Lebanon

[Closed Account 2]

Anyone been recently ? Any tips on what to see and do for a week there ?

[Sligo Hornet]

Anyone been recently ? Any tips on what to see and do for a week there ?

Keep your head down!

[HarpoJoyce]

I flew into Beirut and out of Damascus, Syria (Málev Hungarian) in April/May 2001....yes exactly during the Foot & Mouth Crisis in W. Europe, I was lucky to get out of Ireland when I did. (WARNING: My Summer Holidays essay to follow...)

Beirut rises steeply from the sea and has some hills that separate (maybe segregate) some areas.

Beirut is worth a three night stay. Weekend (Thurs, fri, sat) nights is more lively. The city centre is being rebuilt. They are rebuilding the absolute centre a few hundred metres from the previous Place des Martrys (maidan shohada). But I hate it, its sandstone coloured and is more like a shopping centre. Arcade type area, covered walkways with nice shops...blah.
Best drinking at the time was big hotels and up above the American Uni. Beirut (I think this is an area in itself also).

Next door to the city center (the cleaned-up area wasn'r huge at the time) There's a previous armenian quarter (some script/alphabeth on buildings is a telltale sign) that had some pokey/ discreet bars (went in) and other red light places (didn't go in).

Above the City center across a main road, jaywalk to cross, there is a Shia area, I think this area was called Patriarch which sounds more Armenian/Christian. (I may not have orientated my city map correctly and confusing that name with the previous subburb.) Anyway Shia area very busy, lots of banners across the street (uphill).

There's a Christian (maronite?) on another hill not much happening.
My guidebook at the time was giving me nightclubs in the subburbs to go too. I didn't. But I feel Beirut is the type of place that the 'in' place to be changes regularly.


Many pot-marked tall building (16 floors and such). There was a long road as part of the green line and that area is heavily damaged.

I was lucky with my hotel a dive for a very cheap price (in Ras el maina sp? or Ain el Mreisse near the corniche) and also because I was on my own I stayed there for seven nights and travelled down the coast on day trips. Sidon (Saida?) and an other trip Tyre (other name). I think from Tyre I got to Qana and what was the UNIFIL bases (Polish, Irish and I think I saw Nepal (it wasn't (Fiji)).
Theres a few Crusader forts down there too. Fort Beufort is one another was used as a prison camp during the recent occupation.
When got to Tyre i hired a taxi-driver to take me around these spots.
I was told aswell because Tyre is a Shia town the bus services back to Beirut finished early in the evening. (maybe on dark, I din't check last bus time).
I think I would stay overnight at least for Tyre now.

I got in touch with the Dept. of Defence before I left. I senior experienced officer replied that the clay is very loose in lebannon and that a road maybe safe one day but after a torrential shower Unexploded Ordinance (UXO) maybe washed down onto the road and create a hazard.

You can get to Beit it Eddine in the Chouf Mountains aswell. Druze terriority. ( I don't believe the Druze are Muslim myself.)

Baalbek is a must.

Up north there is some walking, keep to the paved areas. There is a huge amount of Aussie accents in the Christian villages like Bcharré.

I went into Syria from Tripoli (Trabulus is a common pron.), it's a dusty town not alot happing.

Syria
Is a great spot, only a little bigger than Lebanon. But most of the stuff is close by. Krak des Chevaliers Castle, Hama town, Damascus (al-Shams), Palmyra and the River Euphrates (Nahr al-Fitr). There's even an important archaeology sites on the Eurphrates at the Iraqi border. If you're curious.

Damascus is a short hop from Beirut. And is a very easy-going place. The ancient Mosque is very beautiful.

Transport is everything from private taxis, shared taxis and buses.

I have never got grief from the locals anywhere I've gone in the Medditerraen region.

[Heliodorus]

Harpo I was thinking of doing this trip next March after visiting Armenia this year. How did you manage with visas? I was told Lebanon was safe except to stay away from the Palestinian camps.

[HarpoJoyce]

Harpo I was thinking of doing this trip next March after visiting Armenia this year. How did you manage with visas? I was told Lebanon was safe except to stay away from the Palestinian camps.

I found both Lebanon and Syria very safe and friendly (I'm a homogenous Irish person.). I had no problems getting Lebanese ( at airport) or Syrian (via Trailfinders Visa Service from London Embassy) single Tourist visas.

