Learn how to use points & miles to perform Umrah with a family and travel the world to celebrate Eid in different cities. Amena tells the story of how she met Matt and bonded around Palestine solidarity at the WITS Travel creator summit in NYC. She then talks about her parents experience immigrating to the U.S. from India and Pakistan, her experience growing up in Dallas in a Muslim immigrant home, the impact of the post 9-11 environment on her life, and how she developed her politics and worldview. Amena then talks about her first trip back to India as an adult, performing Hajj in Saudi Arabia, seeing the Islamic architecture in southern Spain, celebrating Eid in Istanbul, and visiting Japan and London. She then talks about performing Umrah as a family, shares strategies to accumulate points and miles to cover international family travel, and talks about her Umrah Guide. Finally, Amena talks about raising socially conscious kids, integrating travel into their lives, and what travel means to her today.
361: Performing Hajj & Umrah and How to Travel the World with a Family of 5 on Points and Miles with Amena Bakali
Episode Summary
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About the Guest

Amena Bakali
Amena Bakali is a travel content creator, speaker and blogger who specializes in Muslim travel, family travel and personal finance. She is also a consultant on award-travel who educates her audience on how to optimize points and miles to travel more for less. Born and raised in Dallas, Texas to immigrant parents from India and Pakistan, she is now a wife and mother of 3 kids ages 16, 12, & 4, and her 4-year-old has already been to 11 countries!
What You'll Learn
- How to perform Umrah with a family using points and miles
- Reflections on spending Eid in other countries
- Tactics for leveraging your everyday spend to accumulate points and miles
Links From the Episode
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OTHER MAVERICK SHOW PODCAST GUESTS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
LOCATION WHERE THE INTERVIEW TOOK PLACE
- Matt: Asheville, North Carolina
- Amena: Dallas, Texas
#1 BOOK THAT AMENA RECOMMENDS
#1 PERSON WITH WHOM AMENA WANTS TO HAVE DINNER
TOP 3 TRAVEL DESTINATIONS
TOP 3 BUCKET LIST DESTINATIONS
MUSLIM PILGRIMAGES AND HOLIDAYS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
HOLY PLACES IN SAUDI ARABIA
ISLAMIC ARCHITECTURE IN GRENADA, SPAIN
PLACES IN INDIA MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
PLACES IN LONDON MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
RESTAURANT IN LONDON MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
HIGHLIGHTS IN ISTANBUL MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
UNIVERSITY AMENA’S DAD ATTENDED
OTHER PLACES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
Time Stamped Show Notes
**Click the time stamp to jump directly to that point in the episode.
[0:55] Introducing Amena Bakali
[1:57] Meeting at WITS
[4:31] Amena’s Parents’ Experience Growing up in India and Pakistan and Immigrating to Dallas
[6:24] Growing up a Muslim immigrant home in the impact of 9-11
[8:29] Developing Her Politics and Worldview
[9:48] Going back to India as an Adult
[11:34] Performing Hajj
[14:27] Islamic Architecture and Culture in Southern Spain
[14:27] Istanbul, Turkey During Eid
[20:44] Japan
[21:38] London
[24:01] Performing Umrah with a Family
[27:25] Learning How to Optimize Points and Miles
[29:31] Strategies to Accumulate Points and Miles for International Family Trips
[38:04] Double Dipping on Points/Miles with Airline Shopping Portals
[42:17] Umrah Guide and 1-on-1 Award Travel Consulting
[45:37] Integrating Travel into Her Kids Lives
[47:37] Raising Socially Conscious Kids
[51:17] What Travel Means to Amena
[53:23] The Lightning Round
[56:13] Follow and Connect with Amena