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Beirut Reviews

Malta Malta
Beirut a journey of a life time
May 31, 2006 09:01 PM 3412 Views

A journey of a lifetime, a journey to remember….


Last summer my friend and I decided to go on a trip to Lebanon.


First thing attracted my attention its Beirut’s Climate the most populous city in Lebanon. Clear blue sky and relatively mild temperatures.


The capital and home to the first law school in the world, dating back to the Phoenician Era, I’ve noticed Beirut is a really tourist attraction to all visitors from around the world. Known to be the commercial and busiest city in Lebanon it also has several, restaurants. Not to mention the famous market at the Martyr's Place known as Souk el Barghout, where hundreds of tourists pass by and enjoy a delightful meal, and I can say they have a very good tasty cuisine, or even a cup of coffee at the enjoyable outdoor cafes available, and enjoy the sights of by passers walking and mixing in with the Lebanese public.


The Atmosphere, was great not necessarily a long list of sights, is what Beirut delivers best. In a city of few open, green spaces, this long seaside promenade.


You'll see people of all ages, in all forms of dress, walking, jogging, eating and generally visiting there. The Corniche also has wonderful views of the coast. Pigeon Rocks, a group of rock formations set in a cove in Raouche, is the most dramatic of the views, as well as a popular backdrop for evening drinks. Among the notable restorations are Grand Serail, the Municipality Building, Parliament Building, Al-Omari Mosque, St. George's Greek Orthodox Cathedral and St. George's Maronite Cathedral. Beirut is go there simply to stroll, or enjoy a leisurely narghile (water pipe with flavored tobacco) while people-watching at an outdoor cafe.Yet still impressive collection is on view at the American University of Beirut Archaeology Museum. The AUB's beautiful campus is also worth exploring. Finally, the lovely Sursock Museum occasionally displays antiquities, but its primary focus is on contemporary Lebanese art.


Between museums, you should take time to explore. Ashrafieh, where the Sursock Museum is located, has narrow, winding streets and some beautiful old residences head back to the Corniche to see the sunset and take in the wonderful evening atmosphere.


If you would like to go for clubbing I can recommend you to try Rue Monot (Ashrafieh) or Rue Bliss (Hamra), or in Beirut Central District -Downtown Beirut.


It was a very exiting trip which I would love to experience it once again.


Miami United States
A beautiful place to visit,but I wouldn't want to
Jun 15, 2002 05:16 PM 5182 Views

I have had the pleasure of visiting Lebanon four times. It is a beautiful Country full of mountains and bordered by the beautiful Mediterranean Sea. I was surprised that the land is so green and there are so many rivers. I had always thought of the middle east as being dry and barren.


My first impression of Beirut was a scary one. Coming from the United States, I wasn't sure what to expect. When we landed at the Beirut International Airport, there was no walkway that led from the plane to the airport. We disembarked right onto the runway. A bus quickly picked us up and drove us to the terminal. My first impression of this place was scary because there were armed soldiers everywhere. This was not something I was used to.


I learned very quickly that it's not ''what'' you know but ''who'' you know in Beirut. Instead of waiting in line to go through customs like everyone else, we were swept through the crowd and placed in the front of the line because we had a friend meet us there who was a high ranking official in the Lebanese Army. Once through customs, the difference between my home land and this country was very evident; the people.


We were there to visit family and the whole gang showed up to greet us at the airport. When I say the whole gang, believe me I mean it. There were five cars of people there just to meet us. When we reached the house, we were bombarded with visitors. Well wishers who were just as curious about me being an American as I was about them being Lebanese.


One very important thing to know if you are planning a trip to Lebanon is their customs. They are very religious people. There are some men who are uncomfortable with physically touching women. Even when it comes to handshakes. I learned this the hard way. The best advice I can offer is, when you are introduced to someone, wait to see how they greet you. If they extend their hand to you, then shake it. If they cross their hand over their chest and bow, then you do likewise. Also, ladies, when someone enters the room, man or woman, it is customary in Lebanon to show your respect by rising to greet them. It is considered very rude to remain seated, even for us ladies. It took a few days to get used to these customs but once I did, I was accepted with open arms.


