Amaury Dreher

LEBANON trip REPORT

Population : 7 millions

Capital : Beirut

Main languages : Arabic, English, French

Visa : Easy (if you do not have an Israeli stamp on your passport)

My favorite place : Mar Mikhael district

I had the chance to visit the country in April 2019 which was a year before the Beirut port disaster.

Once considered as the Switzerland of the Middle East, Lebanon is nowadays one of the (if not the) most open-minded places in the Middle East. Just like in Europe, you can find hipster coffee shops, art galleries, places to party with alcohol, techno music and other related joys.

It is also an extremely complicated country, as much by its history and geography as by the ethnico-cultural mosaic which composes it. Accordingly, Beirut owns a very special atmosphere. Depending on the neighbourhood, you can meet very different kinds of people, eat very different kind of food and enjoy very different kind of architecture (notably due to the omnipresence of so many religious ethnicities).

Special mention to Beirut’s nightlife and the Mar Mikhael District where I spent some of the best evenings I ever had !! The coffee shop scene is also exciting with a lot of hidden places with chill atmosphere and hipster sceneries.

During my trip to Lebanon, I visited 5 cities whithin one week, so that was quite intense. I had no time to admire Baalbek but I will see it for sure on a future trip. The Lebanese people are adorable and will always try to help you. Discussions always end up with a tea or a smile. Needless to remind you that the Lebanese food is absolutely delicious and very diverse. However prices are either low or high. I struggled to find intermediate levels. I believe this is due to the huge inequalities and structural issues of the economic challenges that Lebanon is facing nowadays.

I will be honest, depending on the area of Beirut the feeling of security can vary. The downtown area, the port and the busy streets are not a problem at all. I walked in some other neighborhoods where Lebanese people themselves told me that they would not dare to go there. I got some pretty dark looks but also a lot of smiles. I recommend avoiding political discussion to avoid spying or undercover journalism suspicions.

Overall I did not feel unsafe, but some outlying neighborhoods can be uncomfortable for inexperienced travelers, as well as the cities near the Israeli border. There the tension is palpable, belligerent flags are flying and it is possible to cross paths with Hezbollah militiamen. They do not show any animosity towards travelers but may be suspicious or paranoid about your presence here.

As I said earlier, the history, sociology and geopolitics of the country are extremely complicated. Lebanon is under direct influences from competing regional powers such has Iran and Saudi Arabia. Moreover, the country has absorbed millions of Palestinian and Syrian refugees over the past few decades, but has not managed to rid itself of systemic corruption and weak governance. The economic challenges now seem insurmountable and the Lebanese diaspora that fled during the civil war still has no prospect for a sustainable return to their country.

However this should not discourage you to visit Lebanon and I can not wait to go back there !

The country is featured in my last novel : The Delicacy of Dreams.

The following shots have been taken in Beirut, Tyr, Jbeil, Tripoli & Sidon :