Based on few experiences visiting the Holy Lands for Umra, Hajj in 2012 was one of my best experiences. Hajj is one with the crowd,super massive crowds, but it was when I experienced how peaceful solo travel among the crowd was.
I went with my late mum, but since she was not in good health, I basically wondered around Mecca alone. Not to say, I needed to take bus twice to go from our Maktab to Haram. Sometimes I needed to walk since the bus was full. Looking back, I realized how crazy was that. The best moment of life most of the time not the happiest one, but the hardest one.
Three times here, I had quite few experiences of any kind of Umrah. Ramadan, Private, one with really great service staying in the best hotels, and the government service.
I realized that I only enjoyed the time inside the mosque, the session of sitting and staring in front of Kabah, groceries in Bin Dawood, and bookstore hopping in Hilton. I didn’t really enjoy following the schedules set with so many people, going here and there. I don’t really like small talk which most people love. I don’t like uniforms. I don’t like people telling me what to do and what to wear, unless it’s mandatory.
At that time, the internet wasn’t like it is today. Only Yahoo Messenger and sms worked. Close to no distractions like what we have today.
After COVID-19, Umrah has changed a lot. Now, we can arrange our trips according to our preferences and pace.
After registering for Hajj together three years ago, the desire for Umroh grew. Umrah is part of the family long term plan. Since many years ago, the when is well-described but the exact time is a total mystery.
In spite of the uncertainty, For the past two years, I have sent inquiries to countless travel providers, sending them my terms and conditions and itineraries, and close to none have returned the message. It’s uncommon, but it’s doable if someone is willing to help.
Sometimes, I wondered whether we should just sign up for services that offered the best value and were closer to what I wanted. This is what happens if you have goals without a clear time frame. You even confuse with your own plan.
What I am certain, I want to arrange it personally. Our travelling habits over the past nine years have also influenced our decisions.
Four significant things that I wanted to decide on my own were:
- Time
- Duration
- The flights
- The Hotels
On the other hands, I want to outsource few things for which I lack the capacity, little knowledge and capabilities to handle independently.
This is Langit Senja’s first Umra experience and her father and I return after 13 and 22 years. There must be a lot that we don’t understand. No matter how much I read, with few experiences, we need proper guidance from a knowledgeable person to perform the Umrah based on Sunnah and Syariah.
I also don’t want to deal with handling and transportation during the stay.
It was a long, on-and-off search with no result until the green light appeared last year once we set the exact dates we planned to go.
Finally, one service gave me exact numbers for my travel conditions. It was precisely the kind of service I was looking for. They let the customers customise everything, and they will chip in to provide what we need. For our kind of trip, we pay for what they call LAND ARRANGEMENT (LA).
What’s included on the service it depends on the travel or the customers and price will follow. Certain travels have already specific package so you just have to choose.
This kind of umrah is what we call semi-mandiri. We have heard many Mandiri ones, but this one combines Mandiri and private ones.
My experience arranging this trip made me understand why going with a travel service is sensible and more convenient, especially for a first-timer. It’s risky if one does it without proper knowledge and experience and doesn’t have the time and energy to do all the thinking and searching.
Since I am moderately jobless with a certain level of experience, so let’s just try this. Alhamdulillah the doctor has been really supportive (or permissive?) to let me entertain any of my ideas. He’s the best for that.
Only two possibilities for trying new things: winning or learning.
Much of the content about Umrah Mandiri is solely focused on the spill budget and low cost. But, based on what I have been through, there are many things beyond the amount of money paid that cost you other (more important) things than money that we should consider. Umroh is significantly different from any other trips I have ever planned in many aspects.
Umroh Mandiri is not necessarily cheaper, but we only pay what we want to spend, be it money or other intangible costs. We all must wish for the best services with the best price we are willing to pay for such travel conditions.
While arranging the trip, I learned a lot about Umrah 101, what makes the process different, which kind of service is worth trusting your Umrah experience with, what the most significant cost of Umrah is, and how we can customise the trip according to personal and general preferences.
This is when things get complicated. Endlessly torn between “not because you can, then you should” or “What are your priorities, girl?”.
But the good side is that now everyone can go (very similar to the tagline of an LCC, which will take you to Madinah with the price of the current minimum basic income). The options are widely available, and it’s doable.
Other than that, Umrah, like any other ritual, should be done with proper knowledge and understanding. So, arranging a manasik mandiri is also part of my plan. We have been doing it three times since last December and have provided some books for the little girl.
Ultimately, whatever means we use to visit Baitullah is not as crucial as our true intention. For me, more than sticking to the budget set, this is the hardest one to keep on track.
This writing saved way before the departure, not knowing how the trip would turn out.
Safar has always been a platform to test your level of tawakal.
A Penny for My Pensieve 