– Introduction to Lebanon | Planning your Lebanon holidays
Mention the name Lebanon and people’s first thoughts are always ones of conflict. This country has survived many wars and internal conflicts, from biblical times to the present day. Throughout the centuries its people have existed during war and peace. Even nowadays it is currently located right in the centre of one of the most volatile regions of the world. But don’t let this deter you from visiting Lebanon. Its people are friendly and welcoming, its scenery is breathtaking, its history is fascinating, and its food and drink is renowned worldwide. These are just some of the reason you should plan your Lebanon holidays.
Visit Beirut for a bustling nightlife in its bars and cafes. While there witness the throwbacks to its turbulent past in the bullet marked buildings that still remain in places. See the ruins from the Crusaders and the Romans all over the country. In the winter experience the ski-slopes. See the famous Lebanon Cedars in the Qadisha valley and admire the wonderful scenery looking all the way down to the coastline of Lebanon.
The culture in Lebanon is Arabic mixed with Mediterranean, the food is famous worldwide and the people are mostly multi-lingual with Arabic, French, and English so getting by is no issue if you can’t speak Arabic.
The religion in Lebanon is mainly Muslim, Christian, and Druze. You will see many churches and mosques in the country especially in Beirut.
The climate is Mediterranean with warm and humid summers, and in the winter the mountain areas get heavy snowfall turning them into ski resorts.
– What can you expect from Lebanon?
In a nutshell, when traveling to Lebanon, you can expect to find well preserved historical ruins, great food throughout the country, good nightlife in Beirut, beach resorts along the coast, and in the winter ski resorts in the mountain areas.
– How we got to Lebanon
We arrived to Lebanon through the international airport in Beirut. The airport is small in comparison to other airports but is generally satisfactory. The queues in the immigration passed quickly, but waiting for the baggage took time. Getting through the airport itself was straight forward with no complications. Be aware that if you have a stamp from Israel from the last six months on your passport you will be denied entry.
The airport is located close to the city and a taxi ride will cost on average $12-$15.
The visa was free with a European passport, as it is for US passport holders and GCC passport holders.
For visa information about other countries please click here;
http://www.general-security.gov.lb/en/posts/38
– Map of Lebanon & places we were
Places we visited ;
- Beirut
- Zgharta – ATV day
- Qadisha Valley – Cedars of God (which is located roughly half way between Tripoli and Baalbek)
- Tyre – Archaeological sites in Al Mina and Al Bass
- Sidon – Sea Castle and old souqs
- Jounieh – Jeita Grotto and Harissa
- Byblos (also known as Jbail)
- Janna Sur Mer Beach Resort (which is located roughly half way between Beirut and Sidon)
– Where to stay
There is no shortage of hotels in Lebanon, especially in Beirut. It is advisable to stay in Beirut as the whole of Lebanon is reachable within a couple of hours from there. Furnished apartments are also available and work out cheaper more often than not.
Along the coast you can find lots of beach resorts. If planning on staying in one of these then it is better to pick one outside Beirut as the water is much cleaner outside the city.
For the places we stayed in during our trip to Lebanon please see our post in the Accommodation category;
https://www.breakingbarriers.online/our-accommodation-in-lebanon/.
– Car hire
If hiring a car in Lebanon you will need to book early, as they quickly get sold out. You also need to have a full driving license from your own country as well as an International Driving License.
The driving in Lebanon is typical of the Middle East, and can be very daunting if you have never experienced this before. You need to be fully aware at all times and expect cars and scooters to pull in front of you without looking.
The streets are quite narrow as they are old streets, and often this leads to traffic jams.
Petrol stations are easy to find so there is never a problem of filling up when you need it.
Traffic can get very busy especially at peak times, so expect to sit in traffic for a long time if you get your timings wrong.
You will often come across cars double parked if the owner has decided to pop into the nearby store.
There are car parking lots dotted around the city and you can use these but remember to pay the guy sitting at the entrance before walking off!
– Activities and sights
The following items are some of the things that are recommended to see and do in Lebanon;
- Walk the ancient streets in the Roman ruins in Tyre
- See the Crusader castle in Sidon
- Visit the cafes, bars, and restaurants in Beirut
- Be amazed at the underground caverns in Jeita Grotto
- Experience the many archaeological sights in Byblos
- Take the telepherique up to Harissa
- Marvel at the incredible ruins in Baalbek
- See the monasteries in the Qadisha Valley
- Visit the palace in Beit ed-Dine
- Walk around the last remaining cedars in The Cedars of God
For the places we saw during our trip to Lebanon please see our post in the Sightseeing category;
https://www.breakingbarriers.online/walking-in-downtown-beirut-lebanon/
https://www.breakingbarriers.online/seeing-the-mountains-of-lebanon-by-atv/
https://www.breakingbarriers.online/best-places-in-lebanon/
– Food and drink
Lebanon is famous for its many good foods. Below is a list of some of the different ones to try when visiting Lebanon.
Foods to try
– Hummus which is a dip made primarily from chick peas. This is very good with Arabic bread, pickles, and cheese.
– Mezze is a meal that consists of a large quantity of different dishes. This is intended to take time to eat and is typical of the Arabic culture where you can spend hours talking and eating together.
– Manooshy is like a small folded pizza topped with cheese, thyme, or meat and veg.
– Falafel which is fried chick pea balls.
– Tabouleh is a salad made with parsley, tomatoes, spring onions and other ingredients.
– Fattoush is a lettuce salad and is topped with fried bread before serving.
– Shawarma is extremely good in Lebanon, this is basically a chicken wrap but has pickles, and fries mixed in with the chicken.
– Stuffed grape leaves or vine leaves which are also usually included as part of the mezze. These are stuffed mostly with rice.
Drinks to try
– Lebanese wines are internationally known and are mostly made in the Ksarra region.
– Arak which is an aniseed flavored spirit and turns cloudy when mixed with water. It is typically drank with mezze.
– Lebanese coffee which is based on the Turkish coffee.
– Jallab which can be got from street sellers, this is a sweet aromatic refreshing drink. It may not be to everybody’s liking but you should try it at least once.
– For the beer drinkers, the local beer is Al Maza beer. This brewery is part of the Heineken group.
For the places we ate and sampled some of the food and drink please see our post in the Food & Drinks category;
https://www.breakingbarriers.online/best-lebanese-food/
– Additional information
Plugs and electricity: The common plug used is the 2 pin European plug. It’s advisable to get an adapter before traveling as some places will not have them available to loan to you.
Vaccines: There are no vaccine checks at the border but it is recommended to have your Hep A, Hep B, Typhoid, and Rabies vaccines still in date before traveling.
COVID: All arrivals need to have a PCR test taken not more than 96 hours before travel. You will also be required to take a PCR test at the airport on arrival.
Currency: The currency is the Lebanese Lira (LL) or Lebanese Pound (LBP). You can also use US Dollars but you will get your change in LL. For current conversion rates check http://www.xe.com/ before you go. You can find ATM machines throughout Beirut and the larger towns but it is a good practice to ensure you have sufficient cash before traveling outside the major areas.
Language: The main language of the country is Arabic. A lot of the people will also speak English and French so it is not an issue getting by.
Security: There is a large military presence to be felt when traveling around, especially through Beirut. But don’t let this put you off. Beirut and Lebanon itself feels perfectly safe. However don’t venture close to the Syrian border or the Israeli border as these are currently ‘hot’ areas.
NOTE: Currently due to instability in Lebanon only essential travel is advised.