What It’s Like to Travel As a Muslim Woman in a Hijab

For Travel + Leisure’s column Traveling As, we’re talking to travelers about what it’s like to explore the world through their unique perspectives. We chatted with Nazma Begum, who documents her adventures traveling with her husband and toddler on YouTube as HanaExplores, about what it’s like to see the world while wearing a hijab. Here’s her story… 

For the last 10 years, I’ve been a hijabi, wearing what people call a scarf or hijab. I do it for religious reasons as I was born into Islamic faith as a Muslim. It has become part of my daily routine. Nobody forced me to do this—it’s something I understood going in. Wearing a hijab is a big commitment, so you shouldn’t look down on someone if they don’t. Some of my family members do, some don’t. 

I made the decision during the month of Ramadan, when we don’t eat or drink from sunrise to sunset. It’s a holy time that acts like a reset for Muslims around the world. That year, I thought, I cover up for prayers, so why can’t I do it all the time? I’m quite comfortable wearing a hijab now. There are many different styles, even silk and other fancy materials. I enjoy styling it as well.

Growing up, my parents didn’t have the mentality of traveling much. I was born in Bangladesh, and my parents migrated to Singapore when I was about 6 years old. We’d take road trips to Malaysia and visit our hometown in Bangladesh. Whether it was cultural or them being protective, my family wasn’t open to having a girl travel by herself or with her friends. But as soon as I graduated from university, I got married and my husband and I started traveling. 

Our first big trip was to South Korea—we wanted to experience snow. Unfortunately, we didn’t see any, but I fell in love with traveling. I also love outdoor activities, like hiking and camping.  You’re going to get sweaty when you’re hiking in a hijab, but it’s doable. Once you reach the top and the wind is blowing, it feels amazing. 

I have a 2-year-old daughter now and I took her on her first flight to Singapore from Vancouver, where my husband and I moved in 2019, when she was just 7 weeks old. We have one-year maternity leave here in Canada, so I used that to the fullest. She was surprisingly good on the flight and impressed me. I was breastfeeding and somehow just knew how to soothe her when she was crying.

When she was about 4 months old, we went to Japan in the fall to see the colors. It was beautiful. We visited Kyoto, Osaka, and the Japanese Alps. My daughter is not going to remember a thing, but I’m going to remember all of this.

Another of my favorite places is Hawaii. I try to go every year. I can’t swim, but I love to hang out by the beach. I also like snorkeling, and in Hawaii, the fishes come right up to the beach, so you don’t have to go deep. But I make sure I’m still covered while enjoying myself. I wear what’s called a burkini—it’s like leggings and a long suit made of swimsuit material, and it covers your hair. If I need to change and there’s no washroom, I have this pop-up tent where I can go in and change. My family and I are used to these challenges.

My husband and I try and pack in a lot when traveling. We go from sunrise to sunset, and we’re adventurous. It’s changed a bit with my daughter, but I enjoy traveling with her. Last year, we went to Oahu, and this year, we went to the Big Island, which is great for kids, especially toddlers. They love to play in the sand, then they get tired and it’s nap time, so they sleep in the car. When they wake up, they’re at another beach. 

We’ve had so many adventures. In the Italian Dolomites, my in-laws joined us and we rented a boat on a lake. The weather was so calm, but when we were in the middle of the lake, it changed and got so rocky—we had to be rescued. 

I think my daughter actually remembers these adventures. She says she remembers when Grandpa and Baba rowed the boat. She also remembers playing at the beach in the sand. I know a lot of parents don’t want to travel after they have kids. Trust me, changing a diaper in a different location is better. You don’t have to think about daily mundane tasks like laundry, changing sheets, and cooking. Plus, there’s a better view.

When we were in a small Italian town, it felt like everybody was looking at me. I don’t think they were being rude; maybe they just hadn’t seen a tourist with a hijab. I do attract a lot of attention. I know it’s difficult for some people who get stares and comments like, “Go back to where you came from.”  Luckily, I haven’t really been in any unpleasant situations. 

I’ve had some issues at the border going into the U.S. from Canada, which can be a little unpleasant. Maybe it’s because of my Singaporean passport. It has been easier in places like Italy and Switzerland, where they have so many tourists from all over and see a lot of different people with different clothing. But in smaller places, like Jeju Island in South Korea, they stare because they’re curious.  

There are pleasant experiences, too. One time, I was in Vietnam and because of the hijab, they immediately knew I was Muslim, and said, “Salaam,” the Muslim greeting. Also, anytime I see any hijabis, we always smile at each other and give that silent greeting. 

The other challenge of travel is that it can be difficult to find halal food. Pork is not halal, and chicken, lamb, or beef need to be slaughtered in the Islamic manner. We also don’t consume any alcohol, so we have to check the ingredients. For instance, in Japan, sometimes the sushi rice has sake in it. We use an app to see if food is halal.

We always try to do our research beforehand, but it can be difficult with itineraries. For example, you might be traveling south, but the halal place is in the north. You don’t want to miss out on places just because you need to eat. That said, there are more places recognizing the fact that we, Muslim people, need to eat halal food. I can also always choose vegetarian pasta or tofu bowls. There’s always a way. Traveling doesn’t need to stop.

The idea of seeing so many different places makes me want to travel as much as I can. I want to show my daughter that traveling is easy and flexible, if you work your way around the challenges.

She’s already adapted so much in two years. I go camping, boating, and snorkeling with her. There are moments she’s scared, but I tell her, “I’m right beside you. There’s nothing to be afraid of.”

I’m not going to force her to wear a hijab. It will be good if she wears it. I’d like to show her it’s not going to stop you from doing anything that’s safe and good for you, like seeing the world.