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| Country Profile After years of unrest, Lebanon is regaining its former reputation as «The Switzerland of the Middle East». Its mountains and its scenic beauty were almost untouched. Lebanon was visited by nearly one million visitors during 2000, 1.4 million during 2002, and the number is expected to grow a lot within the next five years. One who visits Lebanon is fascinated by the 7,000 year old little country. The weather is always moderate, the prices are very reasonable and, most of all the people are friendly.  As a republic since 1943, it is a compact country of 10,452 square kilometers with a population of 3.57 millions (year 2000). The capital is Beirut. GEOGRAPHY Lebanon
falls on the Eastern Mediterranean sea, between 33° 34'.40 latitude
north and 35° 36'.40° longitude east. The country is located
at the meeting point of three continents, and over the centuries
it has been the cross roads of many civilizations whose trace may
still be seen today.
In winter, the high peaks are covered with snow and in summer the limestone slopes glimmer white in the distance. Two rocky ranges traverse Lebanon parallel to the seacoast, separated by the high plateau of the Bekaa Valley. Its countryside is a place of rocks, cedar trees and magnificent ruins that look down from the mountains to the sea. 
LOCAL
TIME
Local
time in Lebanon is GMT +02 in winter and GMT +03 in summer (April
to September). Winter days are short with daylight from 6 AM until
5 PM. In summer, the days are longer, from 5 am until 8 PM.
GOVERNMENT
Lebanon
is a democratic republic with a parliamentary system of government
and a cabinet headed by a Prime Minister. Its constitution is based
on the separation of executive, legislative and judicial powers,
with a president elected every 6 years.
PASSPORT AND VISA Passports:
Passports valid for 6 months are required by all except nationals
of Syria arriving from their country with a valid national ID.
Visas: Visas are required by all, except for the nationals of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria and the UAE for stays of up to 3 months. Nationals of the European Community, Common Wealth, American Continent, Russia and Japan can obtain their visas on arrival at Beirut International Airport or any other port of entry at the Lebanese border. Other nationals of East Europe and Asia should contact the consulate at the Lebanese Embassy for details about how to obtain their visa. Cost: Visitor or Business visas cost 50,000 Lebanese Pounds (US $33). Restricted Entry: The Government of Lebanon refuses entry to holders of Israeli passports, holders of passports containing a visa for Israel, valid or expired, used or unused and passports with entry stamps to Israel. CLIMATE Lebanon
enjoys an essential Mediterranean climate with mild, rainy winters
and longer warm summers. The country is rain free between June and
October. Visitors can count on 300 sunny days every year. However,
mountains are cold and snowy in winter. Average annual rainfall
is about 1,000 mm in Beirut (40 inches), but much higher in the
mountains.
Warm clothes are essential in the winter. Lowest temperature may be as low as -4ºC in the mountains, and 10ºC on the coast. TRANSPORTATION
Car
rental companies provide self driven cars with or without a driver.
Lebanese taxis are reasonably priced (Between 1000 and 2000 liras).
   Bus service is also available to various destinations. However, don’t count on them if you have an appointment. They are not reliable. You can never know when you will get there ! Driving is the most convenient way to get around in the country. The road network is undergoing a massive reconstruction after the war. In and around Beirut, traffic jams are now a way of life. Beware of traffic lights that are rare and signs that are not always respected. Today Lebanon is saturated with cars (1.3 million), which means there is one car for every 3 persons ! However, driving , driving in the mountains is definitely fun and relaxing: fresh air and wonderful scenery.
CURRENCY
AND BANKING
Movement
of currency and all exchange transactions are completely free of
any kind of control. Foreign currency can be exchanged at any bank
or at one of the numerous money exchange shops.
The monetary unit is the Lebanese Lira (LL) or Lebanese Pound. One US Dollar is almost equal to LL 1505, depending on the exchange rate. During the war and until recently, the whole economy was «dolarised». Still, most Lebanese calculate their transactions in US Dollars. Amazingly, the cellular phone system, privately owned, but somehow controlled by the government uses cents and dollars to charge their customers. All ski resorts accept US Dollars.
