​Undiscovered tourism in Lebanon

Maybe the holiday is already ending and you start thinking about your next holiday destination. Most probably Lebanon will not pop-up in your mind, which I understand when I think about the expected preconceptions. People who want to go to an interesting country I definitely will recommend to come and see Lebanon by yourself.

Walking through Beirut, you will experience small streets, which makes you feel in a real Middle Eastern country and you will find a new build neighbourhood with a rebuilt souk (Arabic market), feeling like you are in a glamorous city. At the end of the day, jogging at the boulevard to the famous Pigeon rocks will end in a beautiful sunset. Back in Hamra there are plenty of cafés to eat, or smoke shisha. If you still want to continue your day, take a cab too downtown or Mar Mikhael for nice bars and the fanciest clubs I have ever experienced. The day after you can go to one of the many beach clubs in or outside Beirut. Here you can relax all day long reading a book or cool down from the always shining sun.

Lebanon is a relatively small country and it has much more to offer then Beirut itself. Lebanon is shaped through its rich history and many different cultures, ethical diversities and religions. You will find remains dating back to 7000 BC, Roman or Ottoman periods. Walking alone in the most beautiful crusader fortress, roman ruins and holy places I’m surprised of not meeting any tourists. When visiting such ancient remains in Europe, you will stand in line for an hour and paying high entrance fees, to walk around with a fixed path to guide you through the remains in the most efficient way. So people can move fast and see the place as fast as possible, to shoot some pictures. Here you can walk around with nobody around and imagine how it would look like in the past. After visiting the remains enjoy a nice Lebanese lunch.

Another effect of Lebanon as an undiscovered touristic country is that people are welcoming you everywhere. Walking in the old Souks of Saida, a small village in the mountains or the harbour city Tripoli, people are really kind and greeting you when you pass. It is easy to get in contact with local people and have interesting conversations with the coffee barista, shop owner or taxi driver. The people are helpful and guiding you wherever you want.

To escape from busy Beirut for a few days you can go more inland and you will find the mountains, cedar forest, the Bekaa-valley and much more. At some places you can stay at a campsite where you probably be the only one.

Experience all these different sides of Lebanon makes it an interesting county to visit and stay for a little while.