From Wikitravel

For other places with the same name, see Lebanon (disambiguation).

The Republic of Lebanon [1] is a small country (10,452 sq km or 4076 sq mi in area with 3.7 million inhabitants) within the Middle East region with its capital at Beirut. It has a long coastline on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea and shares a long land border with its much larger neighbour Syria to the north and the east, a much shorter (and currently "hot") border with Israel to the south.

Contents 1 Regions 2 Cities 3 Other destinations 4 Understand 4.1 People 4.2 Climate 4.3 Time Zone 4.4 Visas 4.5 By plane 5 Get around 5.1 Taxi 5.2 Bus 5.3 Train 5.4 Car 6 Talk 7 Buy 7.1 Currency 7.2 Exchange Rates 8 Eat 8.1 Ski 9 Drink 10 Sleep 11 Learn 12 Work 12.1 Gay Tourism 13 Stay Safe 14 Stay Healthy 15 Respect

Regions

Lebanon can be divided into 5 regions:

• North Lebanon
• South Lebanon
• Mount Lebanon
• Bekaa
• Beirut

Cities

Many cities in Lebanon have English names which are significantly different to their Arabic names; the romanized versions of the Arabic names in given in parentheses below.

• Beirut - the capital and largest city

• Byblos (Joubeil)
• Sidon (Saida)
• Tripoli (Trablus)
• Tyre (Sour)

Other destinations

• Baalbek
• Jeita
• Barouk
• Bcharre

Understand

People

The people of Lebanon comprise a wide variety of ethnic groups and religions, with the majority split between Muslim (Shi'a, Sunni) and Christian (Maronite, Greek Orthodox, Greek-Catholic Melkites, Armenians, Copts). Other smaller groups include Druze and Allawites. There are a large number (more than 100,000) of Palestinian refugees in the country.

The population increases dramatically in the Summer months (June to September), due to the large number of tourists from other Middle Eastern countries and the temporary return of a large number of the Lebanese diaspora.

Climate

Lebanon has a temperate Mediterranean climate, with warm, dry summers and cooler, wet winters.

Summer is generally considered the best time to visit, as there is virtually no rain between June and August, and the temperatures range between about 20-30°C (68-86°F). At this time it is very humid on the coast, but dryer and somewhat cooler (but not cold) in the mountains.

Autumn and spring are also good times to visit, with a bit more rain but without the tourist crowds attracted in summer.

Snow falls for a large part of winter in the mountain regions that form a large portion of the country, and there are numerous ski resorts. However, the coast is still relatively mild, with maximums rarely falling below 13°C (55°F).

Time Zone

Lebanon is 2 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), and observes daylight savings from end-March to end-October.

Visas

Non-nationals must have a visa to enter Lebanon. Three-month visas are free for nationals from Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. Other nationals can obtain a 15-day visa for LL25,000 (US$17), or a three-month visa for LL50,000 (US$35). These visas are single-entry; nationals of many countries can also obtain multiple-entry visas (which cost more). 48 hour transit visas (valid for three calendar days) are issued free of charge.

Visas can be obtained at Lebanese embassies and consulates in other countries, or upon arrival at Beirut airport and other points of entry.

Entry is refused if holding used or unused, expired or valid visa for Israel, or having any Israeli stamp endorsed on passport.

By plane

A steadily increasing number of airlines service Beirut International Airport (code BEY, located 5 km (3 mi) south of the city centre), which has frequent connections to Europe, Africa, Asia and the rest of the Middle East. Both Air France and British Airways have regular services. The Lebanese national carrier, Middle East Airlines [2], flies to a network of European, Middle Eastern and African cities. The American ban on travel to Lebanon was lifted in 1997; however, the US continues to maintain a ban on non-stop flights between the two countries. It should be noted that Air Canada has repeatedly attempted to begin Montréal - Beirut services since 2003 but has been blocked by the Canadian government from doing so, owing to "reasons of national security" (many believe this is due to diplomatic pressure from the American administration).

The departure tax on flights from Beirut is approximately US$41, usually included in the ticket price.

Get around

Lebanon is a small country and it is possible to drive from north to south in under 3 hours. The main means of transport are service taxis, bus and car.

