travel writing meaning in arabic

The Most Essential Arabic Travel Phrases

Isn’t it exciting to imagine?

The crashing surf of a Moroccan beach or the tall and rugged mountains of Jordan . The streetside bazaars in Cairo or the resorts in Dubai .

And you’re there. Speaking in Arabic.

Or rather, that’s the plan, right?

You’re still working on it. And that’s okay. Arabic is a long, long journey for anybody.

Speaking of journeys, there are a couple of Arabic travel phrases that tourists need to learn in the local language, no matter where they go. In this article, I’ll outline some of the most useful travel phrases in Arabic for any traveler, tourist, or expat in an Arabic-speaking country. Let’s get started.

Table of Contents

• Using Modern Standard Arabic vs. Using Dialects
• The Most Essential Arabic Vocabulary and Phrases for Your Travel Needs
• Conclusion: ArabicPod101 is Your Guide to Arabic Mastery

1. Using Modern Standard Arabic vs. Using Dialects

Before you learn Arabic travel phrases, we need to go over the topic of MSA vs. dialects.

When it comes to Arabic words and phrases for travellers, this is a perpetual debate among Arabic learners.

Is it better to start with MSA or with a dialect? What if you’re planning to visit more than one country? What if you’re hanging out in a cafe in Egypt, and suddenly your friend from Iraq and his roommate from Morocco come in? What do you speak?

The position of this article is: Start with MSA . In terms of Arabic travel phrases for beginners, this is the best place to begin.

Most people in the Arab world won’t be able to speak MSA to you. They’ll do their best, but they may end up switching to another international language or just trying to make their local language sound as close to MSA as possible.

But you’ll be understood wherever you go, and when traveling, that’s what matters most. With a basic or intermediate ability in MSA, you can easily express your travel needs—not to mention read what’s written around you everywhere!

Once you’re able to express yourself in MSA, read up on the local language of wherever you’re planning to go, and listen to learning materials or native content as much as you can to get prepared for the answers you hear.

2. The Most Essential Arabic Vocabulary and Phrases for Your Travel Needs

Now, without further ado, here are Arabic travel phrases for your trip that you need to know!

1- Basic Expressions

What types of things do tourists usually say?

Pretty much the same things over and over, it turns out. Being able to speak a language “at a tourist level,” to me, means that you can handle the situations that are likely to come up, without necessarily being able to hold a real conversation.

That means, for instance, that you can order, pay for, and maybe even compliment a meal pretty smoothly in Arabic, but if the cook asks if you have that kind of food in your own country , you might find yourself grasping for words.

But hey, you’ve got to start somewhere, right?

If you only look at one guide to tourist Arabic, it should be the next three paragraphs. Here, I go over the most important Arabic travel phrases, the one you shouldn’t be traveling without.

2- Greetings and Goodbyes

We’ll start with the first words out of anybody’s mouth: Hello.

• “Hello!” Ahlan! أَهلاً

In Arabic, there are appropriate hellos for the morning, evening, and night.

• “Good morning!” ṣabāḥu al-ḫayr صَباحُ الخَيْر
• “Good evening!” masāʾu al-ḫayr مَساءُ الخَيْر
• “Good night!” laylah saʿīdah لَيْلَة سَعيدَة

Now let’s have a look at how to properly address people that you need to talk to . How should you get their attention?

• “Excuse me. Could you tell me…” raǧāʾ, hal yumkinuka ʾiḫbārī… رَجاء, هَل يُمكِنُكَ إخباري…

And when you’ve finished what you need to do, it’s time to take your leave.

• “ Goodbye! ” ʾilā al-liqāʾ إلى اللِقاء

Although you can point and grunt your way through a language barrier, it’s simply good manners to be able to use a couple of nice words when the time comes .

• “This one, please.” haḏihi min faḍlik. .هَذِهِ مِن فَضلِك

Suppose you’re on the bus and an elderly man gets on. The polite thing to do is offer your seat with the phrase:

• “Go ahead.” tafaḍḍal. .تَفَضَّل

I personally always like to learn “thank you” in as many languages as I can, just in case. If there’s one phrase you remember after reading this article, make it this one.

• “Thank you!” šukran! !شُكراً
• “Thank you very much!” šukran ǧazīlan! !شُكراً جَزيلاً

Of course, guests aren’t the only ones doing the thanking. An exchange of “thank you” is likely to occur several times any time that money is exchanged for goods or services.

This means you’ll have to be ready with the “It’s nothing” and “Sure thing!” equivalent in Arabic.

• “No problem!” lā muškilah لا مُشكِلَة

4- Compliments

It’s amazing how far you can get in a foreign language by pointing, smiling, and saying “Good!” People simply love to hear that! And it’s one of the simplest Arabic-language travel phrases.

The word for “good” in Arabic is جَيِّد ( ǧayyid ). But you can do a little bit better .

• “I really like this!” yuʿǧibunī haḏā kaṯīran! يُعجِبُني هَذا كَثيراً!

For referring to food you just had:

• “It was excellent!” kān rāʾiʿan! !كان رائِعاً

For looking at a view from a room or complimenting something aesthetic:

• “This is so beautiful!” haḏā ǧamīlun ǧiddan! !هَذا جَميلٌ جِدّاً

5- Transportation

One pretty scary challenge in a foreign language is making a phone call. And if your language skills make the difference between arriving at the airport on time or arriving at the bus station two hours late, the pressure starts to get pretty high.

When you order a taxi in a foreign language, it’s a good idea to speak loudly and slowly, and probably repeat yourself a couple of times to make sure they understand.

The thing is, though, taxi companies are used to hearing the same sort of formula said over and over with a variety of different accents, so as long as you’ve got all the right words in there, you’re probably good to go.

• “I want to order a taxi to the airport for tomorrow morning.” ʾurīdu sayyāraẗa ʾuǧrah ʾilā al-maṭār ġadan ṣabāḥan. .أُريدُ سَيّارَةَ أُجرَة إلى المَطار غَداً صَباحاً

It never hurts to double-check:

• “Did you understand all that?” hal fahimt? هَل فَهِمت؟

Shuttle buses and minibuses are very popular in many Middle Eastern countries. Here are some vital phrases for dealing with those:

• “Does this bus go to…?” hal taḏhabu haḏihi al-ḥāfilah ʾilā…? هَل تَذهَبُ هَذِهِ الحافِلَة إلى…؟
• “Where can I buy a ticket?” ʾayn yumkinunī širāʾ taḏkarah? أَيْن يُمكِنُني شِراء تَذكَرَة؟
• “I want two tickets to … please.” ʾurīdu taḏkarataīn ʾilā… min faḍlik. أُريدُ تَذكَرَتَين إلى… مِن فَضلِك.

6- Shopping

When most people imagine shopping in Arabic , the first thing that comes to mind is that stereotypical image of a crowded street market.

You know the one: goats, toothless old men selling rugs, maybe a snake charmer in the corner. Something out of Indiana Jones .

Those definitely still exist (or at least street markets do), but don’t forget that big cities in the Arab world are pretty much like big cities anywhere else.

You’ll find just as many big air-conditioned malls with local and international brands. Need some Nikes or Levi’s? No problem.

And guess what? You’ll need Arabic there, too! Just because a brand is international doesn’t mean all the shop staff will be amazingly multilingual. That’s particularly the case if you go out of the touristed city centers and head to the other malls further out of the way.

• “Do you have a bigger size? / Do you have a smaller size?” hal ladaykum ḥaǧmun ʾakbar? / hal ladaykum ḥaǧm ʾaṣġar? هَل لَدَيْكُم حَجمٌ أَكبَر؟ / هَل لَدَيْكُم حَجم أَصغَر؟
• “I’m looking for jeans size 32/34.” ʾabḥaṯ ʿan sarāūīl ǧīnz min maqās ʾiṯnān wa ṯalāṯūn ʿalā ʾarbaʿah wa ṯalāṯūn. أَبحَث عَن سَراويل جينز مِن مَقاس إثنان و ثَلاثون عَلى أَربَعَة و ثَلاثون.
• “Can you make it any cheaper?” hal min taḫfīḍ? هَل مِن تَخفيض؟
• “Okay, I’ll take it!” ǧayyid, saʾāḫuḏuh جَيِّد, سَآخُذُه

Part of bargaining effectively is knowing when to quit, or perhaps when to fake quitting so that you can get a better deal. Whether or not you’re serious about walking away, it’s polite to say something like this as you go:

• “Maybe next time.” rubbamā fī al-marrah al-qādimah. رُبَّما في المَرَّة القادِمَة.

7- Restaurants

• “How do you say this?” kayfa yunṭaqu haḏā? كَيْفَ يُنطَقُ هَذا؟

It’s very likely that you’ll find things on the menu that you’re not able to pronounce. Depending on your study motivation, you might still have trouble with the Arabic alphabet when you arrive.

So you can ask somebody nearby to read out the name of the food. Maybe you’ve heard of something similar at another restaurant, or maybe it even has a loanword in its name that you’re familiar with.

• “What exactly is…?” mā … bilḍabṭ? ما … بِالضَبط؟

You may not understand the answer in its entirety—food words are notoriously specific and vary based on location. But the important thing is to keep your ears tuned for loanwords you may recognize, as well as the body language of the person you’re talking to. If they look like they’re holding back a smile or silently guessing that you won’t like it, better order something else.

Travelers with allergies can have a rough time of it in foreign countries. Many expats don’t speak the language of the country of residency except the words for things they can’t eat. It’s imperative to know those words well.

• “I’m allergic to …” laday ḥasāsiyyah min… لَدَيْ حَساسِيَّة مِن…

Here, you simply say the phrase, tacking on the name of the food you can’t eat. For a list of common food names, check out this vocabulary list on ArabicPod101.com. (It includes common allergens like peanuts and soybeans!)

Once you’ve enjoyed your meal and are ready to leave, you’d best know this phrase:

• “Can I have the bill, please?” hal yumkinunī ʾaḫḏ al-fātūrah laū samaḥt? هَل يُمكِنُني أَخذ الفاتورَة لَو سَمَحت؟

8- Directions

Directions are relatively complicated, and they’re not made any easier the way they get taught in a lot of coursebooks.

Have you ever noticed how in textbooks, people are always giving each other complicated directions in order to fit in as many vocabulary words as possible?

• “Where is …?” ʾayna…? أَيْنَ…؟
• “I’m looking for the…” ʾabḥaṯu ʿan… أَبحَث عَن…
• “It’s over there.” ʾinnahā hunāk. إنَّها هُناك.
• “Go straight down this road.” iāḏahab mubāšaraẗan ʿalā haḏā al-ṭarīq. .ِاذَهَب مُباشَرَةً عَلى هَذا الطَريق
• “You need to take the number 10 bus.” ʿalayka ʾan taʾḫuḏ al-ḥāfilah raqm 10. عَلَيْكَ أَن تَأخُذ الحافِلَة رَقم 10.
• “Is it far?” hal hiya baʿīdah? هَل هِيَ بَعيدَة؟
• “Can I walk there?” hal yumkinunī al-mašī hunāk? هَل يُمكِنُني المَشي هُناك؟

Really, these basic Arabic travel phrases are enough to get you from A to B in most cases. But it’s always good to have more complex direction phrases in your Arabic arsenal, just in case.

9- Emergencies

• “Do you have a bathroom?” hal ladaykum ḥammām? هَل لَدَيْكُم حَمّام؟
• “I lost my passport.” faqadtu ǧawaza safarī. فَقَدتُ جَوَازَ سَفَري.
• “I need to go to a hospital.” ʾanā biḥāǧah lilḏahāb ʾilā mustašfā. أَنا بِحاجَة لِلذَهاب إلى مُستَشفى.
• “May I please borrow your phone? It’s an emergency.” hal yumkinunī istiʿāraẗu hātifik? ladayya ḥal-ah ṭāriʾah هَل يُمكِنُني اِستِعارَةُ هاتِفِك؟ لَدَيَّ حالَة طارِئَة
• “My phone was stolen.” laqad tammat sariqaẗu hātifī. لَقَد تَمَّت سَرِقَةُ هاتِفي.

If you’ve lost something in a public space, you may be in luck if an honest stranger turned it in to the information desk. In that case, you can ask:

• “Did anyone find a laptop here?” hal waǧad ʾaḥaduhum ḥāsūban hunā? هَل وَجَد أَحَدُهُم حاسوباً هُنا؟

10- Language Troubles and Triumphs

Speaking Arabic when you’re out and about isn’t going to be all smooth sailing, no matter how easy it may seem when you’re flipping through a phrasebook.

There’s a helpful set of phrases that can really go a long way toward smoothing things over when your vocabulary or grammar fails you.

• “How do you say…?” kayfa taqūl…? كَيْفَ تَقول…؟
• “Does anyone here speak English? French?” hal yatakallamu ʾaḥaduhum al-ʾinǧlīziyyah ʾaw al-firinsiyyah hunā? هَل يَتَكَلَّمُ أَحَدُهُم الإنجليزِيَّة أَوْ الفِرِنسِيَّة هُنا؟
• “I don’t know that word.” lā ʾaʿrifu haḏihi al-kalimah. لا أَعرِفُ هَذِهِ الكَلِمَة.
• “Thank you! I’ve been learning for one year.” šukran. ʾanā ʾataʿallam min sanah. شُكراً. أَنا أَتَعَلَّم مِن سَنَة.
• “Sorry, my Arabic isn’t very good.” ʾāsif, luġatī al-ʿarabiyyah laysat ǧayyidah آسِف، لُغَتي العَرَبِيَّة لَيْسَت جَيِّدَة
• “Sorry, I can’t read Arabic very well.” ʾāsif , lā ʾastaṭīʿ qirāʾaẗa al-ʿarabiyyaẗa ǧayyidan آسِف ، لا أَستَطيع قِراءَةَ العَرَبِيَّةَ جَيِّداً
• “You just said ___. What does that mean?” laqad qult al-ʾān… māḏā yaʿnī ḏalik? لَقَد قُلت الآن… ماذا يَعني ذَلِك؟

3. Conclusion: ArabicPod101 is Your Guide to Arabic Mastery

Now that you’re packed with the most useful Arabic travel phrases, you’re all set for your next adventure. Want to learn even more Arabic? Check out ArabicPod101.com and get access to more than a thousand Arabic learning audio and video lessons that will take your Arabic to the next level.

Until next time, let us know how comfortable you feel with Arabic travel phrases. Is there anything you’re still struggling with? Drop us a comment and tell us about it!

Author: Yassir Sahnoun is a HubSpot certified content strategist, copywriter and polyglot who works with language learning companies. He helps companies attract sales using content strategy, copywriting, blogging, email marketing & more.

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Writing the Rihla: 1355

Ibn Battuta was commanded to "dictate an account of the cities which he had seen in his travel, and of the interesting events which had clung to his memory, and that he should speak of those whom he had met of the rulers of countries, of their distinguished men of learning, and of their pious saints." [From the introduction to The Rihla , transcribed by Ibn Juzayy, 1354.]

Working with Ibn Juzayy on The Rihla in Fez, Morocco

After Ibn Battuta returned to Fez in 1354, the Sultan of Morocco listened to his report on Mali. He also listened to Ibn Battuta's other adventures, and ordered him to stay in Fez. He wanted to have these stories written down for the amusement of his family and others. Travel writing, especially accounts of the Hajj, were a popular form of writing at the time. So Ibn Battuta was commanded to

"dictate an account of the cities which he had seen in his travel, and of the interesting events which had clung to his memory, and that he should speak of those whom he had met of the rulers of countries, of their distinguished men of learning, and of their pious saints." [From the introduction to The Rihla , transcribed by Ibn Juzayy, 1354.]

