visiting Beautiful Lebanon for a month

My wife and I just got back from Lebanon in August.  I'll try to answer some of your questions.  Just remember this was before the war so I'm not sure how bad it is now.  Don't worry about exchanging money.  They love dollars and everywhere takes them.  Make sure the $100.00 are pre 1999 and have the silver stripe down the middle.  No where will take your credit card.  You may want to take one for emergencies, but you can't use it for everyday transactions.  Western union or something similar is the only way to get money so have somebody here that can send you cash through them if you run out.  Cash is King!  Most banks are closed anyway, and the people hate them.  The exchange rate today is around 89,000 lire to the dollar. 

    We did not stay in Beirut, it's just another big city, so don't know about rooms there.  We stayed mostly in the mountain area, Beit Meri and it's beautiful area.  There are airbnb's you can rent in that area that are not to expensive.  Also, we stayed at a apt/hotel called Del Sol.  Not the best place but safe and fairly cheap. With a little work it's not to bad.  Great view of Beirut.  Don't know of best place to meet people, we have a lot of friends there so didn't need that.  The people are mostly friendly though so it shouldn't be hard.  Hope this helps some.  Let me know if you have other questions. 

@John_68 my only advice for money is bring your own cash with you (you could still use your card only to extract money but it is best to keep cash available) and the currency doesn't matter you can always convert your money to lebanese liras at the صرّاف (don't convert at the bank).

As for housing, new tenants are required to pay much more than the tenants who have rented a house before the economic crisis. Old houses are now rented at a minimum cost of $100 per month, so you could imagine why now new appartements demand a minimum cost of $500. Of course the cost vary from city to city but this is the average cost in Beirut. Some landlords demand you pay only in fresh dollars and some accept lebanese liras.

The cost of living has also risen since the crisis, $10 can be spent simply to buy groceries that last for 1 to 2 days (in hindsight it isn't much but $10 = 900 000 L.L)

People are now afraid of a new problem (w.a.r) that might, probably, God forbid, come this year, so in conclusion, for now, rest wherever you are until things are better. Peace.

@jkeith

Hello and thank you very much for your reply

Well related to having cash with me, I guess if I am planning to stay 1 month, that would be a amount which one shall not carry around, with respect for Lebanese people the safety come first into my mind. Unfortunately, I have no one who could send me money by western Union, means if I would have problems with cash withdrawal, either local ATM`s regulations or the issuing banks for the cards. This phenomenon I experienced twice in Russia and in Greece, at the crises time oh man I don`t wish to have that feeling all of a sudden, I can`t access my funds the ATMs always are programmed to write on display “no sufficient funds” which is laughable but the goal of the bank is not to spread dollars our (payments go to private people and banks like to get dollars not spend out sure you know the draw😉)

So, in such case I have to get out of country each two weeks and pick up money now question is which country in the region is more reliable for such sure first come Cyprus in mind but by experience they allow you to withdrawal just 400 € or US $!!!

RIP George Orwell will be laughing if he would be alive to see his predictions are coming true😉)

So, I ask myself maybe is rather a shorter exploration would be wiser. Any way thank you very much.

Regards

John

@??03

Hello and thank you very much

Maybe your advice waiting for more sunny times would be best idea to consider.

Regards

John

@jkeith

Goodluck.  Let me know if you go and how it is now.  You may not even be able to get a flight at this time.

Thank you, but just a question out of curiosity,why would I not get a flight at this time? I am not from Israel,if you know how I mean it?

I think I misspoke.  I do not know for sure that you cannot get a flight to Lebanon at this time but I've heard that.  I have not checked.  Sorry for the confusion.  You're right though, if you're from Israel or even Jewish it would be very hard to get in at this time or even before the war.  Take care.