while men usually head to the mosque. The muezzin sings the call to prayer from the mosque, and it’s generally broadcast from tinny loudspeakers fixed to the mosque’s minarets. In the old days, before such state-of-the-art technology, the muezzin would climb to the tiny balconies at the top of the minarets and sing the call to prayer as loudly as he could, telling people to come and pray. Mosques are never far away in the Middle East.

There are usually a few in each neighbourhood, and in Dubai it’s said that you’re never more than 500 metres from a mosque. If you live in the Middle East for any length of time you come to either love or hate the call to prayer. I become melancholy and miss it after being away from Dubai for a couple of months. I don’t know why it sounds better during Ramadan. Is the muezzin trying harder because it’s such a special month? Is it because of the empty streets that it reverberates more loudly and with more clarity? Or are we simply more conscious of it?

Ramadan #5: Lively nights

By contrast to the somnolent days, Ramadan nights are spirited. After everyone breaks their fast at Iftar (see #7), the streets really come alive. Whole cities are on the move. People pile into their cars to go visit family and friends, particularly those they haven’t seen in a while. They’ll feast as they sit together and chat and enjoy each other’s company, and they’ll also spend some quality time around the television together (see #6). They’ll go out shopping to buy food to prepare for Iftar the following night or to take to the homes of friends and family, and they’ll head to the parks (particularly if Ramadan occurs during the cooler months) to spend the night enjoying barbecues, picnics, and games with their friends.

Hotels hold Iftar buffets and set up special Ramadan tents (often overlooking the beach) where people can smoke aromatic sheesha and listen to an oud player playing the lovely lute-like instrument. Only traditional music is allowed during Ramadan – nightclubs are closed and DJs, dance parties and live gigs are forbidden – but nobody seems to mind. Indeed some people go out more often during Ramadan to take advantage of the opportunities to hear traditional live music. Nights are long, with many places staying open until 3am.

Ramadan #6: A good excuse to watch TV

Remember the good old days before the Internet, Google, Facebook, e-Bay and Twitter? When families and friends used to sit around the television and bond as they watched programs together? Well, Ramadan is all about a return to such good old-fashioned fun! It’s a high-ratings period for television in the Middle East. All of the best Arabic-language shows premiere in the region and some series are made especially for viewing during the period.

The programming – from hilarious melodramatic serials to riveting games shows and intense talk shows – is very family-oriented with traditional themes to remind Muslims of important Islamic values such as charity, compassion and tolerance. The shows are highly addictive so you can’t resist sitting down to watch, even if you don’t understand the language. One program that’s proved incredibly popular across the Middle East, is the charming animation “Freej,” developed by young Dubai local Mohammed Saeed Harib. It’s about four Emirati grandmas who live in a typical old neighbourhood who sit around solving the city’s problems over a cup of coffee and gossip. It’s absolutely delightful and is must-viewing!

Ramadan #7: Iftar

Iftar is the main meal of the day after the break of the fast. Walk by a mosque and you’ll find scores of expat workers enjoying a communal meal together with mountains of food spread across plastic tablecloths on the ground. If you’re strolling the streets, you’ll smell the mouthwatering aromas first. (As Ramadan is a time of giving, their banquet was probably donated by the local Sheikh, neighbouring families or a charity.) Emirati families eat their traditional Iftar at home or at the homes of family members. Families in this part of the world are huge – many of my friends have up to 10 siblings! So if you’re invited to the home of a local for Iftar, don’t refuse – you will appreciate the term ‘Arab hospitality’ and it will be a memorable experience. Many Arab expats (Muslim and non-Muslims) like to head out for a lavish hotel Iftar. Some make a ritual of it, trying a different hotel buffet every night.

If you’re in the region for Ramadan you should do the same. While some are simple affairs, others are extravagant with platters piled high with Arabic mezzes and salads, soups, hot breads, live cooking stations serving mixed grilled meats and shwarma, and trays of Arabic sweets. At hotels in the UAE, there is almost always a tented area by the beach, strewn with cushions and carpets where you can have sheesha while you play traditional games and listen to oud music. The all-you-can-eat buffets cost between US$15-40 per person. Because there’s such a large multicultural population in the UAE, and so many restaurants, you can choose from Lebanese, Moroccan, Egyptian, Persian and Indian-themed buffets.

Ramadan #8: Succulent dates & traditional sweets

Ramadan at the UAE's Sharjah Mosque

Muslims tend to break their fast with dates and milk and then pray before settling down for Iftar, a tradition that dates back to the Prophet Mohammad who broke his fast with this humble meal before prayer. Platters of delicious dates are always present at Iftar buffets and on coffee tables at people’s homes during Ramadan. The Emirati owner of our apartment building would send enormous boxes of beautifully wrapped dates to the residents with a festive card wishing us all ‘Ramadan Kareem’ (‘kareem’ means generous).

Traditional Arabic sweets also make an appearance during Ramadan, such as the tasty katayef, a deep-fried pancake stuffed with ricotta or cream and crushed walnuts, served with a sweet lemon and rosewater syrup, and kunafeh, a shredded pastry with a vermicelli like texture made with soft white cheese, walnuts, almonds, cinnamon, and a sweet sugar syrup. The sweet pastries are a great way to get that much-needed energy kick. Any excuse!

Ramadan #9: It ends with a holiday!

Eid Al Fitr is a holiday that celebrates the end of fasting, marking the end of Ramadan and the start of the next month on the Islamic calendar, Shawwal. Once again, we wait for the Moonsighting Committee to announce the dates, or if we’re planning on going away for a holiday, we trust friends who consistently get the guessing game right. For Muslims, the three-day long Eid begins with prayers, visits to family to exchange gifts, especially for kids. Because Ramadan is about being charitable, many make donations to the poor and take gifts to the local charity or mosque.

While the Eid is three days long, the holiday could be longer if it adjoins a weekend or is mid-week and the government generously decides to grant the days in between. (They know everyone will phone in sick if they don’t). Travellers to the Middle East during Eid should explore residential neighbourhoods to take in the festive spirit, then head to the local mall or cinema in the evening. The malls buzz with locals, providing great people-watching opportunities. All the kids are out spending their gifts (many get cash these days) and the cinemas are packed with locals. Eid is the busiest time of the year for regional cinemas, much like the post-Christmas period in the West, and a trip to the movies is another memorable experience, especially in Dubai!

Finally, some Ramadan travel tips to smooth your way:

• Don’t eat, drink or smoke in public. It’s illegal in many Middle East countries – even in your car. Those exempt include children, pregnant women, the sick and elderly. If you need to drink water, pop into the nearest rest room. Hotels will also dedicate a restaurant for non-Muslims with a private area that is curtained off from the public for meals during the day. Other restaurants are business-as-usual at night.
• Dress more conservatively when travelling during the Middle East in Ramadan – no matter how hot it is cover your shoulders, upper arms, décolletage, and legs – loose long cottons and linens are best.
• Ramadan is a period of prayer and reflection, so while most bars remain open for non-Muslims, loud/live music is forbidden. It’s also not allowed in the car or home, so keep the radio and MTV down in your hotel room, too.
• Don’t travel within the Middle East during the Eid, especially in Morocco and Egypt when it can be hard to get a seat on a train.

-Lara Dunston