Rabia Mayet | rabiamayet@radioislam.co.za

26 April 2025

4-minute read

Venice, a city in northeastern Italy, is famously known as a “floating city” due to its location on a group of 118 islands in the Venetian Lagoon separated by 150 bridges. It is a unique place with winding canals, impressive architecture, and beautiful bridges, making it a popular travel destination.

Naseema Nalla, BCom graduate, NLP practitioner, life coach, trauma counsellor and co-chairwoman of the Crosby Ladies Forum has travelled extensively, and her favourite city was the island of Venice.

South African citizens planning to visit Venice require a Schengen visa, which costs about 90 Euros for adults and 45 Euros for kids over 6, excluding the additional service fee. The process is quite lengthy as travellers are required to visit the embassy with their passports, travel insurance, flight reservations, itinerary, and proof of income for the application process.

Walking from one end of the main island of Venice to the other takes just an hour, and because of this, Naseema suggests taking the 3-hour walking tour of the city so that one can get a real feel of the place. For first-time travellers to the city who wish to do sightseeing, the Rialto Bridge spanning from one end of the waterway to the other with gondolas beneath, is a top attraction. A visit to smaller islands like Murano where the lace factories function from, and Burano which is well known for its glassblowing, should not be missed. Naseema described Burano as “the one you see in pictures with the different colour boats, washing hanging outside the windows, and the flowers in the windowsills, and little boats that come outside people’s apartments and sell you fresh fruits.”

As a Catholic city, tourists should check in advance that visiting places of interest do not coincide with the Christian holidays like Easter as such places may not be open on those days.

Venice is famously known for having no roads and there are no cars, trucks or any other vehicles, so tourists navigate the city on foot or on bicycles, so a good pair of walking shoes are essential. Water taxis are the only form of public transport, and tourists can purchase a 5-day unlimited pass to get to the smaller islands or just to get from one end of the island to the other.

Italian food is loved worldwide, but unfortunately, there aren’t any Italian halal food options available in Venice. Naseema said that they stuck to Margherita pizzas and gelato ice-cream at a halal restaurant they found run by some Muslim brothers just off the Rialto Bridge. As for Islam, there is a very limited presence of Muslims living in the city.

Staying on the main island in Venice can be very expensive, especially during the Christian holiday periods. One can find affordable accommodation without compromising on convenience at little inns on the smaller islands and use the water taxis to get around. Shopping in Venice is extremely pricey with most stores selling branded Italian items, but Naseema concluded that fresh food purchased at the markets are not too expensive.

Listen to the full interview here.