The answer is yes. If you ignore the news then you won’t notice anything out of the ordinary over here. Beirut is very quiet and safe and the weather is just great right now. The mornings and evenings are pretty chilly and during the day you can drive around with just the windows down. Plus, because of the warnings the various governments have been passing on to their citizens the country currently isn’t jam packed with tourists which means less traffic and crowds everywhere you go. Now is the perfect time to come to Lebanon.
52 replies on “Should you come to Lebanon this summer?”
Lebanon is a beautiful country, but it’s also extremely unpredictable. A war can start any minute, either internally or with Israel. Sorry, I’ll pass; Switzerland is my refuge during the summer 🙂
Mark,
You’re doing yourself a disservice by blocking my comment. You are proving to me that I may be right. Imagine if I share this conclusion with all my friends in all their Diwaniyas and I mention that you blocked my opinion. Not a smart move if you want to market your country. You are distancing the same audience you target and I am one of them.
Your comment got blocked because you used the word Israel so chill.
woah woah woah https://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m4kupk7SHq1r452rso2_1280.png
Patrick to the rescue. Honest question: Do you often get Spongebob jokes?
Yeah I don’t think so! Lebanese are their own worst enemies. I sometimes feel they are taught as if they grew up in a communist country. Everyone paraphrases the same thing. “lebanon is beautiful, our nightlife is the best, we are the smartest” and my personal favorite, “if you have money, Lebanon is great!”. If you have money, ANY country is great! If people start fighting between themselves then this time no one should send money. Let them fix and rebuild alone! Everytime something goes wrong, it’s everyone’s fault but their own! Time for the people living in Lebanon to clean up their own s***! Stop just singing about how much you love your country and really do something about it!
I have always wanted to vist lebanon, never had the chance! Its on my destinations list!
What kind of nonsense is this? Now is definitely NOT the time to go to Lebanon. Don’t go around urging people to go when you know that it’s not safe to do so.
It’s safe.
Hey mark,
Mayb you feel its safe cause you are from there? So, you would know wht to do and where to go incase something were to go wrong. But what about us as tourists? Wht do we do in case something did go wrong? How do we as tourists simply ignore what all is being said in the news. Me n my buddies went to beirut in Sept 2010 and had a RI-diculous.. Believe me when i say this, we are DEFINETELY planning another trip soon. But mayb when the news say its safe? I understand wht you mean by its safe, and i trust you too, but thats just me. Dunno if the normal tourist would ignore what is being said in the news. Newho, dis is my opinion, not a fact.. Just my 2 cents! 🙂 And i could be rong..
well yeah for sure, i understand the situation better as a local but even when i read the news i freak out but once you turn off the news there really isn’t any going here.
All the issues are taking place in Tripoli, a city I haven’t been to in years and around an hour and half drive from Beirut. In Lebanon if the problem isn’t taking place in your neighborhood then there isn’t really a problem and life is normal and everyone is partying. Actually even when there is gunfire down the street people here still party lol https://youtu.be/Mw1EDCrEW4E
“Actually even when there is gunfire down the street people here still party lol”
Uhh… Not really my perception of a relaxed environment to spend the summer holiday.
Sudan also seems to be a very nice destiny for vacation at the present time. Or Syrie, Iraq, Afghanistan..
It’s just too difficult to choose.
Lebanon is a prime example of a proxy warfare.
Other countries use it to stage their wars.
Don’t think for a minute the constant wars are a result of civilian strife because if you do, you are an idiot which you clearly have already proven. Arguably the civil war in the 70’s had nothing to do with fellow Lebanese hating one another.
Lebanon is a country that has been invaded and attacked by three separate countries over the years, israel, iran and syria. I’m not even going to include the US.
If Lebanon had oil or something of similar value, it would not have been manipulated to the extent we see today because the West would prefer a clean and steady source of oil flow.
The only thing you can blame the Lebanese for is their stupidity when it comes to littering their own country and continually voting for external powers to run their country.
Again, it’s debatable that voting of any sort actually takes place there.
Until both iran and syria fall (the latter is going to happen quite soon once the utterly useless UN steps out of the way and the US public develops a conscience and forcing their government to intervene), Lebanon will never be left alone.
