Money
by RblWthACoz
The official currency of Lebanon is the lira. However, U.S. dollars are accepted everywhere, so there is no need to exchange and change your money. What you will find is that when you pay in dollars, you will get your change back in lira. The exchange rate is pegged at LL1,500 per dollar and this never changes.
Get Any Phone Number
by miso80
If you do not have internet access, or which to obtain any phone number (restaurant, company, gym, etc.), all you have to do is dial 1515 from any phone (landline or mobile). You will then be prompted to click 1, 2, 3 to be redirected to an operator that speaks (Arabic, English or French). At that point, you can ask the operator what you wish to know.
Most of the times, it only requires them a minute to come out with the number. If it is a small place, then sometimes you'd have to mention the location (ex: in Hamra or Verdun) and will most probably help you out with this information.
Hard Rock Cafe...
by coceng
Unlike a few people from Malaysia who love travelling, their friends & family always ask them to buy that Hard Rock Cafe T-bloody Shirt !
Well, not me.
In fact, it makes me laugh just to see people wearing that stupid T-shirt anyway.
At least I have this photo telling people back home that I was there !
I was there but too bad that they were running out of T-shirts when I was there.
That's what I normally tell my friends & family...
Queen
by themagiclake
The Queen with no doubts...
Waiting near the seashore, and it is a beautiful way to celebrate being in Lebanon, next time I promise you baby, we will have ride, and we will do the titanic scene hehe!!!
walking around Beirut
by MrBill
As soon as you disembark from the ship you will be molested by every manner and number of taxi drivers, some of whom can be quite aggressive. We even had one follow us once we left the port area, not believing us when we said we did not need a taxi.
The normal price from the harbor to downtown is about $3 or about $10 per hour to rent a taxi. Of course, they will try to cheat you into paying multiples of this. You have to be firm.
However, we were able to walk all over the downtown and to the beach and along the promenade without taking a taxi. We only took one taxi, and that was to take us to the far end of the beach front and then back again to the ship. We negotiated $5 thinking it would take about 30 mins., but it only took about 20 mins. actually. He still wanted more money, but we only gave him the $5 and he did not make a fuss.
It helps if you speak French. Not everyone speaks English, so a few words parlez vous la francais is appreciated and makes getting around easier.
By the way, pay a fair price for your taxi. The dollar you try to save maybe someone else's daily wage or profit, and these people are not well off compared to your average tourist, so be fair and it will be appreciated.