The Sultan hired a young writer - Ibn Juzayy - the young man Ibn Battuta had met in Granada three years earlier. Ibn Juzayy must have been excited about such a task! He had been fascinated by Ibn Battuta's stories earlier, and as a young writer, this job was one that could earn him respect. He was to put the stories into the proper form of a travel book, called a "rihla." Rihla means "voyage" in Arabic and it was a genre (type) of Arab literature that combined a description of travel (travelogue) with commentary on the people and practices of Islam throughout the Muslim world. Ibn Juzayy's account of Ibn Battuta's trip follows typical conventions for the genre, including sometimes borrowing descriptive language about various locations from similar, earlier travel accounts. 

And so began the retelling of his adventures that had begun twenty-nine years before. Ibn Battuta wove his observations and hearsay, history and odds and ends into his story. Ibn Juzayy added poetry here and there, but generally he kept to Ibn Battuta's telling. To fill in gaps in Ibn Battuta's descriptions, Ibn Juzayy borrowed descriptions of Mecca, Medina and Damascus from a twelfth century traveler named Ibn Jubayr, and perhaps descriptions of other places from other travelers, too. This makes it hard to know exactly which parts of the account actually reflect Ibn Battuta's personal experiences, but it was common practice at the time. His book, like many travel accounts, melded his own experience with that of earlier travelers and his own experiences with hearsay from people he met on the road.

Maybe Ibn Battuta exaggerated his own importance to people he met. After all, he was just a traveler with little formal education. In telling the story, perhaps he couldn't get all the details in order and perhaps his memory failed him on some details. One famous biographer of the time had met Ibn Battuta in Granada and said that he was, "purely and simply a liar." But Ibn Battuta had his supporters, too. One advisor to the Sultan in al-Andalus said, "Be careful not to reject such information about the condition of dynasties, because you have not seen such things yourself." And another scholar in Tunisia said, "I know of no person who has journeyed through so many lands as [he did] on his travels, and he was withal generous and welldoing." [Dunn, p. 316.]

When it was finished, The Rihla had little impact upon the Muslim world. However, it was copied by hand and the whole book or shortened versions could be found in some libraries, or carried around by travelers who followed on parts of his trips. It was not until the 19th century that European scholars found some of the Arabic books and translated them into French, German, and then English. Once it was translated the book began to receive the widespread attention it deserves as a record of history.

This is an important sidenote: historical research depends on multi-lingual people who can read texts in one language and translate them into others, thus making information from the past available to wider audiences. Consider all the documents you have ever read from early English history, Greek or Roman history, Chinese or Indian or Aztec history, etc. Every time you encounter an English version of a text in a book or on the internet, it is the result of a diligent multi-lingual scholar who translated it from its original language (possibly an ancient, dead language) into English.

And what happened to Ibn Battuta after he told his story in the palace of the Sultan? He probably got a job as a qadi (judge), but we don't know where. Little is known about this period of his life. Perhaps he married again and fathered more children. Perhaps he entertained scholars and students with his stories, as he had entertained kings, commoners, and holy men on three continents.

Ibn Battuta died in 1368 or 1369. Tour guides in Tangier take tourists to see an unmarked grave that they claim to be his, but no one can confirm it as his final resting place.

This building, in Tangiers, may be Ibn Battuta's tomb.  The photograph comes from the blog of a modern traveller - the current version of the type of rihla that Ibn Battuta produced in the 14th century.

This image of the inside of Ibn Battuta's tomb, comes from a different traveller's blog. This person decided to make a trip specifically in the footsteps of Ibn Battuta. Click on the image to read about his experiences.

Today Ibn Battuta is somewhat famous. A crater on the moon is named after him, as is an Internet online matchmaking service for Arab singles! As you see from the image above on the right, his journey has inspired modern people to travel and see the world. Perhaps most appropriately, the airport of Tangier was named for Ibn Battuta  - carrying young Moroccan travelers as they begin their own adventures.

Source:  Dans - Own work , CC BY-SA 3.0

ARAB 402: Travel Literature in Arabic: Travel Literature

• Introduction
• Arabic Literature
• Travel Literature
• Cartography, geography and space
• Finding Journal Articles
• Citing Sources
• Some Starting Points
• Discussion #1
• Discussion #2
• Discussion #3
• Discussion #4

How is Travel Literature or Travel Writing defined in library catalog?

When organizing collections, libraries have to describe the sources. How a source is described and what classification terms are assigned will determine how search engines find materials and where the sources are located in libraries.

Scope notes of relevant Library of Congress Subject Headings: 

• Travel Writing  applies to books about writings of travelers. It covers works on the authorship of writings by travelers that are often presented in narrative form or as memoirs
• Travelers' writings covers collections of works written by travelers from several countries
• Travelers' writing + nationality of the travelers covers Collections of works written by travelers from a specific country
• Name of place + Description and Travel covers works on travel to a specific place 
• Travel journalism covers works on journalism that focuses on travel and the tourism industry 

Some suggested Subject Headings to find travel literature

You may use these LCSH to search the Williams Libraries catalog and Worldcat:

• Arabs -- Travel
• Muslim pilgrims and pilgrimages
• Travelers--[Name of Country] 
• Travelers' writings
• Traveler's writings, Arabic
• Visitors, Foreign—[Name of Country]
• Voyages and travels
• Voyages and travels -- [Name of Country]
• [Name of country or state]—Description and travel

More information from the Library of Congress on locating Travel Accounts. 

What about working with keywords?

When conducting research, you need to combine search strategies based on keywords and search strategies based on LC Subject Headings. 

Keywords: When we think of travel writing terms such as "travel accounts ", " travelogs ", " travel diaries" may come to mind. These terms can be used a search keywords, they will retrieve materials that use these specific terms. But, these keyword searches will not retrieve materials that are thematically related but use a different terminology. 

As you read relevant materials and start researching, pay attention to:

• the terminology used by scholars (different disciplines use different terminology) 
• all the aspects of a topic. For examples, in reading Daniel Newman Arabic Travel Writing, you learn about the reasons that Arabs have travelled throughout history. One reason is religion. Knowing that, you can then craft keyword based searches combining travel and Islam. This search brings up sources related to the Arabic travel writing. 

Subject Headings : Are assigned to materials by librarians with the goal of transcending keywords and creating clusters of related sources. Using LCSH enables you to perform a more comprehensive searches.

Where are sources located in the library?

Travel writing is classed in a variety of location in the LC Classification System. You may find sources in: 

• the general range for Special voyages and travel: G368.2-503 
• the place the author traveled to
• some aspect of the author's identity (e.g. Wonderlands : good gay travel writing , is classed in the gender studies class: HQ) 
• some aspect of the journey itself (e.g. , V isiting the Shakers, 1850-1899 is classed in the Religion section:  BX)
• << Previous: Arabic Literature
• Next: Cartography, geography and space >>
• Last Updated: Mar 22, 2024 12:00 PM
• URL: https://libguides.williams.edu/ARAB402

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Nonfiction Books » Travel

Books about travelling in the muslim world, recommended by tim mackintosh-smith.

Arabs: A 3,000 Year History of Peoples, Tribes and Empires by Tim Mackintosh-Smith

Author and Arabist Tim Mackintosh-Smith tells us about the rich tradition in Islam of travelling to gain knowledge, and directs us towards some of those, both Western and Arab, who’ve inspired with their tales of life on the road.

The Travels of Ibn Battutah by Ibn Battutah (edited by Tim Mackintosh-Smith)

The Road to Oxiana by Robert Byron

A Year Amongst the Persians by Edward G Browne

The Sindbad Voyage by Tim Severin

Night and Horses and the Desert by Robert Irwin (editor)

1 The Travels of Ibn Battutah by Ibn Battutah (edited by Tim Mackintosh-Smith)

2 the road to oxiana by robert byron, 3 a year amongst the persians by edward g browne, 4 the sindbad voyage by tim severin, 5 night and horses and the desert by robert irwin (editor).

What makes a great travel writer?

Should travel writing – excluding travel guides – be taken literally, or should readers accept a degree of exaggeration and embellishment in order for a good story to be told? I’m thinking in particular of Bruce Chatwin, who made up significant bits of The Songlines to make the story “real”. Is that acceptable?

I definitely don’t think you should tell fibs and make stuff up. But readers almost expect that you will tell lies. I can give you an example. In my Yemen book , I write about meeting this little boy in the street who’s kicking a football and he’s wearing my prep school blazer. People would say: “Was that really true or did you make it up?” It was absolutely true. In fact, I wrote about it quite carefully so that I didn’t actually say it was my very own prep school blazer. But people automatically read it as saying that it was my very own blazer, which couldn’t possibly be true. That’s the kind of expectation people have of travel writing.

Probably the best simile for what you have to do is like when you make a TV programme – you play around with the colours afterwards, you heighten some and dull others down to make it look better. You don’t end up telling fibs or anything, but you do heighten the colours. Another example, which I owned up to, is in my India book [ The Hall of a Thousand Columns ] where there’s a chapter on [the town of] Aligarh. It comes across as if I made a single, discrete visit, when in fact I went there five or six times over two years, but I connected them together. If you say everything that happens to you and in exactly the order it happened, nobody would want to read you. You do have to edit, to cut and splice, to do the montage. It’s a bit like film editing.

Travel for Muslims is a religious duty, as believers are expected to go to Mecca for the hajj at least once in their lifetime. Do you think there is a richer tradition of travel writing amongst Muslims?

Absolutely. Very much so among Arabs in particular. There is a word in Arabic “ rihlah” – it’s both a journey and also a book about a journey. You can go back a long way, to the time of the Abbasid caliphs around the ninth century, and you get people writing accounts of their journeys. A bit later you had people like Ibn Jubayr, who was 12th century. He was the paragon of Arabic travel writing. The Quran encourages people to travel and gain knowledge. Travel for knowledge is a very big thing in Islam. There’s a famous saying of the prophet Mohammed: “Seek knowledge even if you have to go to China.”

Today, we live in a world of instant and easy communication. Has it become harder for travel writers to capture the attention and the imagination of their audience?

I talked a bit about this in my last book apropos [Moroccan 14th century traveller] Ibn Battutah going to China and getting stuff completely wrong. For example, he said that the emperor had been killed and there was a funeral. That was nonsense as he lived for another 25 years. Then I thought, he didn’t have Google to check things on; he didn’t have guidebooks – he would have been in China in a complete blizzard of not knowing anything. But his main job was to impart information. Now we can get our information from so many different sources and so easily that that side of travel writing isn’t there so much. I try to differentiate information and knowledge. I think what you can impart as a travel writer is knowledge. You can impart insights and a narrative which you can’t get on the Internet or in a guidebook.

Just before we move on to your books, I would like to touch on the fact that you live in Yemen , a country which the British Foreign Office recommends all its nationals leave immediately. I trust you won’t be coming home soon, but I wonder if you would tell us about why you live there and whether the current wave of instability in the country can be given a broader historical context?

I live in Yemen because I love it. I really do love it. I have lots of good friends here – some very special friends who are like family. In fact, I have just done an interview on [local] TV in which I was effectively saying that despite all the crises and all the problems, I still do love the place and I always will. The country is not just the leader who happens to be in power at the time, messing things up as like as not. It’s the whole cultural past and the future as well. This is what I like. You must look before and in front of the moment that you are in. Inshallah [God willing], it has a great future somewhere along the line.

We’ve broken all our rules by allowing you to include in your list a book that you have contributed to, but it is the most readily available edition. Can you tell us more about Ibn Battutah and his extraordinary travels?

I couldn’t not include him. His editor Ibn Juzayy says towards the end of the book that Ibn Battutah is “the traveller of the Arabs and if anyone says he is a traveller of this ummah [Islamic community], he would not be wrong”. That actually stands today. In a sense he hasn’t been bettered since that time [the 14th century]. The complete diversity of the Muslim world was put on the axis of a book by Ibn Battutah. Nobody afterwards could really do better. He is the traveller of the Islamic world.

He was born in 1304. In 1325, when he was 21, he sets out on a pilgrimage to Mecca. He starts from Tangiers in Morocco, so it’s a long way from there to Mecca. It’s almost as far as you can go in the Arab world. Like other people doing that pilgrimage from his background, which was an educated background of judges and scholars, he would have hoped to do some studies along the way, probably in Cairo or Damascus, which is indeed what he did. But unlike most of these other people, he really got the travel bug. I think there are a number of reasons for this. One is that he realised that he could make money and get jobs in the Islamic world, especially in areas that were newly Islamised or its leaders were newly Islamised, like the ruler of India. Ibn Battutah thought, “I can get a job there,” being a card-carrying Arab Muslim scholar. So he went further than the pilgrimage, partly to get jobs to make money and to hobnob with sultans, and partly because he had this total fascination with the world of Islamic mysticism – Sufis, and particularly Sufi holy men. So he was really trying to collect sultans to make money from them, and he was trying to collect Sufi holy men, both dead and alive, as you could visit a tomb and be deemed to have visited that person, and collect their barakah [blessing]. So, he travelled for these different reasons and he kind of went on and on and on.

If you read this book, it seems quite chaotic, but there is an underlying structure to it. I think there are two elements to this structure. When he is in Egypt he has this dream, which is interpreted by a holy man who says: “You will go to these different countries.” Another holy man he meets predicts he will meet his spiritual brothers in India and China. So part of the structure is fulfilling his fate, which has already been predicted. Another part of the structure is he talks quite early on about the seven great kings of the known world and they are obviously his ruler in Morocco, because he’s got to say nice things about him, and the Mamluk Sultan of Egypt and Syria, the Sultan of Delhi and then the four Mongol cousins – the Khan of the Golden Horde, the ruler of Iran and Iraq, the ruler of central Asia and the Chinese Emperor. All of those were Muslims, except for the Emperor of China. I think possibly what happened, and this is speculation, is that he sort of realised he didn’t actually get to see the Emperor of China so he added on a seventh great king who was a Muslim, and he was the Emperor of Mali, which was this great West African empire. And so he collected these seven great kings and uses them as a hook and that I think is the deep structure of his book.

At some point he realised he was surfing this huge wave of Islam and that he could actually be the one who wrote about the Islamic world – his rihlah could be the rihlah to end all rihlahs. I think he probably realised that consciously at some point.

Could you tell us where he got to and how long his journey lasted?

He spent 29 years travelling overall. I’ll tell you the outer limits of his journey. He started in Morocco and he covered most of the known world between the middle of the River Volga to the north, down to almost what is now the border of Mozambique in the south; east as far as Guangzhou in China, and west, we don’t know quite how far, but probably not quite as far as Senegal but getting that way. If you think of the known world of his day, it almost sits within those outer limits. It is extraordinary.

His account of his journey was never that popular in the 14th century, compared with, say, the writing of Ibn Jubayr. Why was that?

In his introduction to your next book, Road to Oxiana , Bruce Chatwin describes it as a “sacred text, beyond criticism”. Would you agree?