Taxi

The majority of travelers use service taxis to get from place to place. "Service" taxis often operate like buses on set routes between towns and cities, though they can be hired to visit other places with some negotiation. Each taxi carries between 4 (inside Metropolitan areas) to 6 (farther distances) passengers, who share the fare between them. The Fare is 1000 LL (Lebanese Lira) which is a little less than 0.70 USD $ for short distances of a couple of Kilometers/miles, and increases depending on both distance to be traveled, traffic on that specific road and of course, like everything in Lebanon, persuasion/negotiation skills. A private Taxi ride, without having to share with other passengers is similar to a "Service" Taxi, in that the same pre-negotiation is required to determine the fare, and as a rule of thumb, costs the same as a fully loaded "Service" Taxi (the fare * number of passengers). Taxi's and "service" taxi's are basically the same, and the mode of operation depends on the availability of passengers and their demands. The majority of "Service" Taxi's in Lebanon are 1975 Mercedes cars that roam the streets searching for passengers using their car-horns. Newer car models working as mainly "Service" taxi's are appearing on the Lebanese streets with nevertheless the same price tag as their elder sisters. All types of public transportation vehicles in Lebanon (Taxi's Buses, mini-vans and even trucks) can be recognized by their Red-colored licence plate.

Bus

Buses travel on set routes between Beirut and most other major towns, though service is infrequent and usually not scheduled. Plans exist to resurrect Lebanon's inter-city bus service, but are yet to be fulfilled.

Train

The Lebanese train system is virtually inoperable since the Civil War. Get a taxi instead!

Car

Car rental is relatively expensive in Lebanon compared to elsewhere in the region. Reasonable, if not exactly cheap rates can, however, be found with perseverance and negotiation and - once you have your rental - fuel is cheap and easy to get.

Lebanon's roads are generally in quite poor condition and Lebanese drivers are not known for their caution. Road rules are practically non-existent (apart from driving on the right - well, mostly....), traffic is often jammed in big cities and there are no speed limits. Exercise extreme caution when driving in Lebanon.

The dangers of driving in Lebanon can't be emphasized enough. Driving in Lebanon should be considered an extreme activity for Western drivers accustomed to safe driving. Law enforcement, traffic lights, traffic control, road markings, street names and rights of way are virtually non-existent in a country of 3 million people but 4 million cars. Mountain driving is particularly hazardous, often involving 1-car roads zig-zagging back and forth up the mountain over shear valleys with no safety barriers. The Lebanese call the valleys along these mountain roads "Wadi Jamajim" (Skull Valley).

Simply trying to park a car is a discouraging activity. The ability to park a car in Lebanon is a tourist attraction in itself, often accomplished in non-existent spaces while under pressure from traffic.

Talk

The official language of Lebanon is Arabic. The Lebanese dialect of Arabic is very different from some other dialects, particularly from Gulf countries; however, all Lebanese will understand most other dialects of Arabic.

French is widely spoken and understood, owing to Lebanon's period as a French mandated territory after the First World War. English is increasingly more widely used, especially in the cities. Most young people will understand French, English and Arabic.

See also: Lebanese Arabic phrasebook

Buy

Currency

The Lebanese currency is the Lebanese pound, abbreviated "LL" or sometimes "LBP". Its value is kept stable relative to the US dollar, with a value of about LL1,500 to US$1. Either Lebanese pounds or US dollars are accepted almost everywhere, and it is common to pay in dollars but receive change in pounds (in which case, make sure you don't get short-changed).

Notes in use are LL1000, LL5000, LL10,000, LL20,000, LL50,000 and LL100,000. There are LL50, LL100, LL250 and LL500 coins. LL50 coins are virtually never used.

Exchange Rates

Correct as of 8 April 2006:

$ US Dollar	USD$1.00 = LL1,504	LL1,000 = USD$0.66
£ Pound Sterling	£1.00 = LL2,619	LL1,000 = £0.38
€ Euro	€1.00 = LL1,798	LL1,000 = €0.56
$ Australian Dollar	AUD$1.00 = LL1,112	LL1,000 = AUD$0.90
$ New Zealand Dollar	NZD$1.00 = LL1,019	LL1,000 = NZD$0.98
$ Canadian Dollar	CAD$1.00 = LL1,308	LL1,000 = CAD$0.76
¥ Japanese Yen	¥1.00 = LL12.68	LL1,000 = ¥79

Eat

Lebanon fosters exquisite cuisine ranging from a mezza of vegetarian dishes such as tabouleh, fattoush, and warak anab to delicious dips like hommos and moutabal.

Must haves include Lebanese barbeque such as shish tawouk (barbequed chicken)- usually consumed with garlic, lahm mishwe (barbequed meat, and kafta (another form of barbequed meat).

A full meal at an arabic restaurant can cost as little as 8 us dollars (12000 LL).

"Lebanese fast food" is also available as sandwiches offered in roadside shops, such as shawarma sandwiches (known in other countries as doner - or gyros in greece. Shawarma, as opposed to doner is seasoned with tarator sauce based on sesame oil, vegetables and is rolled in lebanese thin bread). Various barbequed meat sandwiches are also available, and even things such as lamb or chicken spleen, brains, lamb bone marrow or lamb testicles can be served as sandwiches.

