Lebanon, the fancy middle eastern country, a little country, where you can find everything. From mountains with snow, to a sunny beach not even far away. Since the economical crisis in the country many things have turned bad. So what do you need to know before visiting Lebanon?
What is important to know?
Lebanon is a country, which has borders to Syria and Israel. It also has access to the mediterranean sea. Lebanon is a country in the middle east.
- Important to know. It has bad relations with Israel, so when you have visited the country, you are not allowed to enter. They are not recognizing it as a country.
- The currency is basically ruined, so the official rate is around 1500 Lebanese Pounds for one Dollar, but the unofficial rate on the black market is changing all the time. It is around 30.000. So important, to not get money from the bank and not to pay with a card!
- The first ride to the city of Beirut, they will ask for way too much. When wanting to go to the center, don’t pay more than $10.
When going back to the airport, by using local apps for transportation, you are most likely not paying more than three Dollars. - Be prepared to also wear warmer clothes with you, when you want to go exploring all of the country, just because it is in the middle east, it can still get really cold.
- Lebanon has electrical issues, the electricity is most likely to be off, the whole night and also during the day possible. Try to find a place with a generator!
When you know what to expect, not much should go wrong. The locals are really friendly and welcoming. It could happen that locals will talk to you out of interest, which in my experience is always nice.
Things I was surprised with?
To be honest, I was really surprised, when walking to the harbor and seeing all the yachts there and the fancy buildings next to it.
When I found out that more than 30% are believing in Christianity, that is something I in general didn’t have in mind, when thinking about the middle east, but even in Syria, there are christians living.
People told me that they went skiing, I didn’t know that that would have been possible there, but indeed, it is!
In general Lebanon is full of surprises, which is great, for everyone who wants to start the region. I would say Lebanon is a good starter, same as Jordan for example. Just important to know are some things before. Even though Jordan might be maybe for the first country a bit more simple.
Summary
Lebanon is a beautiful country and it is great to explore, just keep the above listed things in mind. It is cheap and has a lot to offer.
The most important things are probably the thing with the black market money and keep Israel in mind, don’t give them any connection to that country!
In general the middle east is a region which is really underrated, which is good for tourism, you are not having big masses of tourists.
I would love to hear your experiences about this place, or questions. Share it with me in the comments.
For more about this trip: Lebanon Stories
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