For the six weeks we were there, we were taken to many beautiful sights and some not so beautiful sights. In Beirut, ''Hamra'' is the main street. It is lined with small shops where you can buy anything from clothing to flowers. It also has numerous outdoor cafes and world famous Lebanese sweets. Most of the shopping we did at Hamra was window shopping because it was a bit on the expensive side.


We had many outdoor picnics at the beautiful rivers and beaches. Where else can you swim in the sea and look up to see snow covered mountains? There are many museums and historical sights to see. The downtown area is littered with buildings that have holes in them from the many years of war. There is a lot of construction going on, but it will take many years to rebuild what was formerly known as the ''Paris of the Middle East''.


Beirut is divided into two sections; East and West. The West side consists mainly of Muslims and the East side is mainly Christians. It is very apparent which side is which. The West side is more conventional and old fashioned, while the East side is very modern and even has casinos. During our stay there, I realized just how much we take for granted when we are home. Running water and electricity for example. In Beirut, your water and electricity are rationed. We had electricity only six hours at a time. One day you would have it for six hours in the morning and the next day you would get it for six hours in the evening. Most Lebanese people have generators to compensate for down times. The same with water. Most people have a tank to use when the water runs out. Of course, if you are staying in a hotel, there are no such limitations.


One of the things I like most about Beirut is the lifestyle and laid back atmosphere. Most offices are only open from 8:00 am to 2:00 pm. After that, employees go home for a nice meal and a nap. When they awake they go to a place called ''Manara''. Manara is a strip of beach that has concrete sidewalks. There are chairs and tables set up with vendors who sell drinks and snacks. Some people bring cards and play well into the night, while others walk or jog. There are also many fast food places to eat across the street from Manara such as KFC, Pizza Hut and even a McDonald's.


I have had the pleasure of visiting Lebanon four times now and I have enjoyed each time equally. I titled this article A nice place to visit, but I wouldn't want to live there because although the Country itself is beautiful, and the people are wonderfully friendly, I am spoiled and I don't think I would be happy for long without the comforts of the good ole USA.


Beirut - The Battered 'Paris' of Middle East
Mar 05, 2002 10:33 AM 4395 Views

INTRODUCTION


Beirut, capital of Lebanon, was once widely regarded as the ‘Paris’ of the Middle East. If not for the extended damages caused by the many years of civil war, it will continue to remain as so. In fact, I was shocked to see the damages caused by the civil war when I first tour the country.


Beirut had a very long history of inhabitancy, tracing back as far back as the Stone Age. It has been inhabited throughout the pre-historic period till now.


As with the other cities in Lebanon, Beirut had underwent numerous changes in ownership before becoming what it is today.


SPECIAL NOTES


The traffic condition in Beirut is definitely one of the most hazardous in the world. Extra care needs to be taken when trying to move across the road. The drivers on the road does not seems to notice the presences of people trying to cross the road, so please do not take for granted that he will stop to let you go. You will be very sorry if you try to assume that.


The road condition in Beirut is in terrible condition, with lots of potholes and cracks. Walking at night along the streets needs to be very careful, if not sticking your leg into one of those holes will not do you any good for the rest of your trip.


If you are planning to do some shopping, Beirut is definitely the best area in the whole of Lebanon to shop from. Price will be more expensive than in other cities, but most items can only be found in Beirut. My opinion is that do your shopping on the last day of your tour in Lebanon (Provided your last stop is in Beirut too). Do most of your shopping in other part of Lebanon; only get items that cannot be found in Beirut.


TRANSPORTATION


There is an International Airport in Beirut, which is served by many airlines around the world. I believe getting to Beirut by air will not be too much of a difficulty to tourist around the world. But in some cases, you might need to do a transfer flights in Europe to reach Beirut if there aren’t any direct flight from home.


I flied to Beirut by air from Paris with Air France. I can’t remember the actual fare, but I believe it must be slightly over $300.


Traveling by Air to Beirut is no doubt the most sought after mode of transport into the city. If you do not want to travel by Air, you can also opt to travel by Land or Sea to Beirut. I do not have information on such mode. You might be able to get this information with the travel guides.


