Here are some useful numbers for emergency cases:
-Tourist Police: 1735
-Lebanese Red Cross: 140
-Civil Defense: 125
-General Security: 1717
-Beirut Rafic Hariri Airport: 150
In all enclosed public places, including hospitality sectors:
Airport buildings, hospitals, cafes, restaurants, pubs, clubs, hotels, Taxis, buses, Malls, shopping areas, supermarkets, offices, schools, universities…
Check the website of the Ministry of External Affairs:
www.emigrants.gov.lb or: www.foreign.gov.lb
Phone: 00961 1 333100 or: 00961 1 333099
Or call the Tourist Information Office: 0091 1 343 073
Holidays with fixed dates:
-January 1: New year’s Day
-January 6: Christmas (Armenian Orthodox)
-February 9: St. Maron’s Day
-March 25: Annunciation
-May 1: Labor Day
-August 15: Assumption Day
-November 22: Independence Day
-December 25: Christmas
Religious Holidays with moveable dates:
-Catholic Good Friday
-Orthodox Good Friday
-Catholic Easter
-Orthodox Easter
-Hegira New Year
-Ashoura
-Al-Fitr
-Al-Adha
-Al Mawled Al Nabawi
Lebanon hosts 18 “official” religious groups, including 5 Muslim groups, the most important are Sunnis, Shiites and Druze; 11 Christian denominations, representing the 3 main branches of Christianity: Eastern Orthodox, Catholic and Protestant; but the main Christian group is Maronite.
Arabic is the official language. A distinction should be made between spoken Arabic (the Lebanese), and written Arabic which is common to all Arab countries. French and English are spoken by a big number of Lebanese; also Armenian is spoken by a group of Lebanese.
Lebanon enjoys a mild Mediterranean climate with an average of 300 sunny days a year. July and August are often hot and humid with temperatures of about 30° Celsius. It almost never rains between June and September. Winters are generally cool with heavy rain on the coast and snow in mountains.
The currency in Lebanon is the Lebanese Lira, but U.S. dollars are accepted everywhere, and Euros are accepted mainly in touristic places.
Lebanon is a great value destination. Although Lebanon’s best restaurants and hotels are comparable in price to Europe and North America but you can still live very well for 100$ a day staying in dorms in hostels and living on Shawarma.
Tipping isn’t really mandatory, but to be expected indeed as for 10% minimum at what the client wishes to offer.
You can simply ask for the VAT application in all the shops that have a VAT agreement, in order to reimburse it at the airport, for a 100 us dollars of a minimum amount.
-All you have to do is dial the country code which is (+961)
-Then the area code which could be a cell phone ( 03 – 70 – 71 – 76 ) or a regular land line for all districts :
Accompanied by 6 digital numbers at the end
Ex + 961- 1 – 343283 (Landline)
+ 961- 3- 343283 (Mobile)
You can go online and check your e-mails from the hotel where you are staying, or simply ask for the net password in any restaurant, café shop or could be a pub ( that if you have your laptop or phone ) otherwise just ask for any near internet café.
Hunting is prohibited in Lebanon, but the government is trying to make an agreement that allows you to hunt from September till February.
At Lebanon there are many sports and health clubs where you can play golf, tennis or squash, swim or practice team sports.
Fitness training is very popular and hotels and clubs usually allow foreigners to access their facilities.
Thanks to Lebanon’s varied geography, opportunities for outdoor activities abound. It takes a little more than an hour to reach the snow covered mountains for the best skiing.
For an unusual sports combination, try skiing in the morning then spending the afternoon swimming on the coast. Water sports of all kinds are available most of the year along the shore. Scuba diving is popular too, and there are lots of diving clubs.
If you want even more adventure, there are clubs that can take you paragliding at the Cedars, or paddling down the Awwali River in a Cuneo or Kayak, or explore deep caves.
Organized trekking, hiking or rock climbing is a wonderful way to experience Lebanon’s natural beauty.
Indeed it is possible to travel to Lebanon by car, but only by entering through the Lebanese Syrian borders. For more info about the required documentation will be given by the general security.
+961 – 8 – 620016
You can easily check the website online
www.booking.com www.beiruthotels.com
Or upon arrival pass by our office at the airport any kind of touristic information, or the main office in Hamra, central bank Street.