I chose my routing of flights to fit the visas. Lebanon award visa at Beirut Int. National Airport. I queued at one Immigration desk and paid for a 15 day tourist monetary paper stamp (LL 25,000). Queued at the main Imm. line and let the Officer stick the stamp in my passport with the date.
The French girl behind me was visiting her lebanese husband and had bought a 3-month stamp, she had visited.

Lebanon information. Ministry of Tourism
http://www.destinationlebanon.com/eng/PracticalInfo.asp

http://www.general-security.gov.lb/English/Entrance+Visas/Types+Of+Visas/
http://www.general-security.gov.lb/English/Entrance+Visas/visa4/

Always the first rule of visa applications is contact the orgaisation issuing the visa, especially if you have 'special circumstances'.
Lebanon Embassy, London
Lebanese Embassy in London, United Kingdom
Embassy of Lebanon in London, United Kingdom
21 Kensington Palace Gardens London W8 4QM.
Phone: (020) 7229 7265
Fax: (020) 7243 1699
Email: emb.leb@btinternet.com

Regarding Palestinian camps. They are all run by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency.
http://www.un.org/unrwa/overview/index.html
ESTABLISHMENT OF UNRWA

"Following the 1948 Arab-Israeli conflict, UNRWA, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, was established by United Nations General Assembly resolution 302 (IV) of 8 December 1949 to carry out direct relief and works programmes for Palestine refugees. The Agency began operations on 1 May 1950. In the absence of a solution to the Palestine refugee problem, the General Assembly has repeatedly renewed UNRWA's mandate, most recently extending it until 30 June 2011."

I understand it was the first UN Agency to be set up and the refugees do not come under the UNHCR organisation.

http://www.un.org/unrwa/refugees/wheredo.html
http://www.un.org/unrwa/english.html

When the Syrian Army was in Lebanon(up to 13,000 in Beirut or all Lebanon can't remember) they protected the camps very well, at least I did not here of much disturbance. Last yearthere was some trouble between some Palestinians and the lebanese Army at one camp.
http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article7039.shtml

In other countries there are tours of some camps, not all. I imagine it would be the same if you contacted one of the Aid Agencies in advance and requested information or a tour.

Visa app./Onward to Syria Arab Republic
Because I wasn't familiar with visa applications with Embassies in other countries. Months before I left, I applied for the Syrian visa through Trailfinders Visa Service, (they have an office in Dublin so if there was a bother there was somewhere I could go.)
http://visas.trailfinders.ie/
http://www.trailfinders.ie/visaforms/syria.pdf

No problem whatsoever, I pestered their London Office and they were happen to tolerate me. They offer peace of mind and that's what I got.
Trailfinders ask me to enclose my return flight as a precausion even though it was not part of the requested klist from the Syrian embassy.

But now I go directly to the Embassies (havn't returned to Syria yet though.)

I would suggest, ring up the Consulate Office, tell them what you want (length of stay, documents you hold,) and they should tell what they want.


Syrian Embassy, Paris
http://www.amb-syr.fr/
http://www.amb-syr.fr/frenchservices1.htm
Application form
http://www.amb-syr.fr/frenchservices1.htm

UK Embassy, London ( they say they vary prices for nationalities)
http://www.syremb.com/


Travel between Lebanon and Syria
Syria are only now offering diplomatic status to Lebanon.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/oct/15/syria-lebanon

But there's no guarantee there will be any Consulate services for visitors. If you are travelling between the two countries or returning from one to the other, make sure you have all necessary visas/ Double visas. Before the Syrians used to issue a very short (24/48 -hour) leave in Damascus for tourists who wanted to visit Baalbek, Lebanon (pron. Baalbeh when I was there.)

Also there is some threads on the Lonely Planet messageboard. (only as a guide mind.)
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree/thread.jspa?threadID=1703186&tstart=0

[Heliodorus]

Thats a heap of helpful advice Harpo! Thanks so much! If I go (and I intend to in March) I I'll let you know how I get on.

[Closed Account 2]

Anyone been recently ? Am thinking of going in Oct / Nov, would it be ok in terms of temperature. A trip to Syria is off the agenda for the time being.

[Spudulika]

I was there in November 2002 (birthday trip) and while there wasn't enouigh snow in the mountains to ski, it was cold in the evenings. Weather was fine, but it rained a ltitle each day (out of the mountains). Terrific place to enjoy good wine, good food and admiring inexpensive plastic surgery. THe women there look great from 10metres, any closer and you'll be a wee bit disappointed.