Canberra has a unique Ramadan culture, with iftars along embassy drive and Muslims from all over the world

They're more than halfway through the month of Ramadan and by now their bodies are accustomed to the intermittent fasting schedule.

With daylight saving having ended, fasting has become a tad easier for Australian Muslims.

During the start of Ramadan students were breaking their fast just after 7pm. Now that time has come back to about 5.45pm.

Time for iftar - or breaking the fast - is determined in accordance with the setting of the sun. Depending on where you are in the world the fast can last anywhere from 12 to 18 hours.

Nurhan Raihan is an international student from Singapore observing his fast at the ANU.

His favourite part of Ramadan is sharing a meal with people from all around the world. "A memorable experience is having a shared iftar with seven to eight different nationalities - they all share their own personal experiences," he says.

He finds fasting in Canberra slightly easier than Singapore because of the lack of humidity.

Without the Singapore traffic and the hour long commutes home, Mr Raihan prefers the Canberra Ramadan experience.

"Canberra has a very strict 9 to 5, so most people are able to break their fast - but in Singapore people have to break their fast while on the way home which can be very hectic because of the traffic," Mr Raihan says.

While studying a double degree in political science and sustainable studies he is also training two days a week with the ANU Football Club.

Despite his busy schedule and his sport training, Mr Raihan is yet to miss a day of fasting and he's found a few interesting locations on Embassy Drive to enjoy a vibrant iftar meal.

The Indonesian and Malaysian high commissions host a weekly iftar and they attract Canberrans from all walks of life.

Rich and flavourful rendang with plenty of rice is served on a weekly basis at the neighbouring South-East Asian high commissions and Mr Raihan carpools with his friends so no one misses out.

The iftar menu served at the South-East Asian high commissions reminds Mr Raihan of home.

"It's eye-opening to experience the culture of another country and it also connects me to the South-East Asian region - that brings me an element of home," he says.

READ MORE:

With the number of daylight hours varying around the world, Muslims living in Nordic countries can fast for more than 17 hours.

Esra Karaman is a Danish student studying at the ANU and she says Ramadan is much more visible and celebrated here than back home.

Her lecturers will often ask her how she is coping with fasting and people will wish her a happy Ramadan, which she says she doesn't experience in Denmark.

"I'm very surprised that Canberra is so open to Muslims - this would not happen in Denmark," she says.

Coming from another western country, Ms Karaman has an immense sense of respect for the Ramadan culture in Australia and in particular the ANU for accommodating Muslim students.

With Australians having some of the shortest hours of fasting around the world, Ms Karaman is glad to be here for Ramadan.

"It's much easier here - we eat around 6 here, but in Denmark it's around 8 ... and it gets longer and longer in Denmark," she says.

Ms Karaman is looking forward to the end of Ramadan which will be celebrated with the arrival of Eid, expected to fall on Friday, April 20.

"I'll have my friends over and then we will go out for a big meal," she says.

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content: