LEBANON

Visas, Embassies & Border Crossings

In Tripoli, I would strongly not recommend anyone going to have a look at the old railway trains. The whole site is being used by the Lebanese Army as a camp. I was told to get lost in very clear terms by two soldiers when they caught me wandering aorund with a camera. In addition to this some of the wagons are inhabited and the inhabitants do not take kindly to you wandering around.
Kieran Donovan,UK (Feb 99)

Byblos is perhaps one of the best sites in Lebanon. Tripoli is worth a visit for the castle and if you are interested in Crusader Castles it's a good base for visiting Akkar and Coliath and other sites. But the city itself is pretty empty :a lot of internet cafes on the street by the harbour and also a big multiplex cinema.
Vittorio D'Orazio, Italy (Jan 99)

In the spring of '95, Carlton Reid wrote an article in the brilliant British mountain bike magazine MBUK about a biking trip to Lebanon. It was my first real acquaintance with the country and actually it has been my inspiration to go ever since. Reid also wrote : "The first indication I had that I wasn't flying somewhere normal was at Heathrow when six passengers got on to a plane that can take 120." So there was me, still expecting a similar situation, nevertheless hearing reports about the rebuilding and recovery of the country. I guess I kept hanging on to the magazine article as some sort of nostalgia - how wrong can one be, and thus big was my amazement when at Paris Charles de Gaulle I had to board a large Boeing 747 which was nearly filled with passengers. It wouldn't be the last of my surprises

To be honest, I think Lebanon is not really a backpacker's country, unless you're prepared to walk a lot and have plenty of time. And even then it won't be real cheap. Backpackers are indeed still very much a novelty in Lebanon. Nobody on the plane I arrived on, carried one and I met not one other backpacker during the whole trip. If I arrived in the (bit) more expensive places to stay, I almost always got the question: "are you from the United Nations?", no doubt because of my trimmed hair and khaki backpack. Signs of the people not being used to travellers on the cheap.

I also realised in Lebanon you can actually have that incredible experience that awesome feeling, of moving from a Westernised environment to a much more genuine Oriental one, by only driving a very short distance. Lebanon therefore could be a great introduction to the rest of the Middle East, no only to the people, the sort of sites and the food, but also to the problems of the region. If you like places like Tripoli, the Bekaa Valley and Saida, you'll just love the other countries.

Arriving in Tripoli was like arriving in the "real" Middle East - the Middle east I was used to. The mueddzin calling to prayer, dirty streets with road-side stalls crowded with people, many of them Muslim women in long robes, extremely friendly people when asking for directions or just when passing by - God, I loved it! Patrick Wullaert, Belgium (Dec 98)

I found the people in Lebanon very welcoming and enjoyed my stay. The main bad point was the taxi's in Beirut, particularly to the airport. There is an official looking stand outside the airport where you can order a taxi and although these taxi's are metered, the meter is obviously not set at the official rate (if there is an official rate). It cost US$30 to get to Hamra, obviously far too much but because the taxi was metered, I thought it would be alright. It would have been cheaper to have taken an unmetered taxi and bargained.

The airport, although modern, is rather spartan and it is not recommended to arrive too early before your flight.

The visa situation appears to be a little confusing - we arrived at the airport without visas and tried to explain that we wanted a visa, unfortunately no one appeared to speak English or understand our attempts in French. We were issued with a 24 hour visa free of charge but couldn't understand how to extend it. We went to the general security office but they didn't do visa extensions and sent us to an unmarked building close to the cola taxi stand. Visa extensions were on the first floor but it takes ten days as we were going to Syria then returning to Lebanon, we were recommended not to get an extension but to pay at the border. It was a bit confusing.

The border guy kept telling us our visa wasn't valid but once he realised we wanted to pay he issued us with a visa for LL25,000 each. He didn't understand we wanted a multiple entry visa so on our return to Lebanon we had to buy another visa at the border again for LL25,000. The queue was very long but once we said we were in a service taxi we were served first. Before going to Lebanon I telephoned the Lebanese embassy in Britain, they weren't much help and didn't even know how much it would cost to buy a visa in Lebanon. Buying visas is quite easy at the borders, but I'm not sure whether this is cost effective.

We often encountered problems with travellers cheques- this was especially true of Balbek. No banks or exchanges in Balbek deal with travellers cheques so its important to take enough cash. Tripoli was the only place where changing travellers cheques for a reasonable rate was easy. The Byblos bank in Byblos was also good, but branches in other cities didn't change them. The British bank in Beirut (Midland bank) will change Thomas Cook, whilst the exchanges on Rue Hamra gave a bad rate and had high commission charges. The best place in Beirut is a three story exchange called Mohamad Shouman & Sons. They are on a side street off Rue Hamra close to Moonlight Hotel in Shouman Building. The best advice really is take cash- travellers cheques are too much hassle.
Emily Peckham UK (Dec 98)

The large public buses are by far the cheapest way to travel around. From Sidon to Tyre the fare is LL500 and from Beirut to Sidon is the same price. To get form the airport to the centre of Beirut is possible for LL1500. Just jump on a local bus from outside the terminal and they will see you get there.
Colin McKinnon (Sept 98)

I found an internet store in Sour (Tyre) where they let me send a quick message. Even better, the Web CafΘ near the American University in Beirut, which for reasonable prices I could telnet to my accounts back in the states, surf the web and use e-mail.