I recently wrote about this book and hooked what I wrote on what Chatwin said about it – that it was a sacred text – and what Wilfred Thesiger said, which was that it was a lot of nonsense. I think you can reconcile these views. It’s actually why I like the book. It’s sacred nonsense, or Robert Byron is a holy fool, if that makes sense. It’s nonsense because he sort of explodes the usual narrative of the travel book – the narrative itinerary where you go from A to B, B to C and so on. Byron is all over the shop. I think if you read his contents page, it tells you he goes to Tehran seven times and he goes to Persia and then Afghanistan and then back to Persia and then Afghanistan and Persia again and he ends up in India and then he’s back in Wiltshire [in the UK]. So it really is all over the place. So it is nonsensical in that way. But the reason that somebody like Chatwin thought it was sacred was above all because of his looking. This is what Byron does and he’s absolutely brilliant at it.

He’s looking at buildings isn’t he, searching for the roots of Islamic architecture?

Yes, he’s looking at Islamic architecture. The reason I chose it as one of my five Muslim world travel books, even though he isn’t an Islamicist or Arabist or anything, is because he once said that to travel in the Islamic world is to look at a close cousin. Travelling to India and Tibet he said was to discover a new and wholly unconnected world. So, it’s really the way that he’s looking at Islamic architecture and Islamic rationalism. He is drawing subtle parallels between the place he starts with, which is Venice – he goes to the Veneto and looks at Palladio’s Villa “La Malcontenta”, the masterpiece of Palladian rationalism – and places like Isfahan and the great tomb tower in Iran, and he is covertly making his point that Islam and the West are sharers in this rationalism. And that’s really why I am so inspired by him as someone who travels in the Islamic world and looks at Islamic buildings. It’s why Chatwin called him sacred, I think. He’s sacred, not in a secular sense, but a humanist sense. He’s trying to tease out what makes humans reasonable, rational and capable of producing great works of art. He teases this out beautifully and he draws the parallel that what we have in Europe and what we care about and love so much you can find in the Islamic world also. It’s a tremendously important point.

In Britain, Byron was very much a “Brideshead” character – a camp aesthete, gossipy and belligerent. He becomes almost a better person when he travelled.

Your third book, A Year Amongst the Persians , was written at the end of the 19th century by Edward Granville Browne, a British Arabic professor at Cambridge. Why did you choose it?

It’s a good book to segue on to after Byron as they both visit Persia. But Byron is most of all into looking and Browne is most of all into ideas. He considers ideas in a huge way. It’s a book that’s very much an anthology of ideas.

Browne studies Persian at Cambridge and goes off to Persia for a year and flits around from place to place and observes the ruling Qajar dynasty of the time. He talks interestingly about the tensions between the Qajars – who were Turkic – and the Aryans, in Persian history. The bit that I love the most is when he is in Kerman where he gets into this world of ideas. He gets in with these dervishes, who are these quite extreme Sufis. He talks about being intoxicated by opium smoke and mysticism. He has this weird experience. He gets ophthalmia when he’s in Kerman and somebody says the best way to counteract the pain is by smoking opium. So he gets into this complete reliance on opium – he calls it the “poppy wizard”. It turns into this trippy, hippy experience. Remember we’re back in the 1880s, not in the 1960s, when it’s all about mysticism and opium smoke.

He was very sympathetic towards Persia and its people. It could be said to be a bit of a departure from much of the Orientalist literature being written at the time.

He, like Byron, was a supremely civilised man. I think, if I remember right, somebody advised him that if he had private means, the best way you can indulge a penchant for civilisation is by going off and indulging in Oriental studies. He was one of these supremely civilised Orientalists, quite a rare breed. There is a sheer intoxication not just with mysticism, opium smoke and metaphysics but also with words. In a sense his book doubles as an anthology of Persian poetry. This is what he went on to be most famous for, the literary history of Persia. He was a professor of Arabic at Cambridge but I think only because there wasn’t a professorship of Persian at the time. He really was a Persianist before he was an Arabist.

I wouldn’t want to put readers off who are not into the mysticism, metaphysics, opium and Persian poetry because it’s also in places, like Byron’s, a deeply funny book. He says one thing about the Persians is that they share with us a sense of the ludicrous. A lovely example of this, which chimes so much with my sense of humour, is where he recalls a joke which is told about Isfahanis, who are supposed to be very miserly. He says they say the Isfahanis are so miserly they put their cheese in a glass bottle and rub their bread on the outside of the bottle. He goes on and says one day a merchant in Isfahan caught his apprentice looking hungrily at the cheese in the glass bottle and said “Isn’t dried bread good enough for you?” Something like that rings a humorous bell with us and that’s part of what makes his book so lovely.

Tim Severin is famous for retracing legendary journeys of historical characters. What can you tell us about his book The Sindbad Voyage ?

I chose it because it’s got boys’ stuff in it and I’m quite into boys’ stuff. It’s about how you put things together, how you build things. It’s about this journey from Muscat [in Oman] to Guangzhou or Canton in China. A substantial part of the book is about his research of how you make a sewn boat or ship, which is what his boat was. Not that the boat was made of cloth, but the planks, rather than being nailed together, have holes put in them and big cross stitches are used to pull them together. There are various reasons why people say these sewn boats were used in the Indian Ocean for thousands of years. Perhaps they withstand collisions against reefs better or perhaps people didn’t have access to nails. But whatever the reason, people used this technique of sewing boats which had been completely forgotten in Oman, but is still used in Kerala in southwest India. And so Severin goes off to India and researches how you actually make these boats, picks up a load of guys and brings them back to Muscat to make this boat using methods from a thousand years ago.

I’m into how to make things and how to restore things and I found the story of how they researched and made the boat absolutely fascinating. On top of that you have the voyage and all the adventures and derring-do – the mast breaks, they sail through storms and so on. It’s really like reading the stories of Sinbad or the stories of Al-Ramhurmuzi, an Arabian sea captain from the 10th century. It’s fascinating from the point of view of the building and the journey and it’s like travelling back in time and that’s why I love it.

Night and Horses and the Desert by Robert Irwin – what does this anthology of Arabic literature tell us about travel?

It’s been said before by others, but I think reading is travel and travel is reading. As a travel writer I’m very conscious that they are twins or different sides of the same coin. In Arabic, the word for travelling is safar and from the same Arabic root you get the word sifr , meaning an old-fashioned volume of a book or a scroll. The reason they come from the same root is because when you travel, you are unrolling the world beneath your feet. And when you are unrolling a scroll you are unrolling a scroll beneath your gaze. So there is a very close relationship between reading and travelling.

Irwin does have quite a lot of travelling in the book. His title itself comes from one of the great lines of Arabic poetry by the great poet Al-Mutanabbi. I am very into Arabic verse and the meters of Arabic verse are supposed by some to have come from the different paces of camels.

It’s loosely based on a journey through the desert, isn’t it?

The classical Arabic ode really describes a journey. The meters themselves in Arabic poetry are supposed by some to have come from the trotting, galloping, walking and ambling of camels and horses. Arabic literature and particularly poetry are absolutely suffused with motion and travel. You could say that if a piece of literature moves you in a metaphorical sense it can move you almost physically. It can move you to different places and move you to different times. I talked before about time travel, but I think reading a book like this is the closest you can get to time travel. I think you can learn a lot more about the Arab and Islamic world from a book like this than you can from reading political narrative history.

Can you give us a little more on the contents of the book?

It’s classical Arabic literature and he takes us from pre-Islamic poetry in the sixth century to the 16th century. He doesn’t encroach on later times. He’s really looking at the great period of classical Arabic. He divides his book into the pre-Islamic period, then the courtly times of the Abbasid caliphs, and then there is a long chapter on the wandering scholars, which shows the connection between travel and literature. The last chapter is about the Mamluk period and the Turkic people taking over, and the Arabic literature this period generated. I think he says in the book that, “You may think I have got a lot of poetry, but I haven’t got enough.” Poetry is the life and soul of Arabic literature. But he’s got a good mix of poetry and prose. His commentary that joins it together is superbly balanced. There is no better anthology of Arabic literature. It’s a book that I wish I had compiled myself.

February 13, 2012

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Tim Mackintosh-Smith

Tim Mackintosh-Smith is an Arabist, traveller, writer and lecturer. He studied at Oxford University and lives in San'a, the Yemeni capital. He is one of the foremost scholars of 14th-century Moroccan traveller, Ibn Battutah, and in 2011 was named by Newsweek as one of the finest twelve travel writers of the last hundred years.

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Reading Two Arabic Travel Books : A Guide for Beginner Students of Arabic

In this blog post, Adam Bremer-McCollum describes his experience teaching an Arabic reading course at the University of Notre Dame, for which students read selections from  Two Arabic Travel Books by Abū Zayd al-Sīrāfī and Ibn Faḍlān. He explains his approach to teaching (and learning) pre-modern Arabic and offers some tips and advice for beginning students.

“Arabic Script” by Nidhi Ranganath. CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons.

We live in a vast and overwhelming world, and one experience that can feel especially overwhelming is trying to learn a new language. In his book The Doors of Perception , the English writer and philosopher Aldous Huxley famously used the image of a reducing valve to explain how the human brain copes with overwhelming sensory input by selectively ignoring some things. Language learners can also use this concept of a “reducing valve” to help them approach new texts. There’s so much possibility in a written text — how to say it, how parts are connected, what individual and joined words may mean — that readers will benefit from tools to help focus the incoming flood of words, forms, and meanings. For Arabic, aids like thorough vocalization and a glossary reduce the noise of additional possibilities and guide readers to the correct pronunciations and meanings as they read a text.

In my experience, both as a learner and a teacher, thorough and generous grammatical and lexical guidance lays a solid foundation for a future of reading: once you have read and re-read several guided readings, you know ins and outs of real texts, vocabulary in context rather than just from lists, and at least something of the more common grammar-marking vocalic patterns. You can get to know Arabic by reading Arabic, with quick references as necessary to a short, focused glossary when needed, rather than spending your time at this early stage combing through big dictionaries: you’ll be doing plenty of that later with your own texts!

Example of Judeo-Arabic: Fragment from the Cairo Genizah. Public domain via Wikimedia Commons .

I recently taught an Arabic reading course for students relatively new to Arabic. The students in the course had all studied other pre-modern literary languages (e.g. Latin, Greek, Syriac, Coptic, Ottoman Turkish), some with me. In the previous semester, they had taken an introductory Arabic grammar course, including not only examples from conventional classical Arabic but also non-standard varieties like Judeo-Arabic, Arabic in Greek script, Garšūnī (Arabic in Syriac script), and Arabic in Coptic script. The point here was both to de-center any idea of a monolithic “classical” Arabic with its accompanying notions of gatekeeping, and to see — in terms of phonology, grammar, script, literature, and more — how rich and diverse Arabic is and has long been.

For the reading course, I chose a few texts that were both entertaining and not especially difficult in terms of style or vocabulary. The texts we read included excerpts from each of the two works included in Two Arabic Travel Books: Abū Zayd al-Sīrāfī, Accounts of China and India, and Ibn Faḍlān , Mission to the Volga , edited by Tim Mackintosh-Smith and James E. Montgomery: descriptions of a king’s death by suicide (§2.8.1), how men pee in China (§2.9.6), and on pearls (§2.17.1-2) in the former; and sections on cold weather in al-Ǧurǧānīya (§10-12), entering the lands of the Turks (§15-16), and the Ġuzzīya tribe (§18-19) in the latter. Over the course of the semester, we also read chapters from an Arabic version of the book of Jonah , Burzoy’s voyage (François de Blois, Burzōy’s Voyage to India ) , excerpts from al-Maqrīzī’s   Ḫiṭaṭ on cannabis (from de Sacy’s   Chrestomathie arabe ), and twelve short verse selections on cannabis culled from al-Badrī and others. All of these were chosen because they were entertaining or humorous in some way, or because they might touch on things we talk about today (e.g. comparing cannabis and alcohol). In addition, these texts are just a few of many possible choices that show how wide a range of topics Arabic literature can cover.

For each of the selections, I re-typed and thoroughly vocalized them. Editions of Arabic texts are generally not vocalized — usually the case, too, with Hebrew and Aramaic texts. However viable or not this situation is for people well acquainted with Arabic grammar and lexicon, it leaves learners in the lurch. It’s not ideal for learning when students ignore vowel patterns because they’re not always written, nor is it an efficient use of time for beginning students to shoulder the full burden of figuring them out. Amply vocalized texts are valuable and time-saving reading material for learners because they highlight the actual, fully specified forms in the text at hand, rather than forcing students to take into full consideration every other root-and-pattern possibility.

As an example of the documents I prepared for the class, here is the PDF with selections from Accounts of China and India and Mission to the Volga and glossary . You’ll notice that the glossary is almost twice as long as the text itself.

In my class, the regular method was for students to prepare the assigned texts beforehand, with attention to the vocalized forms and related grammar, and relying heavily on the glossary. We would then go through all or most of the text together in class. We also did occasional cold readings of unprepared (but still vocalized) texts in class. Since students had to devote less time to checking vowel patterns, thinking through the related aspects of grammar or lexicon, and flipping through dictionaries, which can be a deflating reality for less experienced students when they come to “real” texts, we could focus on the actual texts in front of us and discuss them together on the same terms, with a lot less grammatical and lexical uncertainty thanks to the supplied text and glossary. These lexical and vocalic aids allow more time for discussion of the text’s content, on the one hand, and on the other, for discussing how to read and study Arabic texts when you won’t have a ready-made glossary and vocalized text, i.e. most of the time!

Is it possible to learn to read Arabic (or some other language) without the help of vocalization and a glossary? Of course. But what’s the point of early-stage language students having a teacher if the teacher is just throwing bare texts to students and laying the initial burden of reading and understanding on them? “Sink-or-swim” as a model for learning to read texts in other languages may work for some students, but even then a method with a liberal dose of extra help won’t hurt, and they may even learn more. Expertise on the part of the teacher is great, of course, but it’s much better when side-by-side with generosity.

Reader’s texts like the ones presented here can focus the flood of linguistic possibility into a manageable stream. This approach acknowledges that a newer student to Arabic doesn’t automatically know or rightly infer the vowels in a regular unvocalized text, nor are they going to get through a page of Arabic without frequent recourse to the dictionary. Some of this — looking up and re-remembering patterns, grammar, meanings — is just part of language-learning, of course, but the more teachers can offer students opportunities to read a variety of texts supported by robust grammatical and lexical helps, the more Arabic they can read, appreciate, and get to know in their own ways.

Adam Bremer-McCollum is a translator, teacher/tutor, language consultant, and writer. He has taught languages and literatures of late antiquity, including Syriac, Arabic, Armenian, Coptic, and Hebrew, at the University of Notre Dame.

Essential Arabic Phrases For Travel – Speak Freely While Traveling

Some of the best experiences in life are had when one travels abroad. Indeed, when you travel to another country and immerse yourself in its culture, it can be fun and exciting. However, speaking that country’s language, even if it’s just a few words, can offer you an even richer experience. For instance, while poring over those brochures of Petra, did you ever think about learning Arabic phrases for travel to make your trip to Jordan even more rewarding?

Listen to the locals

After all, isn’t it the locals who can tell you the best places to eat, sleep, and sightsee? Certainly, learning more than just how to say “hello” in Dubai offers tourists opportunities they’d never find in a guidebook. What’s more, when you travel in Arabic speaking countries , you’ll find most locals are friendly and happy to help.