CREDIT
CARDS
Visitors
may use credit cards in major establishments, such as Master Card,
America Express, Diners Club and Visa.
WORKING
HOURS
•
Government offices: 8 AM - 2 PM
• Banks, shops and other business: 8 AM - 5 PM
ELECTRIC
CURRENT
The
electrical current is 220 Volts, but some areas are still on the
110 Volts level. Unification is on the way. It is best to check.
COMMUNICATIONS
Land
lines: International call facilities are provided by Lebanon’s
own satellite stations. The country code is 961 and the outgoing
international dialing code is 00.
Cellular phones are widely available and the cellular GSM 900 network is operated by both LibanCell and Cellis. Visitors may buy a "limited time" GSM card for their cellular phone at about LL 100,000 for the first month. Internet connection is mainly provided by 3 ISPs: Cyberia, IDM and TerraNet. There are cybercafés in major towns of Lebanon. Fax: International facilities are available. Faxes can be sent from most hotels. Post: With the newly privatized LibanPost, post to Europe usually takes 2-4 days and to the USA between 4-7 days. Post offices are open Mon-Thurs 0800-1400 and Fri 0800-1100. Press: There are more than 30 daily newspapers published in Arabic, Armenian and French and over 100 publications appear on a weekly or monthly basis. The Daily Star and Beirut Times are published in English and there are several English-language weeklies, primarily Monday Morning. The best-selling Arabic dailies are Al Anwar, Al Nahar, Al Liwaa, Al Safir and Al Dyar. The most important dailies in French are L'Orient-Le Jour and Le Soir. A wide choice of international newspapers and magazines are also available at bookshops.
RELIGION
Christianity
and Islam are the main religions. Christian denominations, mainly
Greek Orthodox, Maronite, Armenian and Protestant account for approximately
40 per cent. Islam (predominantly Shi'ite) accounts for another
40 per cent of the population's beliefs. Other religions account
for the remaining 20 per cent.
HOLIDAYS
Lebanon
is the only country in the middle east following the western Sunday
weekend style. The country celebrates both Christian and Moslim
holidays.
LANGUAGE Arabic
and French are the official languages of Lebanon and commonly spoken.
English is very widely spoken. You can also hear Armenian on the
streets and public places; and we Lebanese are well known for our
talent to mix all of the first three languages in only one sentence!
How to say it in Lebanese
Visa and Passport Requirements
Passports:
Passports valid for 6 months are required by all.
Visas: Visas are required by all, except for the nationals of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the U.A.E. and Jordan for stays of up to 3 months. Nationals of the European Community, Common Wealth, American Continent, Russia and Japan can obtain their visa on arrival at Beirut International Airport or any other port of entry at the Lebanese border. Other nationals of Romania, Czech Republic and Thailand should contact the consulate at the Lebanese Embassy for details about how to obtain their visa. Nationals
of Arab countries but non-GCC (Algeria, Comers Island, Djibouti,
Egypt, Libya, Morocco, Mauritania, Somalia, Sudan, Tunisia, Yemen)
can obtain their visa at the airport provided they are in possession
of the following: Cost: For those coming for tourism, a free visa is granted for one month, renewable for up to three months. Restricted Entry: The Government of Lebanon refuses entry to holders of Israeli passports, holders of passports containing a visa for Israel, valid or expired, used or unused and passports with entry stamps to Israel. To remain on the safe side and irrespective of your nationality, we highly recommend you check with your local Lebanese Consulate or Embassy prior to boarding the plane. Please do so as soon as you decide to come in order to have enough time to prepare and submit all requested documents.