I found another small tourist office in Jbail (Byblos), just across from the ruins. There they had free pamphlets on most of the places of importance to tourist in Lebanon, some of which I found very helpful. The man running the place was very helpful as well.

In regards to money exchange, I found it helpful to carry around both dollars and lira, though it was confusing to do the exchange rate continuously. It seemed to be necessary to use both, as some places preferred dollars, and other places lira, and sometimes I would pay with one currency and receive change in the other. For these purposes, I found the small Radio Shack schedule and money exchanger that I had with me was very helpful.

The two cave trips in Jeita are spectacular and simply can't be described on paper. Beautiful arches and gigantic stalagmites and stalactites, strange rock structures of whose like I have never before seen; colours that rightly belong only on animals but are suddenly in stone, quiet and calm waters where the only sound one hears is dripping of newly forming rocks. The best rate getting there I could get was 8000LL with a service taxi and then I had to hitch a ride to the main road to get another series of service taxis going back to Beirut. I'd recommend a couple hours for a leisurely tour of the caves and finding a bus or tourist transport to take you up there, so that one doesn't become stranded. If one goes at the right times, different musicians (soloist violinists and orchestras) play in the superb acoustics of the grotto and in boats floating in it's waters, including the famous violinist Nidaa Abu Mirad.
Jedidiah J. Palosaari, USA (Aug 98)

The national museum WAS open, but it is now CLOSED. Six months starting 8/98, for renovation. The warning not to accept dollars given to you in change because of counterfeiting is nonsense, according to all the Lebanese I asked. No one spends the time to counterfeit small bills. There are lots of counterfeit $100 bills (old design), but you won't get them as change unless you're carrying $1000 bills. And $100 new design bills are (for the moment) safe, if you check the writing on the thread, the color-changing ink, etc. Just to clarify, I accepted $1/5/10/20 freely in change from my $100 bills, and spent them elsewhere in Lebanon; no one scrutinized them or hesitated to accept them.

Earlier reports notwithstanding, we travelled to Baalbek and to Tyre/Sour and back, and at no point were our passports examined. There are lots of checkpoints belonging to different groups, but currently they are just placeholders for future political advantage...the soldier just waves everyone on. This was true even going to Beirut airport.
from the Thorn Tree by R Kalia (Sept 98)

Maghdouche - 8 kms south east of Saida is the big statue of the Holy Maria. The story tells that in the cave (today a church) Maria was waiting overlooking the beach to look for Jesus and his followers. Today you will have a splendid view of the whole area from the statue. The town Maghdouche, further up is the place where young people from the Christian villages hang out. On September 8th people celebrate the feast of Maria with a big party in front of the church - with beer, dancing and take-away food. The service taxis run between Maghdouche and Saida from morning to 8 pm and cost LL1000 - a taxi is around LL6000.

5 km east of Saida on the road to Jbaa' is Kraye which has around 3000 Maronite and Greek catholic inhabitents. It's a quiet town where you feel more like you are in Greece than Lebanon.
Bjarke Skaanning Petersen (Aug 98)

Taxis working at Beirut International Airport are now obliged to install meters.
Iris McKinley (June 98)

The Beirut Times is no longer in publication. There is a new social newspaper in English: The Lebanese Gazette. TV stations are reduced to a few licensed ones, but most every home has either satellite or cable. LBC, MTV and TL have satellite broadcasts as well.

There is an abundance of roller bladers on the Corniche.

The Baalbeck festival will be held this year during the months of July and August.
Mira (June 98)

Places to Stay (Beirut) :Although both the San Lorenzo Hotel (15 US$ single room) and Moonlight Hotel (25 US$ double) in Hamra are OK, much cheaper 'hotels'/pensions can be found in the Ain al Mreisse area near the Hard Rock Cafe. Dormitory beds are available for about 6 US$ per person at the Home Valley Pension (adjacent to the 'Wash Me' Car Wash building and opposite a friendly, helpful bookstore). This place is fairly basic but safe and clean. The hotels in this area are very convenient for exploring the Corniche and the old Downtown Area around Place des Martyrs.

Even cheaper dorm beds can be found in very basic hotels round Place des Martyrs and Riad al Solh. These places are located within some of the bombed-out buildings that survived the war and now tend to house longterm Syrian construction workers employed on Solidere's massive redevelopment projects in the Downtown district. I don't think that these places are particularly used to dealing with backpackers' and cannot vouch for their safety. However, if you're on a really tight budget and are open-minded they are probably worth a look.

Transport : Service taxis go regularly from the Cola taxi/bus stand (near Hamra) to Saida, Sour and the Bekaa Valley. For Beiteddine Palace take a service taxi heading for Saida/Sour and change at Damour a few km south of Beirut. Buses to Tripoli regularly leave from Gare Charles Helou on the opposite side of Hamra. Always agree a fare with the driver before the journey begins and ideally before even getting into the taxi.

