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| Site of the 2020 Explosion |
August 4th, 2020, I remember hearing, reading, and seeing the tragic video of the Beirut Explosion on the pier. This was at a peak time in Covid, when the world was suffering. I could imagine from my experience in New York City on 9/11 what the survivors of Beirut were experiencing. I truly felt for them, but didn't imagine I'd be going there anytime soon. But as with all things in Covid Times, we don't go necessarily where we want to go, we go where we are allowed to go.
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| First day arriving on the pier |
After I left the middle east in 2017 I thought I was more or less done with the region. I have been to 7 or 8 countries there and although I loved every one, I felt I had seen enough of the region and there was too many other places in the world I needed to give attention to.... But then of course Covid changed all that. I'm not at all glad about Covid, but I am certainly grateful of the course of events that led me into this beautiful country that even amidst the chaos of 2020, and current conflict with fuel and power, set a a perfect backdrop for an adventure and a budget traveler.
Here's my go to advice and tips for anyone who wants to visit Lebanon:
The Airport
- I have been to over 50 countries at this point all over the world, and I don't know if Covid is to blame, but for travelers I must warn le getting into Beirut was fairly easy and normal, getting out was VERY difficult. First have a plan to get to the airport and a backup plan due to the gas shortage. I had a driver I met on a tour and backup was Uber or a hotel to call me a cab as my sim ran out of data.
- Get there massively early. My flight was 4am. I left the hotel at midnight, its only a 15 minute ride (and this was only because the curfew from Covid made traffic easy), and I literally had minutes to spare before boarding. The flight attendants told me people are routinely missing their flights. There's not much to exit customs or Covid things leaving, I think it's from lack of staff and the other issues hurting the country rather than exit customs. I seriously would leave five hours early. Hang out in the lounge, bring a book, whatever. Just don't miss your flight.
Gas, Currency, and Electricity Issues During My Stay
I had an amazing time in Lebanon, and am totally grateful, but it would be wrong not to note the things going on during my time there, which hopefully will resolve soon.
- Gasoline: At the time of writing Lebanon is currently experiencing a huge gas shortage, why? I'm not gonna get political, but rather we will skip that and address how it affects us as travelers. Just plan ahead and have a back up plan. If you have a driver, also have uber and vice versa. Any day excursions keep a good amount of cash, say $100, in case your driver runs out of gas and you need another way back to Beirut.
- Currency, this was the first time I dealt with issues regarding currency exchange. Google and my currency app weren't jiving at the first restaurant I went to... I was trying to figure out why a beer and hamburger listed as a special was $125? The apps and internet are not up to date on currency. Get on TripAdvisor before you go or talk to a local, while there find a trusted source once you know the exchange, IE your Airbnb host, or tour guide (another thing Zingy Ride helped me with!) and have them help you. Exchange a good amount up front, but ration it out towards the end as the currency won't go far when you leave Lebanon. And don't worry when you go back to the airport all drivers will take dollars.
- Electricity, since the explosion the grid has suffered and is in dire repair. It's not uncommon for the power to go out multiple times a day, for people working in offices on computers, or heaven forbid some hospitals, this is chaotic beyond belief. As budget travelers, just be mindful of things you normally don't think about, can you take the stairs rather than elevator? Don't postpone recharging devices while you still can, etc. Also be really careful where you are eating, I'd recommend against sea food.
Hotel, Airbnb, or Hostel
- I put hostel for the sake of noting it, but unless you want to meet people and have the hostel community experience there will be no need. Beirut is a budget traveler's paradise. I carefully looked at hotels and Airbnb's and the prices were all amazing.
- For the first time in my travel life I booked a business Hotel. The Gefinor Rotana in the heart of Beirut. I decided I wanted a hotel with amenities I normally wouldn't care for, a cool rooftop bar with pool, restaurants, gym, cafe, breakfast, etc. This hotel in my country would have cost me anywhere from $400 to $1,000 a night. In Beirut it was about $100 a night.
