When we told our parents about our plans to take a vacation in Beirut they thought we had a death wish. I understood their concern, especially with the way Beirut's history of violence is portrayed through the US news. Fortunately, with the absence of US leaning news outlets and interacting with Lebanese people frequently, we gained a different perception of the country, and decided to experience it for ourselves.
If someone were to approach you on the street and offer you a free trip to Beirut, the first think that would probably come to mind is something like this. >>>>>
Then promptly say "No Thanks".
In reality you would have just passed up on a trip to a place filled with modern architecture, beautiful beaches, historic landmarks dating back to 950 BC and natural wonders like the Jeitta Grotto. The photo to the left, was taken in downtown Beirut in their Souk area.
When we first booked our flight & hotel we based our decision strictly on the friendliness of people we knew from Lebanon, the great food we've eaten from the Lebanese places we frequent and the recommendations we received from people vacationed there previously. As luck would have it, just as we booked our non-refundable ticket, we discovered a US issued travel warning for Beirut & the country of Lebanon in general. Needless to say our excitement quickly turned into apprehension and anxiety. After much deliberation and consulting of friends we decided to make the trip, ignoring the travel warning.
Stepping off the plane at BEY, I never noticed how much the visual appearance of an airport has to do with the initial perception of a city/country. The airport was obviously old and to put it nicely, let's just say BEY is in need of a makeover. Once we made it through passport control our driver was late picking us up so my nerves were yet to be settled. He finally arrived, driving a new Jaguar XJL, which marked the turning point for our trip! We were chauffeured through the city to our sea side hotel which was in view of the Lebanese landmark, the Raouche Rock. Our hotel was on the Corniche strip in a tourist area close to the boardwalk. The boardwalk hosted a number of small shops, restaurants, coffee shops, street vendors and a small casino/club/amusement park complex.
We didn't venture far from the hotel the 1st day, but we walked the boardwalk and explored the surrounding areas for hours. Here are a few photos from our 1st day.
Then promptly say "No Thanks".
In reality you would have just passed up on a trip to a place filled with modern architecture, beautiful beaches, historic landmarks dating back to 950 BC and natural wonders like the Jeitta Grotto. The photo to the left, was taken in downtown Beirut in their Souk area.
When we first booked our flight & hotel we based our decision strictly on the friendliness of people we knew from Lebanon, the great food we've eaten from the Lebanese places we frequent and the recommendations we received from people vacationed there previously. As luck would have it, just as we booked our non-refundable ticket, we discovered a US issued travel warning for Beirut & the country of Lebanon in general. Needless to say our excitement quickly turned into apprehension and anxiety. After much deliberation and consulting of friends we decided to make the trip, ignoring the travel warning.
Stepping off the plane at BEY, I never noticed how much the visual appearance of an airport has to do with the initial perception of a city/country. The airport was obviously old and to put it nicely, let's just say BEY is in need of a makeover. Once we made it through passport control our driver was late picking us up so my nerves were yet to be settled. He finally arrived, driving a new Jaguar XJL, which marked the turning point for our trip! We were chauffeured through the city to our sea side hotel which was in view of the Lebanese landmark, the Raouche Rock. Our hotel was on the Corniche strip in a tourist area close to the boardwalk. The boardwalk hosted a number of small shops, restaurants, coffee shops, street vendors and a small casino/club/amusement park complex.
We didn't venture far from the hotel the 1st day, but we walked the boardwalk and explored the surrounding areas for hours. Here are a few photos from our 1st day.
Day 2 was all about seeing what Beirut had to offer we ventured out to see Byblos, Jietta Grotto, Downtown Beirut & Souks, etc... Here are some pics of our second day.
Planned to write more about this trip, but I think the pictures say a lot more than I can convey through this keyboard. I will close with this last thought, we will definitely visit Beirut again, during the summer season. For my US readers, I probably wouldn't suggest making a trip half way across the world, just to visit Beirut. However if you are already a world traveler and looking for a new location or live on the east of the Atlantic ocean, Beirut needs to be included on your destination list! (Next Post Thailand Trip)
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Ⓜ️ as in MURRAY , ? #Tokyo via #Dubai, ✈️ World Traveler (33), ?Next Stop: ??♂️ -- Consultant • Creative • Host/Speaker • Investor • Entrepreneur |