This is especially true when some knows what to say in Arabic when someone is traveling. This is because Arabs really admire someone who attempts to speak their language. You see, they, too, realize that Arabic isn’t the easiest language to learn. Nevertheless, they’ll respect your effort. Besides that, when you speak to a native speaker of Arabic, you’ll be improving your Arabic language skills as well. Thus, you’ll be ensuring a richer and more rewarding experience no matter which Arabic speaking country you decide to travel to.

Essential Arabic phrases for travel

The Arabic word for travel is السفر / alsafar . Now that you’ve learn your first travel-related word in Arabic, let’s get you started on the rest of your journey.

Here’s a list of Arabic words related to travel to get you started:

In conclusion.

Ready to learn more? Well, what if we told you that you can learn Arabic anytime, anywhere before you even step on a plane? It’s true! With the Kaleela Arabic learning app, you’ll learn real Arabic dialects in courses designed by native Arabic speakers. Our app takes you step-by-step from learning the Arabic alphabet to using real-world phrases in conversations all at your own pace! Students and travelers alike highly recommended the Kaleela Arabic learning app! Best of all! Download it now and start speaking Arabic today, only from Kaleela.

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Introduction

Arabic phrases for giving directions, arabic phrases for transportation, arabic phrases for accommodations, miscellaneous arabic words and phrases, scenario 1: exploring the city, scenario 2: at the hotel, scenario 3: at the restaurant, scenario 4: at the tourist information center.

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Traveling To an Arab Country? Here are 25 Excellent Arabic Phrases to Guide You

by Dania Ghraoui

24 Jul, 2023 . 6 mins read

Learning Tips

Hello, my dear Arabic language learners. The first thing that you might think about when traveling to an Arab country or countries that speak Arabic is the ability to communicate with the locals. This is vital, as it ensures safety and comfort during the trip. What’s more, the ability to articulate some essential phrases in the local language grants us the confidence to move around our temporary residence and remain highly functional. Whether the trip is for work, leisure, or studying, conversing in the local language can significantly enhance our overall experience.

And because Arabic is a language rich with history, culture, and diversity, your journey could be even more rewarding. As you’re exploring the historical sites of Egypt, the luxurious cityscape of Dubai, or the cultural wonders of Morocco, you’ll find that a basic understanding of Arabic is immensely helpful. From asking for directions, and haggling at a local market, to ordering food at a restaurant, your attempts to communicate in Arabic can open doors, bring smiles, and foster mutual respect.

In this post, we will introduce you to 25 Arabic phrases to use when you travel to an Arab country. These phrases have been carefully selected to cover various situations, including directions, transportation, accommodations, dining, etc. By learning and using these Arabic words and phrases, you will not only be able to navigate the Arabic-speaking world more easily but also enrich your cultural experience and make lasting memories. 

In addition to providing you with essential Arabic phrases, this blog also includes real-life scenarios to help you apply what you’ve learned and see them in context. These scenarios, set in common travel situations, are designed to offer practical demonstrations of how and when to use the phrases. Whether you’re trying to find your way in a bustling city, ordering a meal in a restaurant, or checking into a hotel, these scenarios will give you a realistic insight into navigating the Arabic-speaking world. The aim is to ensure that you’re not only memorizing these phrases but also understanding their context, thereby enhancing your confidence to communicate effectively during your travels. 

So, are you ready? Let’s start by looking at 25 essential Arabic words and phrases for travel , including vocabulary for directions, transportation, accommodations, and more. 

When you’re in a new place, it’s important to be able to ask for directions. Here are some Arabic phrases that can help you navigate your way around:

Getting around in an Arabic-speaking country can be an adventure in itself. Here are some Arabic words and phrases related to transportation:

Whether you’re staying in a hotel, hostel, or guesthouse, here are some Arabic words and phrases related to accommodations:

Here are some additional Arabic words and phrases that can be useful for travelers:

In the following two scenarios, we’ll explore some common situations a traveler may encounter while visiting an Arabic-speaking country. In Scenario 1 , our tourist interacts with a local resident to get information about public transportation and the city’s layout. In Scenario 2 , the tourist checks into a hotel, inquiring about room availability and payment options.  In Scenario 3 , our tourist is dining at a restaurant. They discuss dietary preferences and ask about the menu with a waiter, and in Scenario 4 , our traveler visits a tourist information center. They ask for a city map and inquire about a specific location.

These scenarios demonstrate the practical use of the essential Arabic phrases and vocabulary we learned for travelers in real-life situations .

Real-Life Arabic

Tourist: مرحبا!ً كم تبعد المدينة من هنا؟

(Hello! How far is the city from here?)

Local: تبعد المدينة حوالي خَمسَةَ كيلومترات من هنا. هل ترغب في السّير على الأقدام أو استخدام وسائل النّقل العامّ؟

(The city is about 5 kilometers from here. Do you prefer to walk or use public transportation?)

Tourist: أفضل استخدام وسائل النّقل العامّ. مِن أين يمكنني شراء تذاكر الحافلة؟

(I prefer to use public transportation. Where can I buy bus tickets?)

Local: يمكنك شراء تذاكر الحافلة من أجهزة البيع الآلي في محطة الحافلات أو داخل الحافلة نفسها.

(You can buy bus tickets from vending machines at the bus station or inside the bus itself.)

Tourist: شكراً! هل يمكنني الحصول على خريطة المدينة؟

(Thank you! Can I get a map of the city?)

Local: بالطّبع! يمكنك الحصول على خريطة مجّانية من مكتب السّياحة أو تنزيل تطبيق على هاتفك الذكي.

(Of course! You can get a free map from the tourism office or download an app on your smartphone).

Tourist: مرحباً! أريد غرفة فندقيّة لمدة ثلاثة أيام. هل لديكم غرف متاحة؟

(Hello! I want a hotel room for three days. Do you have available rooms?)

Receptionist: نعم، لدينا غرف متاحة. هل تفضّل غرفةً مزدوجةً أم مفردةً؟

(Yes, we have available rooms. Do you prefer a double or a single room?)

Tourist: أريد غرفة مزدوجةً من فضلك. هل يمكنني استخدام بطاقة الائتمان هنا؟

(I want a double room, please. Can I use my credit card here?)

Receptionist: بالطّبع! يمكنك استخدام بطاقة الائتمان للدّفع.

(Of course! You can use your credit card for payment.)

Tourist: ما هو رقم الهاتف الخاصّ بالفندق؟

(What is the hotel’s phone number?)

Receptionist: رقم الهاتف الخاصّ بالفندق هو 123-456-7890. إذا كنت بحاجة إلى أي مساعدة أخرى، لا تتردد في الاتصال بنا.

(The hotel’s phone number is 123-456-7890. If you need any further assistance, please don’t hesitate to contact us.)

Tourist: شكراً لمساعدتك!

(Thank you for your help!)

Receptionist: وداعاً ! استمتع بإقامتك!

(Goodbye! Enjoy your stay! )

Tourist: مرحبا! أنا نباتي. هل لديكم خيارات نباتية؟

(Hello! I’m a vegetarian. Do you have vegetarian options?)

Waiter: نعم، لدينا العديد من الخيارات النباتية. يمكنك الاطلاع على القائمة هنا.

(Yes, we have many vegetarian options. You can check the menu here.)

Tourist: هل هذا الطبق حار؟

(Is this dish spicy?)

Waiter: لا، هذا الطبق ليس حارًا.

(No, this dish is not spicy.)

Tourist: رائع! أود طاولة لشخصين، من فضلك.

(Great! I’d like a table for two, please.)

Waiter: بالطبع، تفضل.

(Of course, right this way.)

Tourist: مرحبا! هل يمكنني الحصول على خريطة المدينة؟

(Hello! Can I get a map of the city?)

Information Officer: بالطبع! ها هي خريطة المدينة. هل تحتاج إلى مساعدة في تحديد المواقع؟

(Of course! Here is the city map. Do you need help identifying the locations?)

Tourist: نعم، من فضلك. أين المتحف الوطني؟

(Yes, please. Where is the National Museum?)

Information Officer: إنه في الجزء الشرقي من المدينة، يمكنك استخدام الخريطة للوصول إليه.

(It’s in the eastern part of the city. You can use the map to get there.)

We hope this excellent collection of Arabic travel words and phrases has been helpful. We’re wrapping up for today, dear learners, and I truly hope you’ve found our journey through these Arabic travel phrases and real-life scenarios valuable. You know, these words and phrases are more than just tools for communication – they’re your keys to connecting with the people and culture of the Arabic-speaking world.

Speaking even a little bit of the local language can make your travel experiences richer and more memorable. And trust me, locals always appreciate it when visitors try to speak their language, even if it’s just a few words or phrases.

So, keep practicing these phrases – they’re your first steps into the beautiful world of the Arabic language. And remember, there’s so much more to discover beyond these basics.

As you set off on your travels, remember to stay curious, enjoy every moment, and embrace the joy of learning a new language. And above all, have a wonderful journey. Wishing you all safe travels, or as we say in Arabic, رحلة سعيدة – ‘Happy Journey’!

Now, to assist you further in your Arabic language journey, I’m excited to share with you a comprehensive planner we’ve created. It has a 30-page worksheet complemented by over 200 exercises and activities designed to enhance your grasp of the Arabic language. This resource is an excellent companion to your studies and will provide you with structured practice to help you retain and apply what you’ve learned.

https://www.alifbee.app/planner

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29 Travel and Travel Writing

Maria Pretzler is Lecturer in Ancient History at Swansea University.

• Published: 18 September 2012
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Greek travellers tried to take their city with them: travel is typically conducted as a civic act, one justified and defined by one's tie to the city: trade, for example, or martial aggression, or colonization. This article discusses the range of travel experiences reflected in surviving literature. The study of ancient travel focuses on the process of travelling, on individual travellers' movements and their reactions to particular journeys and places. The evidence is therefore mainly literary, with valuable additions from epigraphic sources. The remains of sites that were particularly attractive to ancient travellers, depictions of their means of transport, shipwrecks, and traces of ancient roads can add further information. Greek travel literature had a strong influence on early modern geography and ethnography, and it still has an impact on how people understand the Greek world.

G reeks liked to think about their world by tracing colonists' movements from the old motherland to distant Mediterranean shores: they considered mobility as a crucial factor in defining what, and who, was essentially Greek. Myth and epic poetry set the scene by depicting an earlier age of travellers, be it the Achaeans on their overseas campaign against Troy and then on their tortuous journeys to return home, or adventurous heroes such as Heracles or Jason and the many founders of Greek cities everywhere. For us, the Odyssey in particular provides a wide range of responses to the experience of travelling overseas in the crucial period when Greek colonization began to shape the ancient Mediterranean as we know it. In Odysseus' tales we encounter a variety of travellers engaged in friendships, diplomacy, and marriage outside their own community, and many people risking adventures for gain through trade, piracy, war, or increased knowledge. Others were forced to leave their home, either displaced as slaves or seeking refuge after conflict. Odysseus, always longing to go home to Ithaca while experiencing both the benefits and the horrors of a long overseas journey, shows how the image of the traveller could be reconciled with that other crucial aspect of Greek identity, a close and lasting connection to one's polis. Many did, however, not return home: by the end of the archaic period we find hundreds of colonies, new poleis, around the coasts of the Mediterranean, and some Greeks sought opportunities well beyond the regions settled by colonists.

It is possible to document complex and dense connections between places and regions around the ancient Mediterranean and beyond (Horden and Purcell 2000 ), but most of the evidence for high levels of connectivity in the ancient world does not provide information about the actual process of travelling. The general and vague information derived from imported objects found on archaeological sites suggests the movements of people without offering much insight into the mode or direction of particular journeys. Nevertheless, the general observation that travel was not an exceptional activity in the ancient world should inform our approach to ancient texts dealing with travel experiences. The study of ancient travel focuses on the process of travelling, on individual travellers' movements and their reactions to particular journeys and places. The evidence is therefore mainly literary, with valuable additions from epigraphic sources. The remains of sites which were particularly attractive to ancient travellers, depictions of their means of transport, shipwrecks, and traces of ancient roads can add further information.

Much of what we know about ancient travel concerns the small, eloquent elite that generally dominated the ancient literary record. Throughout antiquity travel was a part of life for wealthy individuals who were involved in the affairs of their community. They were particularly active in maintaining contacts beyond their community, from the elaborate guest-friendships of the Homeric epics to embassies to the emperor in the Roman period. Throughout antiquity, members of the elite relied on widespread contacts which could include acquaintances who were not Greek. Travelling as we see it in most ancient texts was expensive, because eminent people travelled in grand style, with numerous attendants and considerable luggage (Casson 1994 : 176–8). Early Christian texts, particularly the Gospels, Acts, and some of St Paul's epistles, look beyond the small, wealthy elite and offer a different cultural perspective, but this valuable source-material has yet to be fully integrated with classical scholarship.

Information about the activities and routines of ancient travel has to be pieced together from disparate references in ancient texts, and the bulk of the evidence dates from the Roman period (Casson 1974 ; Camassa and Fasce 1991 ; André and Baslez 1993 ). The preferred mode of long-distance travel was by ship: not only was sea travel faster and more comfortable (e.g. Pliny, Epistles 10.17a; Casson 1974 : 67–8, 178–82), but few important Greek sites were located far from the sea. Journeys on land probably often meant walking, even for long distances, although wealthy travellers would use carriages. Mainland Greece at least had a dense road network suitable for vehicles which reached even remote, mountainous locations. Many of these roads date back to the archaic or early classical period and they were in use until the end of antiquity (Pikoulas 2007 ; Pritchett 1980 : 143–96). These practical aspects of ancient travel are rarely the focus of modern research, but they are crucial for our understanding of how ancient travellers interpreted their surroundings. The slow pace of ancient journeys facilitated intensive encounters with landscapes, sites, and local people, while ancient travellers were often less interested in the wider context of their location. Geographical overviews and accurate maps of large regions seem to have remained the domain of scholarly experts, while many travellers may have adopted a view which organizes the landscape along particular routes without paying much attention to a ‘global’ perspective (cf. the Peutinger Table and Pausanias, with Snodgrass 1987 : 81–6).

Trade, war, and the search for opportunities may have accounted for a majority of individual journeys in antiquity (Purcell 1996 ), but these activities are rarely at the centre of attention. Journeys made for the sake of travelling, usually for the spiritual and intellectual benefit of a particular individual, account for much of the information about travel experiences that can be found in ancient texts, and modern scholarship reflects this emphasis on what we might call ‘cultural travel’. Early Greek travellers were often engaged in new discoveries, encountering unknown regions and strange cultures. The exploration by Greeks of regions around the western Mediterranean and the Black Sea may be reflected in the epic tradition, particularly the Odyssey , although it came too early to leave credible traces in the literary record. Areas beyond the Mediterranean remained largely unknown well into the Hellenistic period. The Atlantic coasts of both Europe and Africa were occasionally visited by explorers who recorded their observations, for example Hanno and Pytheas of Massalia (Carpenter 1966 ). Egypt and the Middle East had always been more accessible to the Greeks, not least because there they encountered highly developed cultures that were much older than their own.

