JEDDAH - For university student Farid Azhar, this semester break was not simply another holiday. He had booked an umrah trip - his second Umrah, coming a decade after his first.

This time, almost everything about the experience was different. The first time, he was 13 and travelled with his family. This time, he made the journey by himself.

"I had been saving money from last year, so when there is time, I make sure that I go for Umrah," he said.

The 23-year-old, who hails from Perak, had not originally planned to go alone. But with semester break falling at the right time and a comprehensive package from Ikhlas.com, covering food and ziarah, on offer at what he felt was good value, the trip came together.

He said he had found the service and arrangements from the company good throughout. While he was a little nervous at first, he knew he would be travelling with fellow pilgrims and expected they would eventually bond and form a kind of family of their own during the trip.

He also credited Ikhlas.com's social media content, saying the way the company presented its content to appeal to younger audiences had drawn him in and given him confidence in the services offered.

Affordability aside, returning after 10 years also gave Farid the chance to reflect on how much his life has changed. His mother, who was with him on his first Umrah, is no longer here.

"The biggest difference between 10 years ago and this year is that I lost my mum, so even going with family now would not feel complete," he said.

For younger Malaysians, the pilgrimage may once have been seen as something to postpone until later in life, but Farid (left) pointed out that greater awareness among the youth today is driving a growing trend of younger people performing Umrah sooner, while they are still healthy and while packages remain affordable.

One highlight of the trip was in the Raudhah, located inside Masjid an-Nabawi (The Prophet's Mosque) in Madinah, where Farid managed to stay for almost three hours.

He said following tips he had picked up on TikTok, he entered before Asar to secure a spot near prayer time and ended up praying and making dua in the Raudhah from 3.30pm to 6pm.

He described it as a blessing, saying he had prayed at length there to become a better person and to stay more consistent in his faith.

"There is a tendency to think we can always go later. But if you have the opportunity to go while you are young and healthy, you should take it," he said, when asked why he had thought to perform umrah solo at such a young age.

For younger Malaysians, the pilgrimage may once have been seen as something to postpone until later in life, but Farid pointed out that greater awareness among the youth today is driving a growing trend of younger people performing Umrah sooner, while they are still healthy and while packages remain affordable.

For Farid, being able to plan the trip around his semester break meant not having to wait until he was older or had saved for years.

Asked what advice he had for younger Malaysians weighing up Umrah, Farid said not to assume the pilgrimage has to wait.

"If an affordable opportunity comes along and circumstances allow, it is worth taking," he said.

Meanwhile, Ikhlas.com chief commercial officer Effendy Yahya said making Umrah more accessible was one of the company's objectives, with packages starting from RM4,990.

"In the past, people often had to save a substantial amount before they could perform Umrah. Today, with greater awareness and more accessible packages, we are also seeing more young people making the journey," he told Sinar Daily.

Ikhlas.com chief commercial officer Effendy Yahya.

The company offers Umrah super economy, economy, standard and premium packages, priced from RM4,990 to RM12,990.

The package includes return economy class flights between Kuala Lumpur and Jeddah without a layover, covering flight taxes, airport taxes and fuel surcharge, along with a 20kg baggage allowance on the outbound leg and 30kg on the return.

Under the super economy package, pilgrims are accommodated in Madinah and Makkah and can either choose the 12 days 10 nights or nine days seven nights packgage.

Meals and drinks are provided as stated and bus transport is arranged for sightseeing and travel throughout the trip.

The package also covers a tourist visa, subject to approval by Saudi Arabia's Umrah, Hajj and tourism authorities, with insurance included in the visa on a pay-and-claim basis.