Dates Visited: May 9, 2023 – May 13, 2023

Preface

The beat goes on at the heart of Beirut.

As a kid, I watched too many episodes of Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations growing up – but one episode that stuck with me was the Beirut episode of 2006. Filmed during the start of the 2006 Israel – Lebanon War, it became a deep and moving episode not only about food and people, but a documentary about what happened that summer.

Beirut has been on my list of places to visit for a long time – but I fear that I was too late. Between the 2019 Protests, hyperinflation crisis, electricity supply issues, conflicts with Israel, the COVID-19 pandemic, and most recently the 2020 Beirut port explosion – Beirut, and perhaps Lebanon as a whole have fallen into a visible state of disrepair. It’s apparently from walking the streets of the old downtown Beirut by the famous clock tower- which is now a military-controlled ghost town that Beirut has seen better days. Talking to locals, you can sense the array of frustrations they face with daily life in Lebanon.

It becomes quickly clear that the images once famous of a thriving Beirut downtown, lavish luxurious lifestyles, trendy bars, debauchery-filled nightclubs, and champagne-soaked parties are of Beirut’s yesteryears (2008-2019).

For now, Beirut is a long way from rebuilding to what once was its former storied reputation as the Middle Eastern city for Western lifestyle of lavish, luxury, and debauchery. Today’s Beirut feels tired – a shell, almost ghost of its former self.

While the Lebanese food I had in Beirut was amazing and for sure, the highlight – I felt that the actual city experience itself did not live up to what I was hoping for – mainly due to all of the hardships aforementioned. Perhaps, in five, ten, fifteen years – Beirut can reclaim its former glory when some of the systemic problems facing Lebanon are solved.

Safety

There seems to be a significant number of [women and children] beggars (apparently organized crime/mafia-linked) in popular areas of Beirut like Hamra Street or the “new” downtown areas – they seem to be aggressive in their tactics and the efforts are organized. Stay away and do not give them anything – they seem to be organized efforts to scam. Bring a flashlight if you’re out at night, there’s very little to none street lights working due to the power crisis.

Overall, I thought Beirut felt safe – just be mindful of your surroundings at night as you may be cornered by a team of beggars on Hamra Street.

Tour Agencies/Guides/Fixers

I did not use a tour guide for my time in Beirut.

For my day tour to Byblos, Our Lady of Lebanon, and the Jeita Grottos, I worked with Lebanon Local Tours who was able to arrange the driver for the day trip for me as a solo traveler. They promise, no cancellations on tours even for single traveler bookings. They can be reached on WhatsApp at + 961 76 841 343

I would also recommend my taxi driver Ahmad who drove me from the Syrian border to my hotel in Beirut – his WhatsApp is + 961 78 870 129 – friendly guy, speaks English, and has good music taste.

For my airport departure transfer, I pre-booked a ride with Zingy Tour Lebanon (+ 961 81 242 977) but later realized this was unnecessary as I could have called an Uber and saved some money.

For my airport pick up transfer, I pre-booked a ride with Beirut Airport Transfer (+ 961 76 722 835) as I landed at 3:00AM in the morning and did not want to deal with hassles.

Arriving

Beirut International Airport (BEY)

A standard airport that is nothing to write home about, it reminds me more of an “American” airport with low ceilings and outdated furniture than a grand Middle Eastern airport. There’s one Priority Pass lounge here that I visited – Ahlein Premium. The food was lackluster and unimpressive for a hot buffet. The airport has plenty of duty-free and souvenir shops and a decent selection of food options otherwise. This seems to be one of the few places in Beirut these days where you can pay with a credit card/debit card – of course in U.S. dollars.

Immigration/Customs

Lebanon is visa-free (one month) for American passport holders – there is no entry fee collected at the airport and the officials will not allow you in if you have any evidence of having been to Israel. The authorities do check your passport closely. When I landed at 2:45AM, the queue was about an hour long to be stamped into Lebanon. Expect a long wait. Customs was relatively smooth with no bag x-ray or checks to deal with.

Currency

Bring cash – specifically U.S. dollars in small denominations ($1-$20). The whole country is essentially cash only and I couldn’t find anywhere in Beirut that would accept credit cards, even priced in US dollars.

For hotels and accommodations, they will accept credit card when you book advance on their website or on Booking/Expedia etc.

Due to the inflation and currency crisis, credit cards and debit cards are not accepted in the country because using them would subject you to the official USD/LBP exchange rate which is 1USD/15,100LBP. The actual street exchange rate at the time of my visit was 1USD/94000LBP.

There was a time when tourists to Lebanon accidentally used their credit cards and were charged 6x the real rate for an Uber or a shawarma. Today, it’s really hard to mess up because most places, including the Uber App, restaurants, etc will only take cash in USD or LBP. It seems that you could get away with not exchanging your USD to LBP as people will generally accept it at a 1 USD:100,000 LBP rate when purchasing things. The currency situation in Lebanon is volatile so information that is true as of May 2023 may not be true when you visit.

Don’t bother to bring any debit or credit cards with you when traveling in Lebanon – ATMs will charge you the official exchange rate.

