Trip to Saudi Arabia
- Narrative text (for English Subject)

My name is Almira. I want to share one of the most memorable experiences in my life. Last year, my family and I went to Saudi Arabia to perform Umrah and spend our vacation together. I went with my parents, grandparents, sisters, and cousins. It was our first trip for Umrah in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, and we used an Umrah travel guide.
After a few hours on the plane, we finally arrived at the airport in Medina, which was our first destination. We went straight to the hotel to rest. Luckily, I had worn warm clothes because the air was quite cold at that time. After resting, we walked to the Nabawi Mosque, which was not far from the hotel. When I saw the mosque for the first time, I felt amazed and grateful. I prayed there and felt deep peace in my heart.

During our stay in Medina, we visited several historical places such as the Quba Mosque, Mount Uhud, and other beautiful buildings. I was amazed by their history and beauty. One day, my father said, “Let’s try the famous Albaik fast food before we leave Medina,” and we did—it was delicious!
After four days in Medina, we continued our trip to Mecca by train. The trip took about five hours. We enjoyed the scenery and had snacks on the way. In the evening, we saw the beautiful view of Mecca from the window, and finally, we arrived at night.
When we arrived in Mecca, we faced a small challenge—the city was very crowded, and it was difficult to move around. My mother said, “Stay close together so we don’t get lost.” Despite the crowd, we managed to reach our hotel safely and prepared for Umrah.

The next day, we performed Umrah. My family and I walked around the Kaaba seven times. However, during our walk between the hills of Safa and Marwah, a problem occurred. My younger sister suddenly felt dizzy because of the heat and the large crowd. We were all worried, so my father quickly found a place for her to sit and gave her some water. My mother said gently, “Take a rest first, dear. We can continue later.”
After resting for a few minutes, she felt better, and we continued our Sa’i together. Although it was tiring, we were very thankful that she recovered quickly. Finally, we completed our Umrah by doing Tahalul—cutting a small part of our hair as a sign of completion.

Later, we visited the Kaaba again to pray and also went to Jabal Rahmah, the tomb of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), and the homes of several of his companions. Even though there was a small problem, everything went well in the end, and we were full of gratitude.

That trip taught me the importance of faith, patience, and togetherness. I learned that even when problems happen, we can overcome them with calmness, care, and prayer. Traveling with family while worshipping together strengthened our bond and deepened our love for Allah. I will never forget that beautiful and meaningful journey.