Destination guides

Almaty

Kazakhstan

Almaty, Kazakhstan's largest city, sits against the Tian Shan mountains in a Muslim-majority country, so much of the food is halal, mosques are plentiful (including the Almaty Central Mosque), and prayer is part of daily life. The city has a metro line, buses and an easy ride-hailing scene (Yandex Go and inDrive).

Bangkok

Thailand

Bangkok is comfortable for Muslim travellers. Thailand has an established halal-certification system, a sizeable Thai-Muslim community with mosques across the city, and halal food is easy to find — look for the Thai halal label or Muslim-run eateries. The BTS Skytrain and MRT beat the traffic, and ride-hailing (Grab) is widely used.

Chicago

United States

Chicago has one of the largest and most established Muslim communities in the United States, so halal food is easy to find — from Devon Avenue to the southwest suburbs — and there are many mosques plus prayer/meditation rooms at both airports. The CTA "L" trains and buses, on a single Ventra card, make getting around the city straightforward.

Dubai

United Arab Emirates

Dubai is one of the easiest cities anywhere for a Muslim traveller. The UAE is a Muslim-majority country, so halal food is the norm rather than the exception, mosques and prayer rooms are everywhere (including every mall, metro station and the airport), and prayer times are widely observed. English is universal, and the Metro plus ride-hailing make getting to venues like the Dubai World Trade Centre and Expo City simple.

Istanbul

Türkiye

Istanbul is one of the most comfortable cities in the world for a Muslim traveller. Türkiye is Muslim-majority, so halal food is the norm, the call to prayer sounds across the city, and historic mosques — the Blue Mosque, Süleymaniye, Hagia Sophia — double as living places of worship. Straddling Europe and Asia, the city is served by metro, trams and ferries, all on a single Istanbulkart.

Jakarta

Indonesia

Jakarta is effortless for Muslim travellers — Indonesia is the world's most populous Muslim-majority country, so halal food is the default, mosques and musalla are everywhere (including the vast Istiqlal Mosque), and prayer times structure the day. Traffic is heavy, so plan around the MRT, commuter rail and ride-hailing (Gojek and Grab).

Kuala Lumpur

Malaysia

Kuala Lumpur is one of the easiest cities in the world for a Muslim business traveller. Malaysia is a Muslim-majority country, so halal food is the default rather than the exception, and prayer rooms (surau) are standard in malls, office towers and transport hubs. The main expo venues — the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC) in the city centre and MITEC near Jalan Duta — are both well served by rail and ride-hailing. English is widely spoken, and most hotels provide a qibla marker and a prayer mat on request.

São Paulo

Brazil

São Paulo is home to the largest Arab diaspora in the Americas, and Brazil is one of the world's biggest exporters of halal meat — so halal-certified food is genuinely easy here, alongside Lebanese and Syrian classics like esfiha and kibbeh. The city has historic mosques, including Mesquita Brasil. Traffic is heavy, so lean on the Metrô, CPTM trains and ride-hailing apps.

Singapore

Singapore

Singapore is very welcoming for Muslim travellers thanks to a strong national halal-certification system (MUIS), abundant halal food — including certified hawker stalls — mosques across the island, and prayer rooms in malls and at Changi Airport. The MRT is fast and inexpensive, and English is an official language.

Tokyo

Japan

Tokyo rewards a little planning for Muslim travellers. Japan is not a Muslim-majority country, so halal food is not the default — but it is increasingly available, with halal ramen and curry, Turkish and Middle Eastern restaurants, and the large Tokyo Camii mosque. Prayer rooms exist at the airports and some department stores; carrying a prayer mat helps. The transport network is superb, though cash is still useful.

Toronto

Canada

Toronto is one of the most multicultural cities in the world and home to a large Muslim community, so halal food is easy to find across many neighbourhoods, mosques are plentiful, and there are prayer spaces at Pearson Airport. June is mild and pleasant. The TTC and ride-hailing make getting around straightforward.