U do seem to know what is going on in this planet. I salute u
Buzz its his blog he can do anything he wants and dont try to threaten him hes blog is way popular than all your blogs ;). At elizbath please mind your own business we could care less about what you say.We dont need you to give us soultions please keep it for yourself. Its obvoius you have anger management problems so go get checked up sweety.
Sorry you were hurt by the truth! It’s a blog and like you I’m free to voice my opinion. If Lebanon is so great, why aren’t you living there!
I actually am living in lebanon lol, use to live in kuwait so yeah basically 1-0 elizbath. Plus please no one cares again keep the anger to yourself go hit a pillow or eat junkfood let your anger out.
What anger??? You seem to be sensitive about this issue! Yeah 1-0 everything is a battle which was my point. You win! Better? Good luck to you!
Well I dont see any reason to bash Mark here. He shared his experience of Lebanon like he usually does with other products, countries, places etc. No one objected so harshly before on anything else he posted. Why should we believe that since he’s from Lebanon, he would give us a wrong/biased advice relating his country (particularly when it relates to security issues).
I have never been to Lebanon, and I am not planning to. When the Lebanese start getting along with each other, then I might consider. In the meantime, I will go to more civilized countries.
-1 we don’t want you in our country or tell us what to do,please don’t plan to visit I beg you.
when some countries leave us alone we will be super great.
An uncivilized person wants to go to civilized countries hehehe have fun.
ummmm… okay!
I’m sorry to tell u this but if Lebanon left on it’s on it would fall can you please tell me who would pay for your roads and bridges and schools and hospitals and every thing else and yet the most hated country in Lebanon is Kuwait i don’t know why you guys really hate us you tell Kuwaiti to visit Lebanon than bash us when we do .
Who said Lebanese hate Kuwaitis? I don’t think I’ve ever heard any Lebanese say anything negative about Kuwait other than the fact it’s a boring place to live and there isn’t alcohol. That’s as negative a comment as I’ve heard. If you had a bad experience with one lebanese or even a few, doesn’t mean the majority are like that.
Lebanese actually like khaleejis because they give a boost to the economy during the holiday seasons like summer.
Help boosting the economy have nothing to do with how Lebanese feel about us the only people that like us in Lebanon are businessmen and officials buy the way i think it’s our duty in Kuwait to help Lebanon when ever and where ever we can and i’m not asking Lebanese to thank us just stop calling us names in your media and it’s just Kuwait they don’t do that with Qatar or Saudi Arabia because we don’t Lebanese own Lebanese news papers or tv channels or interfere in Lebanese politics and when we do we don’t ask for anything in return we just pay and pay and pay.
So, when do you think the Lebanese will start liking each other and get along?
+1.
What’s your definition of “civilized”? Every country in the Middle East has its issues, either with human rights or some other forms of abuse. Lebanon isn’t near perfect, but neither are any of the countries in the region. Kind of harsh to call an entire country uncivilized eh?
I did not call Lebanon uncivilized, I merely said that I wish to spend my vacations in more civilized countries, ie, somewhere where people don’t care about your religious sect, or your opinion of Bashar AlAsad. And yes, Kuwait has a similar problem on a smaller scale, but it is my country and I don’t have much choice about that.
Have you left Kuwait, because you stated in a recent comment that you quit your job? Good luck in your Lebanon endevours, you are a really nice guy. I bet Lebanon is beautiful this time of year.
lol no I did leave my job but not for Lebanon. I left my job so I could blog full time. I should probably post about that.
wait,you quit your job?when? :O
LOL
I’m Lebanese; I used to more than 3 times a year.
Now it’s just a pain because,
1) all I hear is politics
2) it becomes a chore (I am a citizen after all not a tourist so I have some stuff to do)
3) most of my AUB buddies left the country
4) high prices and mediocre service
The best time to be in Lebanon, in my opinion, was between 2000-2004 (my university years!) because that was when it was pretty much stable. After Hariri’s death, it all went downhill from there.
* I used to GO more than 3 times a year
NOT TO MENTION THE PRICES OF TICKETS ARE WAY HIGH!!! it use to be 74KD – 90 KD MAX
shamy girls are hot!
um……can i stay at your place in Lebanon Mark? hehheheh
I think people did not get Mark’s point (or maybe he did not clarify it well). Mark is now in Lebanon and is sharing his current experience there, especially after all the news and the GCC countries requesting their citizens to avoid Lebanon.