Taxis/Rideshare/Local Transportation

For Uber, you must pay your driver in cash in LBP or USD – the app will not permit you to charge any rides in Lebanon to a credit card. Uber in Lebanon allows you to “set the price” you are willing to pay for a ride and then drivers can bid on how much they are willing to take you for. Generally, the minimum lowest price is 380,000 LBP for an Uber ride – I usually just set the minimum price it allowed me to. Besides the payment and price negotiation situation, Uber functions just like it does anywhere in the world.

There are also plenty of street hailed taxis available – they do not use meters. Prices must be negotiated. I did not try any local public transportation.

SIM Cards/Wi-Fi

The SIM card situation in Lebanon is not great nor easy – there are two carriers Touch and Alfa. If you purchase a SIM card at an unofficial third-party shop or at the airport, they are known for charging US$50 for the SIM card which is a scam. Don’t pay US$50 for a SIM card in Lebanon.

I tried buying a sim card at the touch service center in Beirut but they were closed (8AM – 1PM) when I visited at 2PM. The hours were out of date on Google Maps.

I ended up going to a Talaco store near downtown Beirut that directed me to a Whish Money store nextdoor that sold me a SIM card for $20 including 10GB of data which is a fair and normal price. To get to this shop, visit the “Talaco MacRoom” on Google Maps and the employees will direct you to the right shop next door. You need your passport for registration and a photo of you will be taken. LTE speeds are quite decent and stable.

Wi-Fi is iffy and speeds leave something to be desired across Beirut. I would stick with LTE. Prices are reasonable to keep recharging your data packages.

Sightseeing

Beirut

Downtown Beirut/Martyr Square/Nejmeh Square

Devastated by the 2020 blast, it is now a ghost town guarded by the military. Depending on your luck, the military may or may not let you in to see the clock tower and the streets of the old town. There are checkpoints at each intersection and you can try your luck with each of them. They allowed me in at one checkpoint, but not another. Go figure.

Mohammad Al Amin Mosque

The main blue mosque in Beirut – surrounding it is what once was the downtown of Beirut. You can go in and visit the mosque which is beautiful on the inside – but the area around it is pretty much abandoned and shuttered.

Old Holiday Inn

This used to be a Holiday Inn but due to the Lebanese War in the 1970s – is now a military depot for the army. Be careful taking photos here – the military yelled at me.

I heart Beirut Sign/Beirut Souks

Deserted due to the 2020 blast, this area used to be a shopping center for Beirut but now lies mostly abandoned and closed. There are a very small handful of shops still open like Nike, Starbucks, Dior and some other designer brands. Most of Beirut’s shopping has moved to the malls (ABC Verdun, CityCenter, etc)

Gemmayzeh Street

This is the “SoHo” or “Greenwich Village” of Beirut with some shops and restaurants to fit that vibe. Good for a nice stroll on a warm day.

Pigeon/Raouche Rocks

The picture spot everyone visits in Beirut – it’s a cool rock formation by the coast with some cafes nearby. A lot of beggars in this area – be cautious.

Byblos

A small town with a cute market and restaurants, there is a castle here to visit.

Our Lady of Lebanon

A massive church complex, requires a cable car and funicular to get up here. Worth visiting for the views.

Jeitta Groto

An underground cave complex that is truly unique – I never seen anything like this elsewhere. For the lower grotto, you take a boat. Photography is not allowed inside the caves and you must check your phone and camera into a locker. I did see some tourists managed to get their phones past security and were taking photos in the cave though.

Food/Drink

These are some of my favorite picks during my trip.

Beirut

Al Beiruti

This is a new and upcoming restaurant. Outside are the Porsches, Range Rovers, Mercedes of Beirut – the elite class. They serve excellent Lebanese food with the prices to fit.

Leila Restaurant Zaitunay Bay

A nice place near the harbor for Lebanese hummus, shawarma, etc.

Bachir Ice Cream

Delicious Lebanese ice cream with pistachio – it’s a chain so theres quite a few locations around the city.

T-mabrouta

This place is hidden in the corner with no signage – look for the door in the corner next to a cereal shop once you got to the location on Google Maps.

Barbar Shawarma

24/7 shawarma. Say no more.

Iris

Fancy and pretentious rooftop bar venue for the see-and-be-seen crowd of Beirut. Expect to pay near Manhattan prices for a drink. It gives off a vibe of what Beirut used to be the previous decade but is no longer.

Byblos

Malena

Decent Lebanese food in Byblos at a reasonable price. The owner is friendly and they have quite the menu selections. It’s on a side street so not as pretty looking as some of the other Byblos restuarants.

Accommodation

35 Rooms

Don’t stay here, it’s a budget hotel in Hamra Street of Beirut. My “suite” of an upgrade smelled like cigarettes and was unbearable. Good thing I only had two nights there.

Studio 44

Similar to 35 Rooms, this hotel smells like cigarettes in the rooms although it was cleaner and more well-kept than 35 rooms. I wouldn’t recommend this place either, I think there are better options in Hamra Street.

Le Royale Hotel

Known to be the hotel where Anthony Bourdain stayed awaiting an evacuation from the Marines in 2006 – this is a very nice 5-star property that is secluded on top of a hill with nice views. I did not stay here but after walking around the property, it’s clear that it is quite posh and luxurious.

InterContinental Phoenicia Beirut, an IHG Hotel

I did not stay here but I did visit this beautiful property – everything you would expect from a 5-star IC property. Nice location too in the center of Beirut.