FOOD & ACCOMMODATION


Beirut is the biggest city, as well as the Capital of Lebanon, so you can easily understand that there will not be a shortage of food available in the city.


In fact, there is a wide range of food selection for tourist of different budget. On the cheap side, you can easily find a simple bite to fill up your stomach before continuing for just LL2000. On the high-end side, you can easily spend more than $50 for a set dinner. There are many types of food available, so you can take your pick slowly.


As for myself, I stayed in Beirut for 2 days, and for most of my meals, it was as simple as expected on my budget, spending less than LL4000 per meal. On my last day in Beirut, we had our dinner at the Hard Rock Café in Beirut, and that cost only less than $20.


There are plenty of hotels in Beirut, so do not worry of where to spend the night. The cheapest end (where I spend 2 nights) cost about $20 for a double per night. The high-end side will cost you easily $300 per night.


Even though I am paying just $20 for a night does not mean I am in a lousy hotel. The hotel is reasonably clean and neat, and I have no complain about it. There are plenty of such hotels in Beirut, look around and you will have lots of spare cash to use elsewhere.


ORGANISED TOUR


Touring of Beirut need a lot of studies and planning before proceeding. Joining some organized tour before proceeding on your own might be a better choice.


There are plenty of local tour operators to choose from. I remember paying just $25 per person for a half-day city tour. It will give you a good orientation of the city.


MAIN ATTRACTIONS


There are lots of places to be visit in Beirut, but at the same time most of them is in horrible state, waiting patiently to be rebuild or repair.


I will not be able to cover all of them in just one review, and I will pick a few, which I think is worthy of a visit for your trip. But I would recommend going through some sort of a travel guide on the city for a better understanding before making a plunge into the city.


National Museum of Beirut - This is the main archaeological museum in Beirut, but it is surely in a horrible and pathetic stage when I visited it. The museum was dated back to 1942, and its façade and interior have an Egyptian style. It is a very huge museum, and if all parts of the building is re-open after repairing, it will surely take a large portion of your day to explore the museum.


Beside the National Museum of Beirut, there are two other museum in Beirut that worth a short visit (anyway, they are rather small). They are the American University of Beirut Museum and the Sursock Museum.


Rue Hamra - This is the main shopping street since the war. Although there are no important buildings or monuments along this street, but it does have its interesting appeal to tourist. It will be great to have a walk around the streets to do some shopping or something to bite your way through the day.


Monument to Peace - This is a very interesting piece of art, just unveiled 5 years ago in 1996. It is located out the Ministry of Defense Building just on the outskirt of Beirut. You will need to take a taxi to bring you there, just to see this monument. This is a very grand monument, and with the taxi rate rather reasonable, it is definitely worth your time and effort to see this giant piece of art by a French artist Armand Fernandez. This is a 5000-ton structures, which consists of real Soviet T-55 tanks, armored vehicles and artillery.


Mosques and Churches - There are a number of Mosques and Churches in Beirut that is worthy of a visit, but some of them is badly damaged during the war and might not look as good as it used to me. The Grand Mosque, also known as the Omari Mosque is a nice Mosque to visit, but is badly damaged. Besides try to locate and spend some time with St. Louis Church and the St. George’s Maronite Cathedral.


Roman Baths - There are a few excavated Roman Baths which is worthwhile to have a look.


Pigeon Rocks - You must not miss this when you are in Beirut. It was probably the only natural attraction Beirut has now. The offshore natural rock arches of the Pigeon Rocks are spectacular and are really nice to look at, especially during sunset. Try to plan your visit to the spot at around sunset time to see the scene.


After 2 days of just walking and exploring the whole of Beirut, I actually miss out quite a portion of it due to the fact that I am not familiar with the city as well as the fact that the city is really very badly layout. I believe in a few years from now, after all the hard work to rebuilt the city was completed, it will be a great place to visit again.


SUMMARY


If not for the long period of war in Lebanon, especially in Beirut, the title of the ‘Paris’ of Middle East can easily by justified.


Even though it might not be as nice as what it used to be years ago, Beirut still possess the appeal to attract tourist into the city.


I believe with a few more years of hard work to rebuilt the damaged city, Beirut will once again bloom into a great tourist city.


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