Entertainment : There are a variety of English-style pubs in Hamra but many of the young Beirut jet-set seem to hang out in the Hard Rock Cafe on the Corniche/Ain al Mreisse and TGI Friday near Pigeon Rocks. The food at these places while relatively expensive comes as a welcome change to the usual Middle East fare of felafel, roast chickens, kebabs etc. There are also a few jazz clubs off Rue Hamra in the vicinity of the San Lorenzo/Moonlight hotels - always lively and definitely worth a look if you're happy to blow a few dollars .

Safety :I travelled alone for 3 weeks and hardly met another backpacker. The only foreign visitors seemed to be members taxis and public buses. There seemed to be no threat in wandering around the cities alone, even after dark. Saida and Sour in the south both appear calm although there are occasional reports in the press of Israeli fighter planes. There are regular skirmishes between Hezbollah and the South Lebanon Army but this is in the border zone in the extreme south of Lebanon where tourists shouldn't really be anyway. There are military checkpoints on main roads in both the south and the road to the Bekaa Valley. Keep your passport ready for routine examination.
Nigel Easton (June 98)

Two city bus lines serve the airport during the daytime (about 7 am to 7 pm). Number 7 goes from the parking lot to the Corniche Road in Ras Beirut and the number 10 goes direct to the Charles Helou bus terminal. From there you can take a taxi from the centre to somewhere else in Central Beirut for not more than US$3. Both cost 500LL or about 30 US cents.
Tony Bonnaud

Take US dollars and you'll be home and dry. Everyone, including cab drivers, accepts them. However, be very careful when accepting US dollars back. There are a lot of fake US dollars floating around and everyone seems to be able to spot them a mile off, except for tourists, so you will be the prime target.
Vatsala Mamgain (June 98)

There is a new bus station in East Beirut under the fly-over on the Corniche, near the prominent expo centre called Forum. This is the place to catch buses for North Lebanon or long-distance coaches to Syria.
Susan Gill (June 98)

The toilet situation seems to have improved and the major archaeological sites now have new, very clean and modern facilities. In addition, quite a few of the towns on our routes also had nice public toilets, clearly sign posted. Many of the facilities even had toilet paper and wash basins.
Godfrey Fowler (Jun 98)

The new airport is now open. Although only days old, it smells like a well-scrubbed toilet block with empty walls and devoid of posters, furniture and signs.

Little local currency is needed - US dollars will buy you most things - keep a good supply of low denomination bills.

The National Museum is also open - entry fee is 5,000 LL.

The Beirut Times has ceased publication.
John Brinkley (May 98)

Buses from Beirut to Syria now leave from a new bus terminal near to the port. Its called "Port de Beyrouth" and is actually located underneath the flyer-over on Avenue Charles Helou just past the exhibiton center "Forum de Beyrouth".

There is an office there called Pullman where tickets/reservations can be made. I got a local taxi driver from one of the hotels to sort out our tickets to Damascus, as none of the tour companies or local hotels seemed to know where the "Cola Bus Stand" was. This worked out well and he only charged US$10. Cost of the tickets on Karnak bus form Beirut to Damascus was US$5 each and quite an interesting journey. Bus stops twice; at Chtaura (for refreshments) and at Barr Elias for "duty free" shopping.

Border post at Masnaa fairly stright forward and I advise anyone going into Syria to change their dollars into Sú here. Overall journey time Beirut to Damascus was approx five hours total.
Malcolm James (May 98)

Don't even bother to bring travellers cheques. No one will take them, even most of the banks. I went to six banks before I found one which would cash some and then they said only if I had the purchaser's slip you are supposed to keep apart from your travellers cheques. Then it took me two hours and fourteen signatures to cash US$700 each. ( I am not exaggerating - travellers cheques have been used to launder money and banks have been hurt.) American money, however, is the second currency there and is actually preferred. I did not come across a single shop keeper who did not have a stack of Lebanese money in bill order on top of a stack of American money in bill order. You can also use your Visa and Mastercard pretty much anywhere and teller machines will give you cash.
Carolyn List (Mar 98)

We rented a van and drove all over the northern two thirds of Lebanon. The most southern places we went were Damour, Beiteddine, and Barouk. The roads are absolutely terrible. On-ramps north of Beirut are just wherever people have made tracks through the grass to get up to the road way. There are only a few faded white lines and no shoulders o the road edges. The mountain roads are almost all single lane switchback roads. There are no street names anywhere, you have to use landmarks. But people were wonderful about giving directions and even crossed heavy traffic to tell us how to get somewhere.

We accidentally got on a main highway going south toward Saida which was excellent - newly paved, white lines, overpasses, on-ramps, big road signs. I understand there are more good roads in the south.
Carolyn List (Mar 98)

Visitors shouldn't miss the newly-reopened National Museum. Located on Beirut's Green Line, it's been spectacularly restored to show select pieces from Lebanon's past- there's even a video about how they did it

Closed Tuesday, it's US$5 to enter and we got a knowledgeable guide showing us round for free. I can't wait for the curators to restore the pottery and jewellery so they can re-open the upper floor.
Richard Tanner - Jordan (Feb 98)