Breakfast usually consists of man'ouche which looks like a folded pizza, most common toppings are zaatar (thyme), jebne (cheese) and lahme bi ajin (minced meat). Some new trendy places such as "zaatar w zeit" experiment with new toppings, such as "halloum and bacon". Zaatar w zeit stays open 24 hours a day and partygoers often go there for a bite at 4 in the morning. Another traditional breakfast food is knefeh; a special kind of breaded cheese that is served with liquid sugar in round bread. It is also served as dessert, but somehow it tastes better in the morning.

Lebanon is also very famous for its arabic sweets which can be found at leading restaurants especially in the Beirut Central District area. The city of tripoli is well known to produce exellent sweets.

Ski

Yes You can Ski in Lebanon. Lebanon has six ski resorts with groomed slopes, catering to skiers and snowboarders of all levels. Beyond the skiable domains await you kilometers of cross-country skiing and snowshoeing trails waiting to be explored; Lebanon has something for everyone. Each of the ski resorts has a different flavor; however, it is Faraya Mzaar (Kfardebian) that offers world-class infrastructure and facilities for the tourists, at less then 40 minutes drive from beirut.

Drink

Lebanon and specially Beirut is famous for the excellent night life. The choice can vary from international nightclubs such as the famous "Buddha Bar" to many local clubs that cater from teens to seniors. Favourite areas to go out are "Monot" and "Gemmeyzeh" Streets in "Ashrafieh" area of Beirut and the newly built "down town" area. For teenagers and as anywhere else, the cool clubbing spots vary by the day but a classic is to see the "B018" in the "Karantina" area of Beirut or the various clubs at "Monot" Street. For adults and specially the 30 plus,"Crystal" (Monot Street) is the in place in addition to the "Buddha Bar" (down town) and for a sample of clubs that locals frequent "Al Mandaloun" (Ashrafieh).

As to hardcore drinking lounges "Zync" is one classic example in "Ashrafieh"

Sleep

Learn

A handful of private schools, such as the Lycee Francais (several branches over the country), the College Protestant and probably some others follow the official french curriculum. The official French Baccalaureate exams can be taken in Lebanon. Some schools (such as I.C.)teach english as a first language. Most schools will have arabic as first language, and french or english as a second language.

The American University of Beirut (AUB - www.aub.edu.lb) is considered the best university in the arabic middle east. The teaching language there, as in most universities in Lebanon, is english. Other anglophone private universities are: LAU, NDU ... Some private universities have french as the main teaching language. USJ is one of these, it is an old and respecte institution in Lebanon, and probably offers the best price/quality ratio among private universities in the country. Other francophone private universities are USEK and Balamand. The Lebanese University is the state owned / public university and is the largest learning institution in the country. It offers virtually free tertiary education.

Work

Gay Tourism

Officially, "sexual acts against nature" are illegal in Lebanon under Article 534 of the Lebanese Penal Code (introduced by the French Mandate), however homosexuality in-and-of itself is not. This vaguely-worded law has been used as justification for raids on bars, houses, and for abusing gays in police custody. No one, however, has been punished under 534 in atleast the past 10 years, and before WWII Lebanon had no statutes against homosexuality or homosexual acts. In spite of its current book laws, Lebanon is second only to Israel as the most progressive and tolerant country in the entire Middle East, and not just in the Arab world - a number of clubs are gay friendly and some others offer gay-themed nights, especially in the Greater Beirut area (and more specifically in the Hamra district and in Sin-El-Fil).

Stay Safe

In case of any urgency don't hesitate to call these numbers from any phone line, and the operator will answer giving you all the help needed. The Red Cross: 140 Civil protection: 112 The Fireman: 125 Directory Inquiry: 120 Police: 160

It is recommended you enquire about the political situation in the country before visiting. 

Also you should be aware there are still land mines in some areas.

Stay Healthy

As a key destination for health tourism in the region, Lebanon has a professional and private healthcare system. Located mainly in Beirut , key hospitals include:

AUH (American University Hospital), Hamra area: +961-1-344704 Hotel Dieu de France, Ashrafieh area: +961-1-386791 Rizik Hospital, Ashrafieh area: +961-1-200800 Mont Liban Hospital, Hazmieh area: +961-1-955444 Sacré Coeur Hospital, Hazmieh area: +961-1-451704

Respect

Lebanon is a country of many different religious sects. It is recommended to wear modest clothing when visiting religious sites (mosques, churches, etc) and when visiting rural towns and villages. However, Beirut is very much a cosmopolitan city. Clothing considered 'western' is generally acceptable. In fact it's often said in Beirut the less you wear, the more you will fit in.

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