By the end of the archaic period Greeks had travelled widely and extended the boundaries of their known world: from Egypt they had reached the upper Nile Valley and brought news of regions further south, and, from the sixth century, knowledge about distant regions of the East as far as India could be obtained through good connections with the Persians. Herodotus criticizes the theories about the shape of the earth inferred from such information by the geographical theorists of sixth-century Ionia, but he also testifies to the usefulness of maps created in this period and he includes geographical information about distant regions in his own work (Herodotus 4.39, 5.49; Harrison 2007 ). Alexander's conquests in the East and the expansion of the Roman empire, especially in western Europe, provided the Greeks with opportunities to reach hitherto unknown regions and to obtain more detailed geographical information (Polybius 3.59; Clarke 1999 ). The edges of the earth, however, remained a matter of legends about unusual peoples and cultures and wondrous natural phenomena (Hartog 1988 : 12–33; Romm 1992 ). All surviving ancient explorers' tales have been subjected to intense scrutiny to match them to actual regions and cultures. Recent scholarly attention, however, has been focused on the particularly Greek perspective on alien cultures which often describes strange people in terms of stark contrasts with what was familiar to the writer and his audience. In fact, authors dealing with ‘barbarians’ often seem more concerned with exploring their own culture than with giving an accurate picture of a distant region and its people. (Hartog 1988 : 212–59).

Most ancient travellers stayed within the familiar confines of the Mediterranean, but there was plenty of scope for ‘cultural’ travel in the Greek world and among its immediate neighbours. Educated Greeks would embark on sightseeing tours to visit famous places, for example a number of historical sites in mainland Greece, including Athens, Olympia, Delphi, and perhaps Sparta, some of the cultural centres of Asia Minor such as Ephesus or Pergamon, and Ilium as the main location of the Trojan War. Egypt, with its spectacular ancient sites (Casson 1974 : 253–61), was also an attractive destination. These sightseeing activities are sometimes described as ancient tourism, but this term is rather misleading because it invites analogies with the seasonal mass movements of today. The Grand Tours of wealthy Europeans of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries would be a more appropriate analogy (see Cohen 1992 ). Most visitors were particularly interested in ancient monuments with historical connections, artworks by famous artists, and sights that could be classified as curiosities. In most places with important historical monuments a visitor could employ professional tourist-guides to explain the sights, and wealthy travellers could apparently rely on members of the local elite to provide a tour appropriate for refined tastes and educated interests (as Plutarch does in his work On the Pythia's Prophecies ; and cf. Jones 2001 ).

In recent years ancient pilgrimage has attracted particular interest (Hunt 1984 ; Dillon 1997 ; Elsner 1997 ; Elsner and Rutherford 2005 : esp. 1–30). The applicability of this term to the activities of ancient travellers is contentious (Morinis 1992 : 1–28; Scullion 2005 : 121–30), but valuable interpretations of ancient texts have emerged from this line of enquiry. Throughout antiquity many sanctuaries saw large numbers of visitors, and some festivals could attract considerable crowds. Many people undertook such visits on their own initiative, but states also maintained regular official links with specific sanctuaries beyond their borders. The concept of pilgrimage invites new enquiries into the function and meaning of such journeys, especially as a means of defining identities and collective memories. Pilgrimage can also be a useful category in assessing ancient attitudes to historical sites. After all, the classical texts played a dominant role in the lives of educated Greeks and determined their approach to places that were in some way linked to the literary tradition. Historical sites, such as important battle-fields or places that played a crucial role in the Homeric epics, allowed visitors to explore localities with which they were intimately familiar from their reading since childhood, and which were part of a common Greek consciousness. Visits to such places could therefore have a profound effect which cannot easily be distinguished from a spiritual or religious experience (Hunt 1984 ). This approach to spiritual, cultural, and emotional aspects of pagan visits to significant places also allows a new evaluation of Christian pilgrimage in late antiquity (e.g. Egeria), by considering it in the context of earlier, pre-Christian traditions (Hunt 1982 ; Holum 1990 ).

Travelling was seen as an important source of knowledge and wisdom, and it was closely linked to the ideals of Greek culture and education ( paideia ) (Pretzler 2007 b ). A traveller could learn by seeing and experiencing different places and civilizations for himself, and he might gain access to information which was not available in Greece. The Greeks were aware that some civilizations were far more ancient than their own, and they assumed that in some countries, for example Egypt, Mesopotamia, or India, travellers might be able to acquire considerable knowledge, particularly about the remote past. There were many legends about the extensive journeys of famous sages such as Solon or Pythagoras, echoed by later traditions about the adventures of Apollonius of Tyana, or Dio Chrysostom's claims about his own wanderings while he was in exile (Hartog 2001 : 5, 90–1, 108–16, 199–209). In the Roman period, many aspiring young men from all over the Roman world travelled to acquire a Greek education: they would move to one of the leading cultural centres such as Pergamon, Athens, or Smyrna to study with a distinguished sophist. Prominent intellectuals could enhance their reputation by travelling to give lecture tours and to compete with their peers (Anderson 1993 : 2–30). Educated Greeks were therefore expected to be acquainted with famous cities and sites, and such personal knowledge influenced intellectual debates and texts. Experience gained through travelling became particularly important to enhance the credibility of arguments and reports. Authors often stress that they have personally seen places or witnessed events they are describing, and such claims of autopsia became a standard literary topos, particularly in historical and geographical works (e.g. Thucydides 1.1; Strabo 2.5.11; Polybius 3.4; Nenci 1953 ; Lanzillotta 1988 ; Jacob 1991 : 91–4).

While travelling and travel experiences play a crucial role in many ancient texts, there is no clearly defined genre of Greek travel literature. Modern examples of the genre often offer an insight into personal experiences on a journey, and they reflect reactions to strange landscapes, places, and people (Campbell 2002 ). Few ancient texts cover any of these aspects extensively, and a study of literary responses to travel experiences needs to include texts which touch upon the subject although they belong to different genres. There is no comprehensive modern study of Greek travel writing, and the re-evaluation of relevant texts as travel literature is a relatively recent phenomenon (e.g. Elsner 2001 ; Hutton 2005 ; Roy 2007 ); much work remains to be done in this field. As far as we can tell, the expectations of ancient readers of travel texts differed considerably from those of their modern counterparts. Few ancient writers provide a clear sense of the topography of a place, and they rarely attempt to create a comprehensive image of a location that would allow readers to visualize what the traveller has seen. In fact, ancient travel writers are usually very selective about what to report: particular features of a landscape are usually only mentioned if they represent a curiosity or if they are relevant to the author's aims, for example sporadic topographical details in a historian's account of a battle. Detailed descriptions of objects were the subject of rhetorical exercises ( ekphrasis ), and landscape descriptions play a particular role in pastoral poetry, but they rarely take up much space in ancient travel accounts (Bartsch 1989 : 7–10; Pretzler 2007 a : 57–63, 105–17).

Ancient travel writing (in the widest sense) can be roughly divided into two categories: on the one hand there are accounts of particular journeys, and on the other hard there are texts which present facts about places or cultures without discussing the process of travelling. The tradition of such ‘factual’ geographical texts was traced back to the ‘Catalogue of Ships’ in the Iliad (2.484–760; cf. 2.815–77), which provides a list of Greek cities and tribes in a roughly geographical order. The earliest geographical texts probably took the form of periploi (e.g. ps. -Scylax), essentially seafarers' logs describing coastlines with important places and landmarks, or stadiasmoi which listed paces and distances along overland routes (Giesinger 1937 ; Janni 1984 : 120–30). Hecataeus' Periodos Gēs developed this genre further by combining a periplous -style description of the world with a scientific discussion of the shape of the earth and the layout of the continents. Later geographers continued to rely on verbal descriptions of coastlines and regional topographies which were never fully superseded by maps (Janni 1984 : 15–19; Jacob 1991 : 35–63). As Strabo shows, geographical works could include information about the landscape, history, and culture of particular places. Texts dealing with particular regions, for example local histories (e.g. Atthidography, Arrian's Bithyniaca ), could go into more detail and would usually rely on an intimate knowledge of landscape, monuments, and local traditions.

Most descriptions of regions and sites were probably mainly interested in historical monuments, religious sites, and significant artworks, not unlike the ‘cultural’ travel-guides of today (Bischoff 1937 ; Hutton 2005 : 247–63). Only two such works survive, Lucian's On the Syrian Goddess , a description of the sanctuary of Atargatis in Hierapolis which is clearly not meant entirely seriously (Lightfoot 2003 ), and Pausanias' Periēgēsis Hellados , ten books describing the Peloponnese and a part of central Greece which represent the longest extant ancient travel text (Habicht 1985 ; Alcock, Elsner, and Cherry 2001 ; Hutton 2005 ; Pretzler 2007 a ). Pausanias, a Greek from Asia Minor carried out extensive research between about 160 and 180 ce , but he rarely refers to his own travel experiences, probably in order to maintain his credibility as an objective observer. Pausanias shows little interest in the life of contemporary communities or the natural landscape. Instead, he focuses on sites with a historical or religious significance, and he provides detailed information about the symbolic and cultural interpretations that Greeks could attach to the landscape. The Periēgēsis follows a long ethnographic tradition, and particularly Herodotus, but instead of reflecting on his own identity by contrasting it with the strange customs of barbarians, Pausanias applies his observations to the heartlands of the Greek world, and he presents an intensive study of the history and state of Greek culture in his own time. A fragment of an early Hellenistic description of Greece by Heraclides Criticus offers a very different view of the landscape of Attica and Boeotia (Pfister 1951 ; Arenz 2006 ). He adopts an often humorous and somewhat flippant tone to comment on the customs and character of contemporary people and on general conditions for a traveller. Heraclides also records his impressions of the landscape and the general appearance of the cities on his route: his approach to the landscape remains unique among the preserved ancient Greek travel texts.

It seems that authors who described places without discussing a particular journey found it easier to assert their credibility. Accounts of individual journeys had a long tradition, but such stories rarely allowed clear distinctions between fact and fiction. Heated discussions about the veracity of tales about distant regions show that ancient readers were aware of this problem, but their conclusions about particular texts often do not agree with modern opinions (e.g. Strabo 1.2.2–19; Romm 1992 : 184–93; Prontera 1993 ). Fictional travel accounts should therefore be included in any study of ancient travel literature because they add to the range of possible literary responses to travel experiences, even if they may not provide factual information about ‘real’ places or journeys. Greek travel writing begins with a fictional tale, namely the Odyssey , with its stories about monsters and incredible events (Jacob 1991 : 24–30; Hartog 2001 ). What is more, its main narrator, Odysseus, is clearly an unreliable reporter who tells untrue stories (‘Cretan tales’) about himself and his adventures, and the epic demonstrates how a traveller can construct false tales which will stand up to scrutiny. Odysseus therefore was a hard act to follow: in his wake no traveller reporting adventures in distant lands could be without suspicion, and many did indeed feel free to add fantastic details to their accounts. The earliest explorers' accounts usually took the form of a periplous which would include some details about specific adventures and discoveries (e.g. Hanno, Pytheas of Massalia). In the Roman period, Arrian revisited the genre and demonstrated its potential complexities: he reports his activities as governor of Cappadocia in a Periplous of the Black Sea , which also allows him to explore his own position as a Greek with multiple identities (Stadter 1980 : 32–41; Hutton 2005 : 266–71; Pretzler 2007 b : 135–6).

Few ancient travel accounts deal with emotional responses to a journey or the transforming impact of the experience on an individual's character, knowledge, or spiritual state. Aristides' Sacred Tales are unique in presenting the authors' personal perspective on his activities, including many journeys, in the pursuit of health and a special relationship with Asclepius (Behr 1968 : 116–28). Most texts dealing with such personal experiences are fictional, and can take the form of extensive accounts, for examples a trip to India in Philostratus' Life of Apollonius , or the Greek novels that usually send their main characters on convoluted journeys before they can settle down to live happily ever after (Morgan 2007 ; Rohde 1960 : 178–310). Some travel authors make no attempt to disguise the fact that their stories are invented, and this can lead to fresh perspectives on the experience of travel. For example, Apuleius' Golden Ass (cf. Lucian, Ass ) takes the opportunity to consider a journey from the point of view of a beast of burden, and it describes a spiritual transformation which turns the main character into a devout follower of Isis. The story also provides a rare chance to observe various travellers who are not members of the elite (Schlam 1992 ; Millar 1981 ). Lucian's fantastic stories ( Lovers of Lies, True Histories ) and other examples of ancient fiction can be seen as a humorous exploration of the many devices employed by travel writers to make their accounts believable (Ní Mheallaigh 2008 ).

Travel accounts could recover some credibility in the context of historiography: after all, Herodotus' Enquiries ( Historiai ) involved extensive travelling around the eastern Mediterranean, and autopsy remained crucial to enhance a historian's authority. Some journeys were themselves historical events, for example long military campaigns, and they inspired a new kind of travel account which owed much to historiography but could also follow some of the conventions of ancient adventurers' tales. Xenophon's Anabasis is the most extensive personal account of a specific journey that survives from antiquity, although the author never admits that he is in fact one of the main characters in the story. Xenophon includes specific information about distances, topography, flora, fauna, and local people, and he gives the impression that decades after the events he can draw on detailed memories, perhaps even a travelogue (Cawkwell 2004 ; Roy 2007 ). His perspective, however, is not that of an explorer whose main aim it is to describe a foreign region, but that of a historian who includes details about landscape and people when they are relevant to the events described. Alexander's conquests inspired a number of participants to write accounts which probably took the form of historical accounts in the mould of Xenophon's Anabasis (Pearson 1960 ). In the East, Alexander's military operations turned into a journey of exploration, and his scientific staff gathered reliable, factual information about areas which had hitherto been almost unknown to the Greeks (Strabo 1.2.1; 2.1.6). Well-founded knowledge could, however, be superseded by fantasy: if Strabo (2.1.9) is anything to go by, realistic reports about India did not have a lasting impact and were soon replaced by the old traditions about an exotic land full of strange wonders (Seel 1961 ; Romm 1992 : 94–109). Alexander's campaign became itself the subject of the Alexander Romance , which reinterpreted historical events in the tradition of myths and fictional adventure stories: in ancient travel writing, imagination could sometimes be stronger than reality.

Like Odysseus, Greek travellers are often unreliable witnesses of places and events they have seen, but their tales offer great insights into ancient perceptions of the world. Greek travel literature had a strong influence on early modern geography and ethnography, and it still has an impact on how we understand the Greek world. Since the Renaissance, western travellers who set out to discover the eastern Mediterranean relied on ancient texts to guide them to classical sites and to help them interpret the historical landscape. They also drew on similarities between the reactions of travellers in the Roman period and their own feelings about ancient sites and the loss of Greek culture. Ultimately, our understanding of antiquity owes much to ancient travellers who contributed their observations and interpretations to the definition of Greek culture and identity. The reception of ancient travel literature, especially of major texts such as Strabo or Pausanias, deserves attention, not least in the context of the development of our own disciplines, namely Classics, Ancient History, and Classical Archaeology.

Suggested Reading

The classic account of many facets of ancient travel in English is Casson (1994) . Casson gathers the ancient evidence to describe the activities and aims of ancient travellers, and his work offers a useful introduction to the subject. André and Baslez (1993) cover similar ground, but in addition to gathering and digesting the sources their work also reflects more recent developments in the study of ancient travel, and they offer more discussion of the cultural and intellectual context of their material. Two collections of articles on travel and travel writing, namely Camassa and Fasce (1991) and Adams and Roy (2007) , provide a good insight into a variety of lines of enquiry that have influenced the study of ancient travel in recent years.

