Lebanon

Traveling

Passport and visa requirements
Health precautions: A certificate of vaccination against yellow fever is required for travelers coming from affected areas. To protect yourself against traveler’s diarrhea, you are advised to avoid the foods which present the most risk: dishes which are cooked and then eaten cold later; sea food, meat, fish which are under- or badly cooked, and raw vegetables and fruit which you have not peeled yourself. Drinking water must be boiled, filtered or drunk from sealed bottles.

Time and time difference: It is %T:%M %A in Beirut (GMT+2 in winter, GMT+3 in summer)
Summer time period: Summer time from March to October

Fuseau(x) horaire

Type of climate: In Beirut, the temperature varies between 10 and 25° C in winter (October-March) and from 18 to 38° C in summer (April-September). The months from December to March get a lot of rain. The summer is hot and humid, particularly on the coast.

Climate

By road: Roads are globally in good condition. The use of a 4x4 vehicle is advised. To find gas stations is not a problem. In the event of an accident, it is advised to stay on the spot and to call an expert of the company that insured the vehicle. If the car comes from a foreign country, it is recommended to ask the insurance company for the address of its local correspondent in order to get the contact details of its experts' office.
By rail
By air
Find an itinerary: Maporama
Mapblast
UT Library on line

Culinary specialties: Falafel: fried balls made of dry beans and chickpeas, traditionally served hot with chopped parsley sprinkled on top; they are served with slices of tomatoes and a sesame sauce. Falafels can constitute a meal or they can be served as an appetizer in smaller portions.
Tabouhlé or Tabbouleh: The famous Lebanese tabouhlé is famous for its energy-giving properties: it is a healthy salad, that you can either enjoy in a pita bread or as a side dish.
Hummus bi Tahina (Arabic Countries): it is a classic of Arabic countries, a chickpeas mush spread on pita bread; it replaces the mayonnese in an oriental " sandwich "; perfectly served with chicken or shish kebab; it is also used as a "quick dip" for mixed-salad.
Lahm Mishwi
Mouttabal.
Dietary taboos: Culinary taboos may vary with the religions of each community.

Domestic currency: The currency is the Libanese pound, ISO code : LBP
To obtain domestic currency: To find out the locations of ATMs in Lebanon, click on the link to your credit card: Visa, Mastercard or American Express.

Official language: Arabic
Other languages spoken: Lebanon is a country which is very homogeneous as far as languages are concerned. Indeed, 93% of the population speak Arabic. However, it is not the classic Arabic, which is the official language of the State, but the Syro-Lebanese Arabic (which is also called Lebanese Arabic). Otherwise, French and English as well as the classic Arabic are frequently used as second languages. It is true that in Lebanon, a lot of people speak foreign languages.
Business language: French and Arabic
Getting some knowledge
Free translation tools: - Free English-Arabic-English traduction of texts and web pages
- Free Arabic-English-Arabic dictionary

Highlights: Anjar, Baalbek, Byblos, Tyr. As for the relief: there are 4 successive zones parallel to the shore:
-The narrow coastal plain of Sahel, limited by a coast which is favorable to the establishment of ports.
-The massif of the Lebanon Mount-Djebel Liban - slightly bent southward down to Galilee mountains. The rivers digged deep gorges in the mountain.
-The high inland plain of Bekaa - 900 m high; it is prolonged with Akkar.
-Finally the massif of Anti-Lebanon: a desert plateau reaching its highest point at 2,300 m .
Tourism organizations: Ministry of Tourism
Lebanon Tourism Board