One of the best ways to show appreciation to your parents is to take them on an Umrah journey. For many families it is the fulfillment of a spiritual dream as well as a symbol of love, thanks and faith. However, there are other factors to consider when making arrangements for an elderly person’s vacation compared to planning a typical family trip. Before booking travel, their comfort level, health, ability to walk or move around easily, accommodations and daily routines need to be considered in order to ensure they will be able to worship without excessive physical discomfort.
Finding the Right Affordable Umrah Packages for Parents
Affordable Umrah Packages are among the best ways to begin your holy pilgrimage. When booking affordable packages for your family, it’s important to consider everything that is included in the cost of your package, not just the price. The distance from the haram where you will be staying, how flights are arranged, transportation from the airport, visa assistance (if required), as well as any other available support services can have a huge impact on the quality of your trip. It might be worthwhile to pay a little extra for a hotel located closer to the haram if some members of your family struggle with walking.
Our agency at Taibah Travels is happy to assist families in exploring options for traveling together on a budget while being mindful of all of their needs. Carefully comparing all elements of different packages before making a final decision can ensure that you don’t incur unexpected costs.
Assessing Your Parents’ Health Before Travelling
Before booking flight arrangements with your parents, you should book an appointment with a physician. The physician will be able to determine if it is safe for your parents to fly based on their current health issues and/or medications that they are taking. If the physician determines that there may be some risks associated with flying, he/she will provide you with recommendations to minimize those risks. Additionally, the physician will let you know if any additional assistance would be needed by your parents while in route.
Pack a small first aid box with medication and basic first aid supplies along with health papers. Store medicines in their container and always carry prescription when required. Having a medical record, including a list of medical conditions, allergies and emergency contacts on hand is useful too. These can help comfort and assure your parents that you are able to respond safely if they don’t feel well on the trip.
Selecting Comfortable Hotels Near the Haram
Choosing a hotel is something that should be given great consideration when you have elderly relatives traveling with you. The hotel’s accessibility from Masjid Al-Haram in Mecca (Makkah) and Masjid An-Nabawi in Medina (Madina) will need to be considered. While hotels may be less expensive if they are farther from the Haram, this would likely cause exhaustion to travel long distances to the Haram and transfer back and forth to your hotel.
When looking for a hotel look for amenities like wheelchair accessibility, easy entry, comfortability of the bed, cleanliness of bathroom, and efficiency of housekeeping. If your parents find it difficult to walk to the Haram ask about a shuttle service. Comfortable rooms allow parents to get rest while sleeping before praying or other religious functions. Accessibility and ease of getting around are important features; it makes every day routines much easier.
Managing Flights, Transport and Daily Activities
Airport procedures and long trips are very tiring for senior citizens. The first thing you want to do is get your parents on an easy flight with times that work well for them. Try to avoid confusing connections when traveling. If you think they will have trouble getting around the airports (walking) ask the airlines for wheelchair service. It is better to confirm this ahead of time instead of on travel days.
Budgeting Without Compromising Your Parents’ Comfort
Planning a real budget requires much more than just looking at price comparisons of flights and hotels. Your family will need to consider other factors as well such as, food while traveling, transportation around the area you are staying, travel insurance (if needed), medicine and/or medical supplies, and general everyday living expense. Having an extra bit of cash available during your trip will also help reduce stress when plans do change.
Just because you plan on having an affordable vacation it doesn’t have to be the least expensive one. Affordable is about how smartly you choose to spend your money on what matters most. While a convenient place to stay, reliable way to get to where you want to go and a good support system might be worth more than excessive luxury. Talk to your travel agent about your needs and ask them to break down everything included in their quote prior to making a reservation.
Choosing Affordable Umrah Packages with Reliable Support
When considering affordable umrah packages for your family, it is very important that you pay attention to the level of service you will receive from beginning to end. As elderly people traveling for hajj and umrah are likely to require a lot more help than younger travelers when dealing with aspects of airport formalities checking into hotels, moving around and getting familiarized with the arrangement of the holy cities, being able to communicate clearly and efficiently with the tour operator can significantly reduce the burden associated with managing all of those obligations.
Inquire as to whether there has been any work done on visa processing, accommodation confirmation, flight information, transport arrangements, cancellations policies and what type of service options are available if customers encounter issues. Don’t solely depend upon the visually appealing advertisement, or oral promise. Ask for documentation, and confirm the services prior to sending money.
Conclusion
To plan an Umrah that will meet your parent’s needs for travel requires all the patience you have, planning and a true desire to provide them with comfort during travel. Each element in travel (e.g., medical consultation prior to traveling, accommodations that are good for them, transportation that is easy and convenient, a schedule for each day of their trip) will assist in providing them with a better travel experience.
The ultimate goal is to get your parents from point A to B, and to allow them to experience this once-in-a-lifetime event with as little stress or anxiety as possible. By carefully establishing budgets that include all costs associated with your parents’ trip and making certain that they have reliable means of getting around while on their trip, along with other forms of assistance, you can create a lasting memory for your parents for what will be their first and hopefully last spiritual journey.