Ancient travel writing has mainly been covered in works about specific authors. Recently the study of Pausanias in particular has led to further investigations of travel and travel writing. Pretzler (2007 a ) offers a general discussion of ancient travel, travel literature, and attitudes to geography and landscapes. Hutton (2005) analyses methods of travel writing, with a particular emphasis on the geographical structure of texts that deal with landscapes. Alcock, Cherry, and Elsner (2001) presents a wide range of approaches, including a number of papers discussing the reception of Pausanias.

Travel to distant places and the role the edges of the known world played in the imagination has been at the centre of stimulating discussion in recent years. Carpenter (1966) provides a basic overview of ancient explorers and their discoveries on the margins of the oikoumenē . Ideas about distant regions are discussed in Romm (1992) , and Hartog (1988 and 2001 ) contributes many valuable insights. Pilgrimage is another special aspect of travelling that has recently attracted a good deal of scholarly attention: much progress has been made in the analysis of pilgrimage in an ancient pagan as well as an early Christian context. Elsner and Rutherford (2005) is a collection of conference papers which offer a good overview of recent debates.

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Basic Arabic Phrases For Travel

• Last Updated: April 5, 2024

Even though it may be intimidating at first, making an effort to learn a handful of Arabic words and phrases can go a long way when travelling throughout the Middle East and North Africa.

Whether you’re exploring the deserts of Oman , the souks of Morocco, or the ancient ruined cities of Egypt, being able to speak even a tiny bit of Arabic can transform your travels.

I’ve travelled extensively throughout the Arabic-speaking world. Everywhere I’ve been, the locals were thrilled when I tried speaking a few words of their language.

Not only does it make your travels smoother, but it also opens the door to a huge wealth of experiences, and the hospitality that the region is famous for.

Table of Contents

Basic Words in Arabic

Arabic is a rich language spoken by over 375 million people , mainly across North Africa and the Middle East. It has many different dialects, reflecting the vast cultural and geographical spread of the people who speak it.

Take the first steps on your Arabic language journey with these essential words.

Don’t forget: Arabic is written from right to left, the opposite of English!

• مرحبًا – Marḥaban – Hello
• وداعًا – Wada’an – Goodbye
• شكرًا – Shukran – Thank you
• على الرحب والسعة – ‘Ala al-rahb wal-sa’ah – You’re welcome
• من فضلك – Min fadlik – Please
• نعم – Na’am – Yes
• لا – Lā – No
• صباح الخير – Sabāḥ al-khayr – Good morning
• مساء الخير – Masā’ al-khayr – Good evening
• تحية طيبة بعد الظهر – Taḥiyyah ṭayyibah ba‘d al-ẓuhr – Good afternoon
• عفوًا – Afwan – Excuse me
• طعام – Ṭa‘ām – Food
• ماء – Mā’ – Water
• حمام – Ḥammām – Bathroom

Common Arabic Phrases

The journey of learning Arabic is as beautiful as it is challenging but the rewards are huge.

These everyday phrases are your key to unlocking daily interactions in Arabic. They’ll help you feel more connected and confident as you navigate through conversations.

Note that the following phrases are in Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) and might vary a little depending on which country you’re in.

• السلام عليكم – As-salamu alaykum – Peace be upon you (formal greeting)
• كيف حالك؟ – Kayfa ḥālak? – How are you?
• أنا بخير، شكرًا – Anā bikhayr, shukran – I’m good thanks
• تشرفت بمعرفتك – Tasharraft bima‘rifatik – Nice to meet you
• اسمي… – Ismī… – My name is…
• أنا آسف – Anā āsif – I’m sorry
• معذرة – Ma‘dhira – Excuse me
• هل يمكنك مساعدتي؟ – Hal yumkinuk musā‘adatī? – Can you help me?
• ما أجملها! – Mā ajmalahā! – How beautiful!
• إلى اللقاء – Ilā al-liqā’ – See you
• أراك لاحقًا – Arāka lāḥiqan – See you later
• حظًا سعيدًا – Ḥaẓzan sa‘īdan – Good luck!

Basic Arabic Phrases for Travellers

Here are some more useful phrases to keep in your pocket while exploring the Arabic-speaking world.

• لديّ حجز – Ladayya ḥajz – I have a reservation
• أين الحمام من فضلك؟ – Ayn al-ḥammām min fadlik? – Where are the bathrooms, please?
• كيف أصل إلى…؟ – Kayfa aṣil ilā…? – How do I get to ___?
• كم ثمن هذا؟ – Kam thaman hathā? – How much is this?
• هل تتحدث الإنجليزية؟ – Hal tataḥaddath al-‘Injlīziyyah? – Do you speak English?
• أين أقرب فندق؟ – Ayn aqrab funduq? – Where is the nearest hotel?
• أنا ضائع. هل يمكنك مساعدتي؟ – Anā ḍā’i‘. Hal yumkinuk musā‘adatī? – I’m lost. Can you help me?
• هل هذه المنطقة آمنة؟ – Hal hadhih al-mintaqah āminah? – Is this area safe?
• هل هذه المنطقة آمنة ليلاً؟ – Hal hadhih al-mintaqah āminah laylan? – Is this area safe at night?

Useful Arabic Phrases for Information

Gathering information is crucial, and these Arabic phrases make it easier. They’re perfect for inquiring and understanding more about your surroundings.

• لدي سؤال – Ladayya su’āl – I have a question
• ما اسم هذا بالعربية؟ – Mā ism hadhā bil-‘Arabīyah? – What is this called in Arabic?
• هل يمكنك التحدث ببطء من فضلك؟ – Hal yumkinuk al-taḥadduth bibuṭ’ min fadlik? – Can you speak slower, please?
• أنا لا أتحدث العربية جيدًا – Anā lā ataḥaddath al-‘Arabīyah jayyidan – I do not speak Arabic very well
• لا أفهم – Lā afham – I do not understand
• هل يمكنك تكرار ذلك من فضلك؟ – Hal yumkinuk takrār dhālik min fadlik? – Can you repeat that please?
• أنا بحاجة إلى معلومات – Anā biḥājat ilā ma‘lūmāt – I need information
• أين مكتب المعلومات؟ – Ayn maktab al-ma‘lūmāt? – Where is the information office?
• ما معنى هذا؟ – Mā ma‘nā hadhā? – What does this mean?
• كم الساعة الآن؟ – Kam al-sā‘ah al-’ān? – What time is it?
• ما هو عنوان بريدك الإلكتروني؟ – Mā huwa ‘unwān barīdik al-iliktrūnī? – What’s your email address?
• كيف تقول ____ بالعربية؟ – Kayfa taqūl ____ bil-‘Arabīyah? – How do you say ____ in Arabic?
• ما هذا/تلك؟ – Mā hadhā/tilka? – What is this/that?
• هل يمكنني استخدام هاتفك؟ – Hal yumkinnī istikhdam hātifak? – Can I use your phone?

Useful Phrases for Directions in Arabic

In your journey through the Arab world, knowing some basic yet invaluable direction-related phrases can be a major asset.

Navigate with ease using these direction-specific phrases. They’re your compass and will help you find your way.

• أين…؟ – Ayn…? – Where is the…?
• كيف أصل إلى…؟ – Kayfa aṣil ilā…? – How do I get to…?
• هل يمكنك أن تريني على الخريطة؟ – Hal yumkinuk an turīnī ‘alā al-kharīṭah? – Can you show me on the map?
• اذهب مباشرة – Idhhab mubāsharatan – Go straight ahead
• استدر يمينًا/يسارًا – Istadir yamīnan/yasāran – Turn right/left
• إنه قريب/بعيد – Innahu qarīb/ba‘īd – It’s near/far
• إنه حول الزاوية – Innahu ḥawl al-zāwiyah – It’s around the corner
• هذه الزاوية – Hādhih al-zāwiyah – This is the corner
• أي طريق إلى…؟ – Ayy ṭarīq ilā…? – Which way is it to…?
• هل يمكنني الذهاب هناك سيرًا على الأقدام أم أحتاج إلى تاكسي؟ – Hal yumkinnī al-dhahāb hunāk sayran ‘alā al-aqdām am aḥtāj ilā taksi? – Can I walk there or do I need a taxi?

Basic Arabic Phrases for Transportation

Navigating the transport options in Arabic-speaking countries can be an exciting yet challenging task for many travellers.

Ease your travel with these transportation phrases in Arabic. They’re vital for moving around, whether you’re taking a local bus in Marrakech, negotiating a taxi fare in Cairo, or hitching a ride in Oman .

• أين يمكنني أن أجد تاكسي؟ – Ayn yumkinnī an ajid taksi? – Where can I get a taxi?
• كم تكلفة الذهاب إلى…؟ – Kam taklifat al-dhahāb ilā…? – How much does it cost to go to…?
• أريد الذهاب إلى… – Urīd al-dhahāb ilā… – I want to go to…
• أين محطة الحافلات؟ – Ayn maḥaṭṭat al-ḥāfīlāt? – Where is the bus stop?
• أين محطة الحافلات؟ – Ayn maḥaṭṭat al-ḥāfīlāt? – Where is the bus station?
• متى يغادر القطار التالي؟ – Matā yughādir al-qiṭār al-tālī? – What time does the next train leave?
• كم من الوقت يستغرق الوصول إلى…؟ – Kam min al-waqt yastaghriq al-wuṣūl ilā…? – How long does it take to get to…?
• كيف أصل إلى المطار؟ – Kayfa aṣil ilā al-maṭār? – How do I get to the airport?
• هل هذه الحافلة تذهب إلى…؟ – Hal hadhih al-ḥāfilah tadhhab ilā…? – Does this bus go to…?
• أحتاج إلى تذكرة ذهاب وإياب – Aḥtāj ilā tadhkira dhahāb wa-iwāb – I need a round trip ticket
• أين يمكنني شراء التذاكر؟ – Ayn yumkinnī shirā’ al-tadhākir? – Where do I buy tickets?

See more: How to drive from Dubai to Oman

Basic Arabic Phrases About Accommodation

Ensure you have a comfortable stay with these accommodation phrases. They’ll help you communicate your needs and preferences clearly.

In addition, understanding how to ask about amenities or report issues will ensure your stay is comfortable and hassle-free.

• هل لديكم غرف متاحة؟ – Hal ladaykum ghuraf mutahah? – Do you have any rooms available?
• كم تكلفة الإقامة في الليلة الواحدة؟ – Kam taklifat al-iqāmah fī al-laylah al-wāhidah? – How much does it cost per night?
• هل الإفطار مشمول في السعر؟ – Hal al-ifṭār mashmūl fī al-si’r? – Is breakfast included in the price?
• أحتاج إلى غرفة مزدوجة – Aḥtāj ilā ghurfah muzdawjah – I need a double room
• هل يوجد غرفة بسريرين؟ – Hal yujad ghurfah bisarīrayn? – Is there a room with two beds?
• هل يوجد واي فاي مجاني؟ – Hal yujad Wi-Fi majānī? – Is there free Wi-Fi?
• هل يوجد تكييف في الغرفة؟ – Hal yujad takiyīf fī al-ghurfah? – Is there air conditioning?
• أين المصعد؟ – Ayn al-muṣ’ad? – Where is the elevator?
• أين الصالة الرياضية؟ – Ayn al-ṣālah al-riyāḍīyah? – Where is the gym?
• أرغب في حجز غرفة – Arghab fī ḥajz ghurfah – I would like to book a room
• هل توجد خدمة الغرف؟ – Hal tawjud khidmat al-ghuraf? – Is there room service?
• الغرفة قذرة – Al-ghurfah qadhirah – The room is dirty
• أشعر بالأمان في هذا الفندق – Ash’ur bil-amān fī hadhā al-funduq – I feel safe in this hotel
• هل لديكم محول قابس؟ – Hal ladaykum muḥawwil qābis? – Do you have a plug adaptor?
• أريد غرفة بإطلالة جميلة – Urīd ghurfah bi’iṭlālah jamīlah – I want a room with a nice view
• هل يوجد خزنة في الغرفة؟ – Hal yujad khizānah fī al-ghurfah? – Is there a safe in the room?
• هل يمكنكم إيقاظي الساعة (سبعة) صباحًا؟ – Hal yumkinukum i’iqāẓī al-sā‘ah (sab’ah) ṣabāḥan? – Can you wake me up at (Seven) a.m.?
• أحتاج إلى سرير للطفل – Aḥtāj ilā sarīr liṭ-ṭifl – I need a crib for the baby
• ما هو وقت تسجيل الخروج؟ – Mā huwa waqt tasjīl al-khurūj? – What’s the check-out time?

Helpful Arabic Phrases for Shopping

Shopping in Arabic countries is often a hugely immersive cultural experience, offering unique insights into the locals’ daily lives and traditions.

Going shopping is also an excellent chance to build basic vocabulary and practice common phrases. Try some of these.

• أبحث عن… – Abḥath ‘an… – I am looking for…
• كم ثمنه؟ – Kam thamanuh? – How much does it cost?
• هل يوجد خصم؟ – Hal yujad khaṣm? – Is there any discount?
• كم نسبة الخصم؟ – Kam nisbat al-khaṣm? – How much is the discount?
• هذا غالٍ جدًا – Hadhā ghālin jiddan – That’s too expensive
• هل يمكن تخفيض السعر؟ – Hal yumkin takhfīḍ al-si’r? – Can you lower the price?
• هل يمكنني الدفع ببطاقة الائتمان؟ – Hal yumkinnī al-daf’ bibiṭāqat al-’itmān? – Can I pay with a credit card?
• نقدًا فقط – Naqdān faqaṭ – Cash only
• هل يوجد هذا بحجم أكبر؟ – Hal yujad hadhā biḥajm akbar? – Do you have this in a larger size?
• هل يوجد هذا بلون آخر؟ – Hal yujad hadhā bilawn akhar? – Do you have this in another colour?
• أريد إعادة هذا – Urīd i‘ādat hadhā – I want to return this
• أين غرف القياس؟ – Ayn ghuraf al-qiyās? – Where are the fitting rooms?
• عفوًا، أين السوبر ماركت؟ – Afwan, ayn as-sūbar mārkit? – Excuse me, where’s the supermarket?
• أين متجر الملابس؟ – Ayn matjar al-malābis? – Where’s the clothing store?
• أحتاج إلى حقيبة – Aḥtāj ilā ḥaqībah – I need a bag
• أين يمكنني العثور على المنتجات المحلية؟ – Ayn yumkinnī al-‘uthūr ‘alā al-muntajāt al-maḥallīyah? – Where can I find local products?

Helpful Phrases for Dining Out in Arabic-Speaking Countries

No culinary tour in an Arabic-speaking country would be complete without mastering some essential phrases to enhance your dining experience.

Whether you’re sniffing out tasty street food or sitting down to eat in a high-end restaurant, communication is key to having the best experience. These dining phrases will help you enjoy the local cuisine and food culture.

