Beirut, Lebanon City Travel Information
Beirut has the best nightlife in the Middle East.
City Description:
Beirut is a city that is as complex as they come. With a very troubled past, Beirut is trying to move forward and assert itself as the cosmopolitan city of the Middle East. Beirut is doing a good job of that with one of the most happening nightlife scenes in the entire region, liberal attitudes towards dress and custom as well as many high end shopping districts. Of course, baby steps need to be taken, and although Beirut is probably the safest city in Lebanon (at the time of writing), historically there is always the chance for sporadic violence.
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City Highlights:
The nightlife in Beirut was shockingly awesome. The music was fantastic, people were social, and they were slamming shots like there was no tomorrow. Everyone was cutting loose and having a blast, and it really changed my perception on what the "Middle East" is since I wasn't expecting everyone to be drinking alcohol and partying their butts off.
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City Lowlights:
Beirut can be a bit on the pricey side with prices similar to those in the United States.
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Restaurants:
Beirut is full of cafes that have good drinks and food and most of them also offer free Wi-Fi. Of course, Lebanese food is not to be missed and you can certainly find plenty of it in Beirut. I didn't see much of anything else however.
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Nightlife:
There are a couple areas of Beirut where all the bars and clubs are located making bar/club hopping very easy. Expect an extremely open crowd with girls in mini-skirts and guys smoking cigars (yeah, they smoke indoors there) and slamming shots in the latest fashion. It is a very "hip" scene with good music and efficient bartenders. I could easily see many of the bars in Beirut plopped down in Los Angeles fitting in without any problem. Also, many of the younger generations speak really good English so you shouldn't have any problem meeting locals.
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Public Transport:
The public transportation isn't that great. Your best bet is to take a taxi which won't be too expensive. For long distance treks out of the area, get a "service" taxi, which is where you share one with other people who are also going to your destination. They are safe and a cool way to meet some locals and see one part of daily life.
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The People:
Lebanon was at one point, under French control. That being so, it is somewhat westernized and the older generations speak Arabic and many also speak French. However, the younger generations are opting more for English. The Lebanese are also pretty social and outgoing, and will generally give you a warm welcome. One thing though, if you aren't dressed very nice, you may not be warmly welcomed. There seems to be a slight bit of Elitism in Beirut, much like the kind you would encounter in Los Angeles or New York. Point is, don’t' walk around dressed like a bum because people probably won't talk to you.
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Sights:
There aren't very many sights to see in Beirut, however if you want to see them, most are concentrated in the downtown area like the Clock Tower and Martyrs Statue.
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My Thoughts on this City:
Spending some time in Beirut really changed my perception of the area. People were extremely friendly, I had no problem entering the country and the nightlife was amazing. Beirut has been nothing like any of the other countries in the region that I have visited. People here seemed to be very progressive and open to change, and I found that very refreshing. Include that with the great weather and you have a city that I hope to visit again in the future.
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