Terms and Conditions
of Booking
By
registering as a member and using the Site, you agree to be bound
to its terms and conditions. The terms and conditions currently
applying are set out below, but you should note that the Site and
Grey Matter SARL (''''the Company operating the Site'''') reserve
the right to modify the terms and conditions at any time and your
continued use will be conditional upon acceptance of the terms and
conditions in force at the time of any visit. Our liability and
that of our Travel Affiliates shall be limited in respect of direct
loss to a maximum of the price of the product or service to which
the claim relates.
Age
You
agree that you are of sufficient legal age to create binding legal
obligations for any liability you may incur as a result of your
use of this Site. You understand that you are financially responsible
for all activity at this Site by you and anyone using your account
password.
You also warrant that all information supplied by you, or those authorized to use your account, is true and accurate. In order to book via this web site, you must be at least 18 years old, and by completing the ''''Book Process''''you warrant and confirm that this is the case.
Passports
and Visas
It
is your responsibility to ensure that you are in possession of all
necessary passports, visas and any other regulatory requirements
(for example, with respect to goods which may be taken with you)
before departure. We cannot accept any liability if you are refused
entry into any country due to failure on your part to carry the
correct documentation.
If failure to have any necessary travel or other documents results in fines, surcharges or other financial penalty being imposed on any supplier, or us you will be responsible for making repayment. The company will not be held responsible for any denial of entry to any country by the country''''s authorities. In such case cancellation charges will then apply.
Responsibility
and Exclusion of Warranty
The
Site acts solely in its capacity as a marketing agent in making
and securing all arrangements for transportation, sightseeing, and
accommodations for the tours it sells. The Site does not own, manage,
control or operate any transportation vehicle, hotel, restaurant
or any other supplier of services. The Site shall not be held responsible
for any wrongful or negligent acts or omissions by any supplier
or other party not directly owned by it, or by the failure of any
equipment operated by any such supplier or other party.
The Site shall not be liable for any loss, injury, or damage to person, property, or otherwise, in connection with any accommodations, transportation, or other services resulting directly or indirectly from any acts of God, dangers, incident to the sea, fire, breakdown of machinery or equipment, acts of government or other authorities, wars declared and undeclared, hostilities, civil disturbances, riots, thefts, pilferage, force majeure, default of any third parties, quarantine, medical or customs regulations, acts of terrorism, sickness, strikes, epidemics, criminal activity, or from any other causes resulting from insufficient or improperly issued passports, visas or other documents. The Site shall not be or become liable or responsible for any additional expenses of liability sustained or incurred by tour member as a result of any of the above mentioned causes.
Insurance
You
agree to carry appropriate travel insurance to cover you for medical
treatment and if necessary, winter sports. We will need to see a
copy of the insurance policy documents in case you wish to make
your own arrangements; otherwise, you may ask for the insurance
that we propose for our trips.
For
further information relating to the legal issues contained in
these Beirut International Airport (BIA) is a vital facility that plays a major role in linking Lebanon with the outside world and enriching the business and tourist sectors of the economy. Its latest development is resulting in a substantial increase in the number of tourists, and attracting major airline companies and increasing transit traffic. BIA
is located in the Khaldeh suburb south of the capital and around
8kms distant from Beirut downtown. It became operational in 1954
and is the only civil airport of the country.
The old airport was renovated in 1977, and the present runways were rehabilitated between 1982 and 1984. The execution of the first phase of the new airport started in 1994 and was inaugurated in 1998. However, the second phase was inaugurated on the fifth of July 2000 and the operation started on the sixth of June 2002. The total area covered by BIA is around 7 million square meters and the overall area of the terminal building is 150,000 square meters. BIA has been redeveloped to handle 6 million passengers per year and to receive 30 aircrafts at the same time. It has 84 passenger counters, 21 passenger gates, and the parking area has a capacity of 2250 cars. Future development plans aim at handling 16 million passengers by the year 2035.  Passenger Services - Duty Free Shops - Banking in Departure and Arrival Lounges - Currency Exchange - ATMs - Tax Refund for VAT - Restaurants - Public Phone - WiFi Internet Access - Car Parking - Car Rental - Taxi BIA Phone: +961.1.682000
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