• هل يمكنني الحصول على طاولة لشخصين؟ – Hal yumkinnī al-ḥuṣūl ‘alā ṭāwilah li-shakhsayn? – Can I get a table for two?
• من فضلك، هل يمكنك أن تريني القائمة؟ – Min fadlik, hal yumkinuk an turīnī al-qā’imah? – Can you please show me the menu?
• ما هو طبق اليوم؟ – Mā huwa ṭabaq al-yawm? – What is the dish of the day?
• أرغب في… – Arghab fī… – I would like…
• هل يمكنك اقتراح شيء لي؟ – Hal yumkinuk iqtirāḥ shay’ lī? – Could you suggest something for me?
• ماذا توصي بأن آكل؟ – Mādhā tūṣī bi-an akul? – What do you recommend to eat?
• أنا مصاب بحساسية من… – Anā muṣāb bi-ḥasāsīyah min… – I’m allergic to…
• هل هذا الطبق يحتوي على…؟ – Hal hadhā al-ṭabaq yaḥtawī ‘alā…? – Does this dish contain…?
• هل لديكم خيارات للنباتيين أو النباتيين الصارمين؟ – Hal ladaykum khyārāt lil-nabātīyīn aw al-nabātīyīn al-ṣārimīn? – Do you have vegetarian/vegan options?
• أنا لا آكل اللحم/السمك/منتجات الألبان – Anā lā akul al-laḥm/al-samak/muntajāt al-albān – I don’t eat meat/fish/dairy
• هل هذا مناسب للنباتيين؟ – Hal hadhā munāsib lil-nabātīyīn? – Is this suitable for vegetarians?
• ما هذا؟ – Mā hadhā? – What is this?
• أعجبني هذا – A‘jabanī hadhā – I like it
• هل يمكنني الحصول على الفاتورة من فضلك؟ – Hal yumkinnī al-ḥuṣūl ‘alā al-fātūrah min fadlik? – Can I have the bill, please?
• كان لذيذًا! شكرًا لك – Kān ladhīdhan! Shukran lak – It was delicious! Thank you

Remember, these phrases are just a starting point and can be further modified based on your personal dietary preferences and needs.

Arabic Question Words

Most, if not all, meaningful conversations involve asking or responding to questions. Questions are the heart of understanding, and these Arabic question words are essential for delving deeper and satisfying your curiosity.

• ماذا؟ – Mādhā? – What?
• أين؟ – Ayn? – Where?
• متى؟ – Matā? – When?
• من؟ – Man? – Who?
• لماذا؟ – Limādhā? – Why?
• كيف؟ – Kayf? – How?
• أي؟ – Ay? – Which?
• كم؟ – Kam? – How much?
• كم عدد؟ – Kam ‘adad? – How many?
• لمن؟ – Liman? – Whose?
• هل هو/هي…؟ – Hal huwa/hiya…? – Is it…?
• هل يمكن…؟ – Hal yumkin…? – Can…
• هل سيكون…؟ – Hal sayakūn…? – Will…
• من هذا؟ – Man hadhā? – Who is that?
• كيف هو/هي؟ – Kayf huwa/hiya? – How is it?
• لماذا هو/هي…؟ – Limādhā huwa/hiya…? – Why is it?
• لماذا هذا؟ – Limādhā hadhā? – Why this?
• ماذا يوجد في…؟ – Mādhā yūjad fī…? – What is in…?
• أين…؟ – Ayn…? – Where is…?
• هل يوجد…؟ – Hal yūjad…? – Is there a…?

Numbers in Arabic

Understanding the Arabic numbering system is useful in a wide range of scenarios, especially when it comes to transactions, discussing times, and navigating transportation.

Arabic uses its own set of numerals which are different from the Latin (or “Roman”) numbers used in English and many other languages.

Below is a list of simple Arabic numbers along with some larger ones:

• ٠ – 0 – ( صفر – ṣifr )
• ١ – 1 – ( واحد – wāḥid )
• ٢ – 2 – ( اثنان – ithnān )
• ٣ – 3 – ( ثلاثة – thlāthah )
• ٤ – 4 – ( أربعة – arba’ah )
• ٥ – 5 – ( خمسة – khamsah )
• ٦ – 6 – ( ستة – sittah )
• ٧ – 7 – ( سبعة – sab’ah )
• ٨ – 8 – ( ثمانية – thamānyah )
• ٩ – 9 – ( تسعة – tis’ah )
• ١٠ – 10 – ( عشرة – asharah )
• ١١ – 11 – ( أحد عشر – aḥad ‘ashar )
• ١٢ – 12 – ( اثنا عشر – ithnā ‘ashar )
• ١٣ – 13 – ( ثلاثة عشر – thlāthah ‘ashar )
• ١٤ – 14 – ( أربعة عشر – arba’ah ‘ashar )
• ١٥ – 15 – ( خمسة عشر – khamsah ‘ashar )
• ١٦ – 16 – ( ستة عشر – sittah ‘ashar )
• ١٧ – 17 – ( سبعة عشر – sab’ah ‘ashar )
• ١٨ – 18 – ( ثمانية عشر – thamānyah ‘ashar )
• ١٩ – 19 – ( تسعة عشر – tis’ah ‘ashar )
• ٢٠ – 20 – ( عشرون – ishrūn )
• ٣٠ – 30 – ( ثلاثون – thlāthūn )
• ٤٠ – 40 – ( أربعون – arba’ūn )
• ٥٠ – 50 – ( خمسون – khamsūn )
• ٦٠ – 60 – ( ستون – sittūn )
• ٧٠ – 70 – ( سبعون – sab’ūn )
• ٨٠ – 80 – ( ثمانون – thamānūn )
• ٩٠ – 90 – ( تسعون – tis’ūn )
• ١٠٠ – 100 – ( مائة – mi’ah )
• ١٠٠٠ – 1,000 – ( ألف – alf )
• ١٠٬٠٠٠ – 10,000 – ( عشرة آلاف – asharah ālāf )
• ١٠٠٬٠٠٠ – 100,000 – ( مائة ألف – mi’ah alf )
• ١٬٠٠٠٬٠٠٠ – 1,000,000 – ( مليون – milyūn )

To create numbers in between these, combine the tens and units. For example:

• “Twenty-one” is ٢١ – ( واحد وعشرون – wāḥid wa ishrūn )
• “Thirty-two” is ٣٢ – ( اثنان وثلاثون – ithnān wa thlāthūn )

For numbers in the hundreds, thousands, and beyond, you combine the larger number with the smaller. For instance:

• “One hundred and twenty-three” is ١٢٣ – ( مائة وثلاثة وعشرون – mi’ah wa thlāthah wa ishrūn )
• “Two thousand and nineteen” is ٢٠١٩ – ( ألفان وتسعة عشر – alfān wa tis’ah ‘ashar )

Hindu-Arabic Numerals

Fun fact : the numbers that we use (1, 2, 3, etc.) are often described as “Arabic numerals” (or “ Hindu-Arabic numerals “). Despite being different from the numerals traditionally used in the Arab world, there are similarities between the two systems.

They both originated from an ancient numbering system developed in India that was transmitted to the Western world by Arab mathematicians.

Check out some of my other posts on learning languages for travel:

• Basic Amharic Phrases For Travel
• Basic Hebrew Phrases For Travel
• Basic Somali Phrases For Travel
• Basic Swahili Phrases For Travel

Final Thoughts

Learning a few basic words and phrases from the language of the country you’re visiting is always a great way to show respect and make a connection with locals.

Now you have lots of useful Arabic phrases you can use on your next trip. Armed with these Arabic phrases and words, you’re ready to explore the rich tapestry of the Arab world.

Language is more than just communication – it’s a path to cultural immersion and meaningful experiences. I hope this post helps you to discover the warmth of Arab hospitality.

Finally, if you want to take your Arabic learning to the next level, talkinarabic.com is a great website to check out.

Alex Tiffany

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• SafetyWing – if you’re a digital nomad like me, it’s essential that you have suitable insurance. It’s super flexible  and affordable , you can sign up for as little or as long as you want, and can activate and deactivate it whenever you need to.
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The 6 Must Know Arabic Phrases for Traveling Posted by jesa on Jun 7, 2015 in Arabic Language , Culture

Marhaba! Take a moment and enjoy the beautiful change of seasons. Wherever you are in the world, I am most certain that weather conditions look better than what they were a few weeks ago. It could be really humid or too hot, but still try to spend at least some part of your day in the beautiful sun. Speaking of changing seasons; it might be that time of the year when you are mapping your summer travel plans. Well, you might have made reservations already or still wondering what to do. In any case, today I want to provide you with what I think are the 6 essential Arabic phrases for traveling, especially if you are planning to vacation somewhere in the Arab world. In the past, I have discussed why I think you should learn Arabic now and why you should visit the Arab world to boost your learning journey of the beautiful Arabic language. I know that the political and security climate in many places around the Arab world is at the moment uncertain; however, there many places like Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan, and any of the Emirates that are relatively safer than neighboring Arab countries.

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So, if you are convinced to travel to the Arab world for all the reasons I mention and others of course, these are the 6 essential phrases that you can use the moment you land in the airport to check in your hotel room. In the near future, I will provide you all with other essential phrases for making the best out of your trip abroad. For now, let’s begin with the basics. I have also translated the phrases to Arabic and I have transliterated the phrases so that you are able to pronounce them. I have added them in form of dialogue to give you a sense of how the conversation might take place. Please note that there are many dialects in different Arab countries. Nonetheless, these basic phrases will be understood by almost anyone in the Arab world.

So, you’ve landed and now you need to get to your hotel ( الفندق ). Let’s assume you want to hail a cab/taxi (سيارة أجرة) to get your hotel. Amin: Greetings, excuse me, where can I get find taxis? أمين: مرحبا, من فضلك, أين ممكن أن أجد سيارة أجرة؟ Amin: Mar-ha-ba, min fad-lak, ay-na mum-kin an ajid sayya-rat uj-ra.

Airport official: Taxis are located at this side of the airport. مسؤول المطار: سيارات الاجرة موجودة في هذا الجانب من المطار Mas-ul al-ma-tar: Sayya-rat al-uj-ra maw-ju-da fi ha-tha al-ja-nib min al-ma-tar.

Amin: Thank you. أمين: شكراً Amin: Shuk-ran

Amin: Hello, I need you to take me to my hotel, which is located in Beirut near the American University of Beirut. Thank you. أمين: مرحبا, من فضلك أريد الوصول الى الفندق الواقع في بيروت قرب الجامعة الاميركية. شكراً Amin: Mar-ha-ba, min fad-lak u-reed al-wu-sul ila al-fun-duq al-wa-qih fi bay-rut qurb al-ja-mi-a al-ame-ri-ki-ya. Shuk-ran.

Once you pay your taxi fare and thank the driver, you get your luggage and you are the hotel.

Amin: Greetings, I have a reservation for a double room under the name Amin. أمين: مرحبا, لدي حجز لغرفة مزدوجة تحت اسم أمين Amin: Mar-ha-ba, la-da-ya ha-jiz li-ghur-fa muz-da-wi-ja tah-ta is-im Amin.

Hotel Staff: Yes, I see your reservation Mr. Amin موظف الفندق: نعم, أرى حجزك أستاذ أمين Mu-wa-thaf al-fun-duq: na-am, a-ra haj-za-ka us-tath Amin.

Amin: Please, just to confirm, does this room have a shower and bathtub? What about a balcony? أ مين: من فضلك, للتأكيد, هل يوجد دش وحوض للاستحمام في الغرفة؟ ماذا عن شرفة؟ Amin: Min fad-lak, lil-ta-keed, hal yu-jad douch wa hawd lil-is-tih-mam fi al-ghur-fa? Ma-tha an shur-fa?

Hotel Staff: Yes, Mr. Amin. You are right. Your room has a shower, bathtub, and a balcony overlooking the Mediterranean. موظف الفندق: نعم أستاذ أمين. غرفتك فيها دش, وحوض للاستحمام, وشرفة مطلة على البحر المتوسط Mu-wa-thaf al-fun-duq: na-am us-tath Amin. Ghur-fa-tu-ka fi-ha douch wa hawd lil-is-tih-mam wa shur-fa mu-til-la ala al-ba-hir al-mu-ta-wa-ssit.

Amin: Thank you. أمين: شكراً Amin: Shuk-ran.

Before you finalize checking in, you might want to ask the staff about breakfast and other related issues.

Amin: I believe my room includes breakfast for two. Please, could you tell me when does breakfast begin and end every day? أمين: أعتقد أن غرفتي تشمل وجبة فطور لشخصين. من فضلك, ممكن أن تعلمني متى يبدأ الفطور وينتهي كل يوم؟ Amin: Aa-ta-qid an-na ghur-fa-ti tash-mal waj-bat fu-tur li-shakh-sayn. Min fad-lak, mum-kin an tu-li-ma-ni ma-ta yab-da al-fu-tur wa yan-ta-hi kul yawm?

Hotel Staff: Of course, Mr. Amin. Breakfast is served everyday between 6 AM and 10 AM. موظف الفندق: طبعاً أستاذ أمين. الفطور يقدم كل يوم من الساعة السادسة صباحاً حتى العاشرة صباحاً Mu-wa-thaf al-fun-duq: tab-an us-tath Amin. Al-fu-tur yu-qa-ddam kul yawm min al-sa-a al-sa-di-sa sa-ba-han ha-tta al-a-shira sa-ba-han. Amin: Thank you. أمين: شكراً Amin: Shuk-ran

Amin: Could you please schedule a wake up call at 7.30 AM tomorrow? My wife and I have a long day of sightseeing. أمين: من فضلك, ممكن تدوين منبه للنهوض من خلال مكالمة غداً الساعة السابعة والنصف صباحاً؟ أنا وزوجتي لدينا يوم سياحة طويل Amin: Min fad-lak, mum-kin tad-ween mu-na-bih lil-nu-hud min khi-lal mu-ka-la-ma gha-dan al-sa-a al-sa-bi-a wa al-nu-sif sa-ba-han? Ana wa zaw-ja-ti la-day-na yawm si-ya-hi ta-wil.

Hotel Staff: Of course. I will schedule this wake up call immediately for 7.30 AM tomorrow. موظف الفندق: طبعاً, سوف أسجل مكالمة للنهوض حالاً للساعة السابعة والنصف غداّ Mu-wa-thaf al-fun-duq: Tab-an, saw-fa u-sa-jil mu-ka-la-ma lil-nu-hud ha-lan lil-sa-a al-sa-bi-a wa al-nu-sif gha-dan.

 Amin: Thank you for all the help. أمين: شكراً على كل مساعدتك Amin: Shuk-ran ala kul mu-sa-a-da-tak.

As you can see from these 6 phrases, these cover the basics. These phrases should allow me to check in easily. Take care and stay tuned for related posts in the near future.

For now take care and stay tuned for upcoming posts! Happy Learning! Have a nice day!! نهاركم سعيد

Build vocabulary, practice pronunciation, and more with Transparent Language Online. Available anytime, anywhere, on any device.

About the Author: jesa

Salam everyone! Born as an American to two originally Arab parents, I have been raised and have spent most of my life in Beirut, Lebanon. I have lived my good times and my bad times in Beirut. I was but a young child when I had to learn to share my toys and food with others as we hid from bombs and fighting during the Lebanese Civil War. I feel my connection to Arabic as both a language and culture is severing and so it is with you, my readers and fellow Arabic lovers, and through you that I wish to reestablish this connection by creating one for you.

73+ Essential Arabic Travel Phrases for Tourists in Arab Countries & Free PDF

Disclosure: This essential Arabic travel phrases for tourists article may contain affiliate links. If you click it and buy something you like, I’ll earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you! Read more in  Disclaimer .