- I figured amenities were a safe bet in case things got difficult with transportation or electricity issues. Normally i'd love to workout in a local gym, check out a local beach/bar/dining, all of which except the gym I would end up doing, but it was nice to know it was all right there if issues arose.
- Airbnb had plenty of deals as well, but with the conflict of fuel and electricity going on I wanted to have resources if needed, i.e. Hotel Staff.
- Downtown Beirut, Hamra, and Mar Mikhael are all great neighborhoods to stay in and really close enough that it won't make much of a difference, a 5 minute Uber or long walk will get you through all of them.
Tours
I couldn't have done this trip without Zingy Ride, I found them through a recommendation on TripAdvisor and it was worth it weight in gold! You can of course self tour, as I most time prefer, but driving in Beirut with a rental car is risky to say the least, and public transport is not very good. So I opted for the tour. Here are the tours I did and what I thought:
- Paragliding: It was day two morning one of my first time in Lebanon, I was a little jet lagged but local coffee had me perked up to start the day by running off a mountain with a parachute, AKA paragliding! This is something I wanted to do for a long time and it's a fraction of what you would pay in the USA for it. It's an amazing start to the trip to see Beirut from way above flying over the city! My big tip here would be to book it early in your trip if it's important, because if weather issues come you may need to reschedule.
- Jetta Grotto - Harissa - Byblos: Jetta Grotto is no doubt one of the most amazing places you will see in nature. The colors, the smell, and the feel is just not something a photo can recreate, only the memory will be able to.
Harissa was amazing to see the sight of Our Lady Of Harissa and you will also see some Cedars of Lebanon up on the mountain, the national tree and flag.
Byblos was great for old castles and the old souk, and a bonus as soon as we were done my guide brought me to a beach within walking distance for a quick dip in the ocean. This was August and that dip was well needed!
- Baalbek - Anjar - Ksara: I did this tour the following day, archaeologically speaking this one was a lot more interesting! We drove along the Syrian border to Baalbeck and Anjar.
Baalbek and Anjar are not only ancient but we learned that archaeologists that were actually there are digging even further as the ancient ruins are sitting on top of even more ancient ruins! Bring a good camera for this one.
After the ancient castles we went to Beirut's oldest winery. They gave us a video lesson on the history of it and wine in Beirut followed by a tour of the caves where the wine is made and stored. And of course plenty of samples at the end to try. - Aaqoura Lakes – Baatara Waterfall – Batroun: I wouldn't say this tour was a total bust, but in retrospect I think I should have booked a different waterfall tour, and an unpredictable road closure also cut us out of Aaquora Lakes. So if you are thinking about it, check the best seasons for waterflow, road closures if you can find out, or if you are short on time, I would more highly recommendone of the other tours mentioned.
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| Baatara Waterfall in the dry season! |
- City Day (self tour): My last full day I decided on self touring downtown Beirut, the blast site to pay homage, and the Beirut National Museum. Have a quick game plan to get around, I decided to Uber to the museum and walk my way backwards.
The tourism industry is hurting so the museum was fairly empty the day I went. It's one of the best things to do in the city so make sure you plan appropriately to make it there.
After the museum I made a short walk to Martyr's Square, good for a quick photo. You will also see in this area many buildings still damaged from the blast.
A short walk further to the French built down town area, and of course the "I Love Beirut" sign.
And a longer walk to Hamra for Pigeon Rock, grab a beer next door!
Dining and Nightlife
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| First of many epic meals |
Beirut is famous for it's night life in the middle east, but unfortunately most of the large venues are still closed from the explosion, but the nights do indeed go on. While you weren't able to dance in a large rave or anything like that, small bars and clubs, little dive bars, pool parties, ocean front wine bars, and rooftop places were a plenty to explore the city nightlife. Your money goes far on both dining and drinks so splurge more than you would at home.
Dining equally was on point, but I must say I was already a fan of middle eastern food so my opinion was a little biased.... Also had delicious Italian in this hole in the wall I found while getting lost wandering the neighborhood.
The People
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| Pool Partying in Beirut |
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