Our DIY Umrah Experience P16 | Returning On Hop Off Tour Bus, Going To Tuuu...Dia Pak Tam Afterwards

After dhuzur prayer at Masjid Quba, we hopped on the Hop-On Hop-Off bus to the return to our Dar Al Iman hotel near Masjid Nabawi to freshen up before going to the famous newly opened Tuuu...Dia Pak Tam Malaysian Restaurant in Madinah. This is Part 16 of "Our DIY Umrah Experience Vlog series". In this video, we provide both the audio and visual explanations of the City Sightseeing tour bus in greater details we mentioned in Part 14. Of course Episode 15 was about Quba Mosque.

Not to be a spoiler but at the popular Pak Tam Restaurant during lunch later, we bumped onto a famous Malaysia celebrity couple - Heliza Helmi, her husband Dato' Seri Mahadi BZ and their family, who were performing umrah about the same with us and also staying at the same hotel.

Ziyārah or Ziyarat is an Arabic term which literally means “visit” and is used to refer to visits to sites associated with Muhammed (SAW). There are many ways tourists and visitors can ziyara (h) important landmarks, holy places, historical sites and main attractions in Madinah. One of the best ways for first-timers would be to get on the Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour. The ticket costs SAR80 riyal per person and it's good for 24 hours allowing you to explore the town at your own pace and at your leisure, especially if you are novice DIY'ers or first-timers here.

it is a great way to learn about Madinah. The elegant red double-decker buses will transport you along two routes with strategically placed stops in this metropolis. You can purchase the ticket online or at the booth location near the main entrance.

Schedule
Green & Red Route:
Schedule: 5:00am - 2:00pm and then 4:00pm - 12:00am (midnight).
Loop: 60 Minutes
Frequency: 30 Minutes

Audio Guide in 16 languages (English, Spanish, French, German, Chinese, Russian, Arabic, Farsi, Hindi, Turkish, Malaysian (Bahasa Melayu), Indonesian, Kids Commentary, Persian, Urdu, Filipino). Complimentary headphones & free Wi-Fi available.

List of stops:
1. Al Masjid An Nabawi
2. Al- Baqi Cemetary
3. Al Manakha Square
4. As Salam Gate
5. Uhud Battlefield
6. Al Noor Mall
7. Abu Baker Al Saddiq Road "Sultanah"
8. Al Qiblatain Mosque
9. The Trench Batlefield
10. Quba Mosque
11. Hejaz Railway Museum
12. Quba Square

Verdicts & Tips:

Try to find seats inside and not outside where it will be extremely noisy and loud. You won't be able to hear or have a conversation with the person next to you due to engine and/or AC noise. It could get very hot during the summer and sometimes quite windy.

Try not to buy on Thursday like we did because of the Friday prayer, or get on it very early in the morning. The bus doesn't always run on a schedule. There was not specific place to wait at Masjid Quba and we waited for more than 30 minutes even though the frequency is supposed to be every 1/2 hour. When we come back to Madinah in the future, we will be using Uber/Careem for our visitations, cheap and reliable. Taxis are hard to find at sites and other mosques such as Qiblatain or Quba. Drivers understand English but not enough to carry meaningful conversation.

Contextual Background: Documenting our spiritual retreat journey from USA to Madinah & Makkah. This is our first-time trip to the holy cities and we're braving ourselves to do it via a DIY (do-it-yourself) method. Just the two of us, without travel agent or tour group packages, as a married couple - a husband & wife team. So we're novice and amateurs.

Our videos were meant as vlogs for friends and family, but hopefully my umrah experience can also be useful to larger audiences on how to best prepare their journey. Although not "The Ultimate Guide" or tutorial on how to perform DIY Umrah blogs, our contents should have some tips and useful guides on planning, must-have items to bring, essentials or packing list and tips, places to visit, best hotels in near both great mosques etc.

Watch the playlist here: https://studio.youtube.com/playlist/P...

Performing Umrah is a dream of all Muslims. In 2019, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia launched Tourist E-Visa program for citizens of over 63 countries including the West such as United States, UK, Europe and Australia. India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Singapore, Brunei & Turkey added in 2023. The eVisa will be a one-year, multiple entry -- allowing up to 90 days stay for umroh & other tourism activities such as leisure, events, family & relatives.

What is Umrah DIY? It is a new & easy way to perform Umrah without a licensed agent. It allows pilgrims flexibility to plan & book their trips independently thus saving lots of money. Careful planning, preparation, research & efforts are still required, however. Learning basic Arabic language is also useful.

In Malaysia, the concept is popular as “backpacker”(sendiri tanpa ejen), while in Indonesia it is known as “umro mandiri".

Recording Date: February 8, 2024
Published By: Malay-USA Youtube Channel
Video URL:    • Our DIY Umrah Experience P16 | Returning O...