Want to know what essential Arabic travel phrases for tourists are? Planning a journey to Dubai, UAE, Jordan, Egypt, Morocco, Oman or other places in the Middle East and North Africa? You are at the right place! If you are traveling to Egypt to see the Great Pyramids, or venturing to the UNESCO World Heritage site Petra in Jordan, knowing some basic Arabic words and phrases will be key to successful communication. Just like easy Arabic phrases “Marhaba” (Hello) and “Shukran” (Thank you). Learning common phrases in Arabic will come in handy when bargaining at local markets in Morocco or exploring the vibrant streets of Dubai. Want to know, what are those useful Arabic words for travel ?

🗩 If you have been wondering “What is Anja’s favorite Arabic word?”, you will find the answer hidden in the blog.

Middle East and Northern Africa , home of the Arabic language, desert landscapes and vibrant souks and bazaars. From modern marvels like Burj Khalifa to ancient historic sites like Nabaatean’s Petra, or Egyptians Great Pyramids of Giza. Knowing basic Arabic phrases for tourists will be helpful in any Arabic-speaking country.  In this language guide on the best Arabic phrases to know, you’ll find a curated selection of essential Arabic words, greeting Arabic phrases and Arabic for tourists . Inside there is also FREE Arabic phrases pdf , that will serve as a handy resource for your Arabic adventure.   Let’s dive into your Arabic adventure, one essential Arabic for travelers phrase at a time!

for ESSENTIAL TRAVEL PHRASES: • 73+ Essential ENGLISH Travel Phrases and Words You Should Know • 73+ Essential ARABIC Travel Phrases for Tourists in Arab Countries & Free PDF • 73+ Essential GREEK Travel Phrases for Tourists on a Greek Holiday & Download • 73+ Essential JAPANESE Travel Phrases for Tourists Visiting Japan & Free cheat sheet • 73+ Essential SLOVENIAN Travel Phrases for your trip to Slovenia & Free Download • 73+ Essential SWAHILI Travel Phrases for Travelers to East Africa + Free Download for WORDS & PHRASES in 101 different languages: • How to say You have beautiful eyes in 101 different languages • How to say What is the WiFi password in 101 different languages • How to say Hello in 101 different languages spoken around the World • How to say Love in 101 different languages spoken around the World • How to say I love you in 101 different languages spoken around the World • How to say Thank you in 101 different languages spoken around the World • How to say Happy Birthday in 101 different languages spoken In the World • How to say Happy New Year in 101 different languages spoken around the World • How to say Friend in 101 different languages spoken around the World with Pronunciation

for ITINERARY idea: • HOW TO SPEND FIVE DAYS IN DUBAI: RELAXED TRAVEL ITINERARY for Dubai TRAVEL TIPS: • 31 BURJ KHALIFA FACTS: SURPRISING, INTERESTING, AND STUNNING • HOW TO BARGAIN ON YOUR TRAVELS: 17 ESSENTIAL BARGAINING TIPS for ACCOMMODATION suggestions: • REASONS TO STAY AT ROVE DOWNTOWN HOTEL IN DUBAI • 17 BEST HOTELS IN DUBAI WITH BURJ KHALIFA VIEW • AMAZING SUSTAINABLE AND ECO-FRIENDLY HOTELS IN DUBAI • LUXURY POOL AND BEACH DAY | DAYCATION AT ONE&ONLY ROYAL MIRAGE for CAPTION IDEAS: • 187 BEST DESERT CAPTIONS FOR INSTAGRAM – PUNS, JOKES, RIDDLES & QUOTES • 107 FANTASTIC PALM TREE CAPTIONS FOR INSTAGRAM – LAVISH AND STRONG • 77 EPIC COCONUT CAPTIONS AND COCONUT PUNS – TROPICAL COCONUT BONANZA • 77 BEAUTIFUL PINEAPPLE CAPTIONS FOR INSTAGRAM – SWEET AND JUICY

for Jordan TRAVEL TIPS: • How to bargain on your travels: 17 essential bargaining tips • Is Jordan Pass Worth It? Guide to Everything You Need to Know • Best One Day in Amman Itinerary: How To Spend 24h in Amman • 73+ Essential Arabic Travel Phrases for Tourists in Arab Countries & Free PDF for CAPTION IDEAS: • 111 Best JORDAN Captions for Instagram and PETRA Captions • 187 Best DESERT captions for Instagram

Table of Contents

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1. Where is ARABIC spoken?

Did you know that more than 400 million people speak Arabic as their first or second language? That is a lot of “shukrans” and “habibis”.  Arabic is spoken in several countries primarily in the Middle East and North Africa , as well as in some other regions. It is one of the most widely spoken languages in the world and below you can find Arab countries list.

Arabic is the official language in the following countries:

• Middle East countries list: Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Yemen.
• List of Arab countries in North Africa: Egypt, Sudan, Libya, Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, Mauritania.
• Other regions: Palestinian territories, Israel (Arabic is one of the official languages, along with Hebrew), and parts of Western Sahara.

In addition to being the official language in these countries, Arabic holds cultural and religious significance as the language of the Quran, the holy book of Islam. It is widely used in Islamic religious ceremonies and prayers by Muslims around the world, regardless of their native language. Arabic also serves as a lingua franca for communication between speakers of different Arabic dialects and is used as a second language in many countries with significant Arab diaspora communities. The best way to learn Arabic phrases for travel is by using apps like Duolingo or Memrise. But since Arabic is hard language to learn, you will most probably learn most of your phrases when traveling. It will be beneficial to download Arabic for travelers pdf and bring it with you.

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2. Arabic language basics

Before you start to learn everyday Arabic phrases , you should know that the Arabic language is one of the hardest languages to learn for English speakers. Not only because of their unique and beautiful alphabet but also because of their grammar and writing system. Words in Arabic and standard Arabic phrases are written and read from RIGHT to LEFT . This is also the case in Arabic travel phrases you will find below. Phrases in Arabic are written from right to left and Arabic translation phrases are written from left to right.

Letters in Arabic words and phrases change shape based on their position in the word . Some of the wolves also don’t get written, and Arabic speakers should ‘just know’ how to pronounce the word. Not unlike in Japanese or Swahili language , where once you know the sound of the letter, you can read everything. Arabic language also uses different grammar and has sounds that are foreign to the English language. Plus there are many dialects distinctive for Arabic-speaking countries. A collection of Arabic phrases for travel you will find below is using Modern Standard Arabic. This is like a common Arabic, that everywhere in the Arabic-speaking world should understand. All essential Arabic travel phrases also have a phonetic translation under their Arabic writing.

3. Essential Arabic travel phrases

3.1. basic arabic phrases for travel.

Basic Arabic phrases for conversation that showcase politeness and cultural respect, encouraging positive interactions with locals and are a base for every communication. Don’t forget that the Arabic words are read from RIGHT to LEFT.

ALSO READ: • How to spend 5 days in Dubai: Relaxed travel itinerary

3.2. Essential Arabic phrases for greetings and introductions

Basic Arabic greetings phrases will lay the foundation for any interaction, allowing you to initiate conversations and make a positive first impression. They are Easy arabic words you already know and Arabic basic words, to know when visiting Dubai. Don’t forget that the Arabic words are read from RIGHT to LEFT.

ALSO READ: • Best hotels with Burj Khalifa view

3.3. Essential Arabic travel phrases for directions and getting around

Arabic phrases to know when asking for directions will enable you to navigate unfamiliar streets and find your way around. Don’t forget that the Arabic words are read from RIGHT to LEFT.

ALSO READ: • Is Jordan Pass Worth It? Guide to Everything You Need to Know

3.4. Useful Arabic phrases for tourists when ordering food and drinks

Useful Arabic words and phrases for ordering meals, asking for recommendations, and specifying dietary preferences ensure enjoyable dining experiences and help you explore local cuisines. Don’t forget that the Arabic words are read from RIGHT to LEFT.

3.5. Basic Arabic words for travel and shopping

Arabic language words for inquiring about prices, negotiating, and asking for sizes or colors are handy when exploring markets and boutiques. Don’t forget that the Arabic words are read from RIGHT to LEFT.

ALSO READ: • Jordan captions and Petra captions for Instagram

🗩 “What is Anja’s favorite Arabic word?” It is Habibi. It can be translated as “my love”, “my dear”, “my darling”.

3.6. Basic Arabic hotel phrases

Arabic hotel phrases you will need when checking in a hotel, asking for towels, fixing air conditioning, enquiring what time is breakfast, and what is included in your room rate. Don’t forget that the Arabic words are read from RIGHT to LEFT.

ALSO READ: • Best One Day in Amman Itinerary: How To Spend 24h in Amman

3.7. Standard Arabic phrases and best Arabic phrases in case of emergencies

Here you will find simple Arabic words in case of emergencies, natural disasters, or if you will be needing assistance in difficult or dangerous situations. Don’t forget that the Arabic words are read from RIGHT to LEFT and that those can be useful phrases in Dubai.

ALSO READ: • Best Dubai captions for Instagram

3.8. Beyond essential Arabic travel phrases

If you’re like me and really love learning a few phrases in new languages, expand your study beyond the must know travel phrases and basic phrases in Arabic. I always learn how to say please and thank you, never visit a country without knowing the local word for “coffee” and never leave without knowing how to say;

4. Best language App for traveling abroad

Learning a language is a long process. If you think you won’t have time to learn basic Arabic greetings and responses , or if the situations come your way when above mentioned Arabic phrases for travel won’t be enough, use Google Translate. This is my favorite language app, that I use on (almost) every trip.

4.1. Google Translate

Google Translate is the most popular language travel app that can be used everywhere. I personally use it on all my travels, when going to Tanzania to learn what some Swahili words mean, when in Mexico to help with my not-the-best Spanish, when in Italy, in Japan and other places. I’m sure you are familiar with the language app already. The most obvious feature is it will help you translate the destination language into your own one. But the absolute best feature is that it can translate the text using ‘ camera translation ’. All you have to do is open the app, point your camera toward the text in a foreign language and Google Translate will do the rest. Perfect for menus! It also translates text from the photos on your camera roll. And it also works offline, when you download the language pair on your phone. Language: 133 languages Download: iOS | Android | Website Price: Free

ALSO READ: • How to Bargain on your travels: Travel bargaining guide

5. Final Thoughts on Essential Arabic Travel Phrases for Tourists

Whether it’s a warm greeting, ordering a meal, or expressing gratitude, useful Arabic words and phrases not only open doors to easier communication but also show respect. Learning common phrases in Arabic for tourists will help you in souks and bazaars and when ordering food. Before traveling to Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, or any other country in the Middle East or Northern Africa, learn Arabic for travel basics that will help you to navigate through this unique, and culturally filled world. How to say Hello in Arabic and how to say thank you in Arabic language. A collection of useful Arabic phrases for travelers, like what is the Wifi password , Arabic tourist phrases for directions, and checking in a hotel. Which of these common Arabic phrases have you managed to memorize so far? Safe travels = طَريق السَلامةِ! [ataryq alsalamti!], Anja

➤ What you should read next …

• 17 Best Hotels in Dubai with Burj Khalifa view • How to spend 5 day in Dubai: relaxed travel itinerary • Is Jordan Pass Worth It? Guide to Everything You Need to Know • Best One Day in Amman Itinerary: How To Spend 24h in Amman • How to say Friend in 101 different languages

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✈ Travel like a PRO

Are you ready to travel like a PRO? Save time and money with these travel tips and resources . I personally use these companies to save time and money. They do the work by providing a list of options, prices, and reviews from actual guests, for anywhere I am traveling worldwide. ✈️ FLIGHTS: I use Skyscanner in combination with Google Flights to find amazing flight fares (try the Explore feature). I book directly with an airline or pair it with Iwantthatflight for the best deals. 🏨 ACCOMMODATION: Booking.com is my favorite site for finding great hotel deals. They return the best rates and reviews are from actual guests! 🚘 RENTAL CARS: Discover Cars are my go-to, when planning an epic road trip. 🗽 TOURS & ACTIVITIES: I like to wander around on my own, but when I want to explore with a group, skip the line with an entrance ticket, I book it with GetYourGuide or Viator . ❤️‍🩹 TRAVEL INSURANCE: I never, under any circumstances travel without insurance. In most cases, I use yearly global travel medical insurance. But, if you don’t have that and some impromptu travel plans occur, use SafetyWing . With them, you can buy travel insurance even when you are already abroad. Better be safe, than sorry! 📲 ONLINE SAFETY: NordVPN keeps your devices’ browsing safe and malware-free. Stream shows from around the world, access social media in countries where they are blocked and buy cheap flights by changing your virtual location. 🛜 STAY CONNECTED WITH eSIM: Ditch the plastic SIM cards and waiting in lines at the airport! Airalo eSIMs allow you to connect as soon as you land at your destination. They have eSIMs for over 190+ countries worldwide.

Where is Arabic spoken?

Arabic is one of the six official languages of the United Nations. It is a native language in numerous countries across the Middle East and North Africa. Arabic is an official language in 22 countries. Some of them are, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Morocco, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and others. It is widely used for religious purposes among Muslims worldwide.

How to say hello in Arabic word?

Hello in Arabic language is مرحبًا pronounced as “marhaba” This is also the answer to how to say hello in Dubai or how do you say hello in Jordan. Learn more useful common Arabic greetings and basic Arabic for travel words and phrases on Anja On Adventure blog. There you can also find a FREE Arabic phrases pdf cheat sheet, and coloring pages with Arabic words and phrases.

How to say Thank you in Arabic?

Thank you in Arabic is شكرًا لك , which is pronounced as “ shukran lak”. This is also the answer to how to say thank you in Dubai and how to say thank you in Jordan. Learn more Dubai language words and Moroccan phrases for tourists on Anja On Adventure blog. There you can also find a FREE Arabic words list pdf cheat sheet, and coloring pages with Arabic words and phrases.

How to say How are you in Arabic?

كيف حالك؟ pronounced as “Kayf halika?” Learn more useful Arabic words and phrases and popular Arabic phrases for travel on Anja On Adventure blog. There you can also find a FREE Arabic phrases pdf cheat sheet, and coloring pages with Arabic words and phrases.

How to say Nice to meet you in Arabic?

سعيد بلقائك , pronounced as “ saeid biliqayik …”. Learn more useful Arabic words and phrases and popular Arabic phrases for travel on Anja On Adventure blog. There you can also find a FREE basic Arabic sentences for beginners pdf cheat sheet, and coloring pages with Arabic words and phrases.

How to say Love in Arabic?

حب , pronounced as “ habun” Learn more basic words in Arabic, find out what are some basic arabic words and a list of simple Arabic phrases on Anja On Adventure blog. There you can also find a FREE basic Arabic words for beginners pdf, with Arabic words list with meaning, and coloring pages with Arabic words and phrases.

How to say safe travels in Arabic?

طَريق السَلامةِ! , pronounced as “ataryq alsalamti!”. Learn more than 100 Arabic phrases, Arabic common phrases and other Arabic words to know when traveling on Anja On Adventure blog. There you can also find a basic Arabic for tourists and common Arabic terms.

❥ About Anja On Adventure

Anja On Adventure is a travel blog, a collection of insider tips and information on destinations, that I visited as a solo female traveler, tour guide, teacher, yacht stewardess, and Survivor challenge tester. Anja, is a thirty-something adventure-seeking, sun chasing, beach hopping, gin-loving, tropics enthusiast with a creative mind and sarcastic spirit, who loves coconut and mango but doesn’t like chocolate and sweets. I am passionate about all things travel, maps, and puzzles. Click here to learn more About me .

About the author: Anja