Travel open you up to incredible adventures and life experiences far beyond anything else in the world. Add to that mix, travel or exposure to areas that might be different from home in every sense of the word, and adventure takes a whole new meaning. But to get the best out of anything, let go of bias and keep an open mind to everything that is thrown your way – people, food, culture and lifestyle.
Rehnuma Choudhury shares some personal experiences and pleasant surprises she encountered while visiting and traveling through the Muslim World. Our friend Yulia Denisyuk, a guest from season 01 shared these amazing photos from her adventures in Jordan and Turkey.
From Rehnuma,
The Muslim world covers a vast area of the world, with the landscapes and histories of each country as varied as the colors and languages of people that inhabit them. As a Muslim, it’s almost on a daily basis I hear some kind of misconceptions around life in Muslim countries or life as a Muslim in the West. But despite what we see and hear, there are few hard and fast rules on traveling in Muslim countries.
The Muslim countries of the world are often seen as a homogenous group with similar norms. However, there’s much variation even across countries that share borders, and often within different regions of the same country.
From growing up hearing so much about regional variety in customs and culture in my parents native Bangladesh, I knew I couldn’t assume other countries were similar to each other. So I proceeded to brush up on the cultural fundamentals of each Asian and Middle Eastern country before my travels.
But even armed with what I thought was plenty of information, I found things that surprised me every day.
#1 People will constantly try to feed you
Whether you’re in India, Iran or Indonesia, if you’re out and interacting with the locals then expect to get given food or offered food on the daily.
While it can be said that no two Muslim countries are the same; one thing that holds true wherever you find yourself is that Muslims love having guests. Centuries-old traditions of honouring guests means you’ll often find people you’ve only known for 10 minutes inviting you into their home to have a meal with their family.
When I travelled to Bangladesh, it wasn’t uncommon to end up eating at a different person’s house every evening. One piece of advice: go with an empty stomach as you will be given seconds. And thirds. And more.
#2 The Middle East is generally quite safe
One of the biggest concerns I hear about travelling in Muslim countries, and especially the Middle East, is about safety. While it’s worth getting tailored safety advice for each country you visit, relative political stability and rising economic power mean that countries like Kuwait, Oman, Jordan, and the UAE are mostly safe and welcoming places for tourists and expats to visit.
While Dubai and Abu Dhabi are world-class luxury and entertainment hotspots, Jordan, Lebanon and Kuwait are equally cosmopolitan with plenty of tourism and hundreds of ancient sites to visit. Oman, only recently having opened itself up to tourism, also remains one of the safest places in the Middle East with an extremely low crime rate, stunning coastline, warm people, and vibrant culture.
#3 You can have a drink – responsibly
A lesser known fact about the Muslim world is that alcohol isn’t banned everywhere. While sobriety is the norm in most Muslim countries, different countries have different rules on drinking.
In some places like Dubai, there are specific areas where drinking alcohol is allowed. Drinking alcohol is also allowed in Egypt, Palestine, Jordan and Lebanon. Beirut, Lebanon is known for its buzzing nightlife, and attracts people from all over the world with its clubs and bars that regularly feature appearances by famous DJs from around the globe.
#4 Western culture is surprisingly prevalent
Many people that I speak to who have visited a Muslim country are surprised to see that some of the restaurant chains, TV and brands they know from back home just as popular in Muslim countries all the way across the world. But while many pillars of Western consumer culture have managed to make it over to the Muslim world, they’re not always necessarily experienced in the way that we know them over here. 
For example, while McDonalds in the UK where I live is seen as a casual fast food chain where big groups of teens hang out, in Marrakech, Morocco, we discovered a trip to the local McDonalds meant a buzzing family friendly atmosphere where people dress up to spend an evening with their families.
#5 Talking to the opposite gender mindfully can be a great way to get to know people
One of the biggest misconceptions about the Muslim world is that you ‘can’t’ speak to the opposite gender or you ‘can’t’ approach someone of the opposite gender.
The truth is that people in Muslim countries have friends of the opposite gender just like the rest of the world; but the rules of engagement are different. It’s true that showing affection through physical touch like hugs etc in normal conversation between the sexes isn’t the done thing. But that doesn’t stop people enjoying rich and close friendships with the opposite gender.
Even in Saudi Arabia, I never had issues speaking to someone of the opposite sex whether to ask for directions, or even just to make conversation with someone I’ve been introduced to. I’d regularly see women in shops with their faces covered haggling with male shop assistants fiercely for discounts. If in doubt on how to act, keep interactions business-like and you should be fine.
In summary, these are just a few of the things that surprised me. While the Muslim world continues to attract more and more tourists, experiencing the many cultures and traditions found across the Muslim world allowed me to open my eyes to the reality of life there.
Have you visited a Muslim country? Let us know anything that pleasantly surprised you or something that you were not expecting.
Yulia routinely takes traveler to places like Jordan and Lebanon through her travel company, Nomad+Jules, to get first hand insight in the people and cultures of the region and gain first hand insight into people and cultures of the middle east and shared a few images from her adventures in the Middle East.
{Words by Rehnuma Choudhury; Instagram: the.conscious.copywriter and Photos by Yulia Denisyuk, Website: Nomad + Jules, Instagram: @insearchofperfect}
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