If you don’t know Lebanon, do not come because it is not really the perfect time to visit it. BUT, if you know well Lebanon (like you own an apartment or you’ve been there several times and you really feel there like in your own country) things are not so bad and Mark is giving you a lot of positive things to look for.
I am going to Lebanon next week and looking badly for it, especially after living a horrible week of dusty weather, and it seems that this weekend will also be dusty.
Cheerios
finally someone got it instead of all the accusations going back and forth from both sides!! 😀 Mark, I am an Egyptian living in Egypt from a Palestinian/Lebanese mother. I know exactly what you mean when you talk about safety situation in Lebanon. I’ve been to Beirut several times and I love it. I’m thinking to go soon (but waiting some time since I am broke! :)) and YES the political situation does not in any way affect the good time we have there.. YES it is a fact that the situation in Lebanon is volatile, but so what? I’ve been there before when there was violence in the south and Beirut was safe as ever. Saying it is also not crowded just made it more tempting to go! 😀
will be dropping you a line when I’m going to get recommendations! 😀 cheers and kisses to beautiful Beirut!
Was there during Hariri bombing, during the whole of 2006 war and the 2008 hizballah invasion of Beirut, had to escape by land to Syria twice, I have a small house in the mountains, there I have to buy over priced water every two days, electricity comes 4 hours aday,and I’m going there next week for 60 days, nothing comes near Lebanon and its people.
How come you didn’t go back to Canada Mark??
Naser i’m a fan of this blog for years and most of Marks blogs are about Kuwait and criticising how things work here and i always read the worst comments that have nothing to do with wat Mark is blogging about but what i noticed every time some one mention Lebanon and criticize wats going on there the Lebanese in this blog go crazy and yet they still try to bash Kuwait even though the subject have nothing to do with Kuwait and blame everyone for wats going on there but them selves and her Mark is telling tourist its safe to go to Lebanon and my answer is its not safe there there are too much tension going on end of story no need to be sensitive about the subject.
med1st when you are talking to the mass you will also get the opinions of the mass. That’s not a bad thing. Sure sometimes the comments get negative but it’s a space people are using to vent out their frustrations. Where else can they do that?
It’s also not just the expats who are venting, if you check the comments under the Shawerma Shuwaikh post you would see it’s locals who are also frustrated as well.
This is not a bad thing. It’s good to vent, it’s good to share our feelings and opinons and it’s great to be able to discuss this freely. So enjoy this space, if you disagree with an opinion state yours but don’t try to block theirs.
On a side note I vent out and criticize Lebanon A LOT more than I do Kuwait. You won’t see a lot of that criticizing here but you can see it on a blog I share with a friend of mine called blogbaladi.com which our Lebanese blog.
Good arguments. Especially those in the third paragraph.
I never said i have a problem with people venting and criticizing Kuwait i actually think it’s better if they do or else how thing would change if they kept quite about the things they don’t like but but i feel like the Lebanese comments are the worst its like they have personal issues with Kuwait i mean look at some of the comment calling us uncivilized.
Actually that person referred to Lebanon as uncivilized not Kuwait and then another person referred to that person as being uncivilized. Kuwait was not involved 🙂
Come on Mark we know exactly what he meant and it’s not just the comments in the blogs but also the whole Lebanese media if it’s news papers or tv channels.
Please quote or refer to any media article/report related to what you’re stating.
I haven’t read any Lebanese on this blog saying that he hates Kuwait or Kuwaitis. If people give remarks about a country, it doesn’t mean they hate it. But I understand you being sensitive about it, and no need to be a drama queen if someone tickled your feelings a bit.
HOWEVER, I have heard and seen Kuwaitis saying that they hate Kuwait. No need for a better proof than seeing how the airport is packed up during weekends with Kuwaitis leaving even in winter.
I went to Lebanon back in April and fell in love .. would love to return soon … didn’t have any issues with security & such … was quite pleasant.
Hezbullah is destoying south lebanon, killing syrians. Hezbullah threatens its neighbor to the south. Yes, Beirut is beautiful, but so is Switzerland – and much safer. But, to each his own.Peace is a wonderful thing. No one hurt. Everyone just living their lives. I hope it does hsppen one day.