Lebanon is a nice, heritage-rich and hospitable tourist destination. The warmth of and goodwill extended by the Lebanese are very good reasons to travel to Lebanon.
Lebanon is a treasure box of ancient culture. It was the location, surrogate or natural, to great civilizations such as the Phoenicians, Assyrians, Persians, Greeks, Romans, Arabs, Turks, and French. Its culture is a melting pot of all the mentioned civilizations. The diversity of its population has contributed to its varied festivals, music, literature, and cuisine.
Tourists get to enjoy the music of Lebanon that is played not only in Lebanese homes but in public places such as restaurants and bars, with soothing rhythms and beats of the orient. Some of the homegrown musical artists that are heard on the radio and watched on television are Fairuz, Julia Boutros, Marcel Khalife, and Wadih El Safi. Artists like Najwa Karam prefer to sing jabali, a traditional type of music, while others incorporate pop music, hiphop, R&B, and other international styles to their liking.
Lebanon boasts of its literary heritage. Some of the best writers in the world were born and raised in the cities of Lebanon, men like Khalil Gibran, the author of The Prophet, a very lyrical and beautiful piece of literature. Bookstores all over the country offer the travelers an immense and commendable array of books, magazines, and other printed reading materials.
Travelers who like to go on a trip for sports would love Lebanon because Lebanese love sports. They are into skiing, swimming, basketball, and football. There are currently six ski resorts catering to the cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and snowmobiling needs of the guests. Some facilities provide services related to recreational activities such as hiking, cycling, sailing, and spelunking. The country conducts an annual Beirut Marathon that attracts local and international runners.
Lebanon conducts or hosts the following colorful and very artistic festivals that local and international audience may participate in:
- Baalbeck International Festival
- Beiteddine Festival
- Byblos International Festival
- Al-Bustan Festival
- Beirut Nights
It is also most instructive for a tourist to observe the Eid ul-Fitr, which marks the end of Ramadan, and Eid al-Adha, which marks the end of Hajj, the annual pilgrimage to Mecca.
The advice that is usually given tourists is to keep their passport near them for purposes of convenience. By land on public transportation, Lebanon could be reached by traveling through Syria. Buses are the most preferred long-distance mode of travel of residents and guests alike. They are clean and well-maintained. Service taxis are available for charter too at negotiable prices. Cars and motorcycles maybe brought in to Lebanon as long as the driver has an International Driving Permit and a Carnet de Passages en Douane.