I had a Muslim client from the UK who wanted to travel in July for a long awaited break from work. He told me it's been a while since he had a holiday so he is really excited. These were his requirements:
Instinctivey, I converted the budget to Philippine Pesos and wondered if PhP 73000 could get him on an 8-day trip with the high cost of airfares these days.
I began my work by researching a little about Islam to avoid sending my client to an activity that could violate his faith. Next up I researched on Halal-Friendly Destinations by Country and made a list of about 20 countries. Then I checked the weather in July for each of these countries and filtered my results to a couple of places. This is where I can actually use my IT skills, formatting data in the way I need them. Kudos, Business Intelligence! ;)
Further narrowing down the destinations by doing a quick check on airfares, we had two options: Turkey or Jordan.
Jordan houses Petra, a truly amazing architectural work during the ancient times. Aqaba also features a nice beach which would satisfy my boss' love of beaches. However, visiting Petra will be very tiring even for normal people. I cannot send him there since he is fasting. There are not a lot of activities to do and places to visit in Aqaba so his 8-day trip will be too much and I don't want it going to waste.
The decision was apparent. Turkey was his best option given his requirements. He will spend 5 nights in Istanbul and 3 nights in Antalya, a popular beach destination. I finalized his plane tickets, hotel bookings, tours, and transportation requirements.
Here's what I came up with for his holiday.
- Since this is Ramadan season, he needs easy access to Halal food
- He will not be able to do intense physical activities since he will be fasting
- He wants a scenic view from his hotel room
- He needs a place that's not too hot so it won't make fasting more difficult for him
- The trip will span 8-9 days
- Total budget is 1000 GBP (Great Britain Pounds) including plane tickets
Instinctivey, I converted the budget to Philippine Pesos and wondered if PhP 73000 could get him on an 8-day trip with the high cost of airfares these days.
I began my work by researching a little about Islam to avoid sending my client to an activity that could violate his faith. Next up I researched on Halal-Friendly Destinations by Country and made a list of about 20 countries. Then I checked the weather in July for each of these countries and filtered my results to a couple of places. This is where I can actually use my IT skills, formatting data in the way I need them. Kudos, Business Intelligence! ;)
Further narrowing down the destinations by doing a quick check on airfares, we had two options: Turkey or Jordan.
Jordan houses Petra, a truly amazing architectural work during the ancient times. Aqaba also features a nice beach which would satisfy my boss' love of beaches. However, visiting Petra will be very tiring even for normal people. I cannot send him there since he is fasting. There are not a lot of activities to do and places to visit in Aqaba so his 8-day trip will be too much and I don't want it going to waste.
The decision was apparent. Turkey was his best option given his requirements. He will spend 5 nights in Istanbul and 3 nights in Antalya, a popular beach destination. I finalized his plane tickets, hotel bookings, tours, and transportation requirements.
Here's what I came up with for his holiday.
So did we meet the budget? YES! The total cost of this 8-Day Trip amounted to unbelievably GBP 910, visiting two exciting destinations and staying at 4-star hotels, even a Jr Suite with a balcony facing the sea. Scenic, eh?
How happy was the client with my services? Very happy that his faith was the main consideration in this trip; very pleased that he offered me to work with him on his big project on my terms. It was seriously heart warming.
But I guess at the end of the day, I'm just glad I made one more happy client who's really looking forward to his next holiday.
How happy was the client with my services? Very happy that his faith was the main consideration in this trip; very pleased that he offered me to work with him on his big project on my terms. It was seriously heart warming.
But I guess at the end of the day, I'm just glad I made one more happy client who's really looking forward to his next holiday.