Louay & Tala

Beirut can be reached with daily non-stop flights from most major European and Middle Eastern airports. Make sure to book your flights ASAP as they can get expensive quite quickly given the busy summer period.

We suggest you pre-book a taxi from the airport to your hotel before your flight (refer to the Moving Around section).

Make sure to check your visa requirements before coming (citizens of the EU, UK, US and Australia will only need a free visa on arrival).

More information can be found here:
www.general-security.gov.lb/en

Lebanon is a relatively small country but moving around different areas can be cumbersome without a car, especially during the festive season. There are no reliable public transport alternatives.

The best way to visit the country is to move by car. Either you will need to rent one or if you want to avoid the hassle of driving, it would be best to have someone drive you around.

Local Private Taxis (recommended options)

If you want to use private local taxis to move around, you can contact them by call or WhatsApp ahead of time (up to 20 mins lead time). The payments need to be made in cash.

Beirut Taxis (for trips in and out of Beirut): 

- Allo Taxi: +9611517070
- White Taxi: +96171722199
- Star Taxi: +9611250230 / +9613408705

Batroun Taxis (where the wedding venue is):

- Botrys Taxi:  +96170744111
- Chahine Taxi: +96176517444
- Batroun Taxi: +96176642444
- Jimmy Taxi: +9613722071

TukTuk for Tours within Batroun

Experience Batroun Tuktuk experience with: 

- Toufic Tuktuk: +9613799317
- Simon Tuktuk: +9613910082
- Sarkis Tuktuk: +96176555117
- Elias Tuktuk: +9613548719

Rent a Car

If you'd like to rent a car and you are comfortable driving in Lebanon, feel free to contact Skaf Rentals on +961 3 829 992.

Money

Lebanon is in the midst of a currency crisis. You can use both USD and LBP (Lebanese Pounds) in the country. The LBP rate is very volatile (current rate can be found here www.lbprate.com/) and thus we recommend using USD and keeping cash with you.

Most restaurants and bars take payments in both LBP or USD. However we would suggest always having a mix of USD and LBP cash on you when going out.
Note: The largest note in circulation is LBP 90,000 which is now equivalent to ~$1.

Cash Withdrawals

ATM cash withdrawals are not functional. It's essential to ensure you have an adequate amount of USD in cash to cover your expenses for the duration of your visit.

Credit Cards

Most of the hotels and stores will accept your payment in credit card but you need to make sure you are being charged in USD and not LBP.

Mobile Data

We highly recommend you get mobile data to research things and use Google Maps. Roaming costs for most foreign lines are very expensive, so make sure to have mobile data/roaming turned off once you get here. Your best option for data would be to purchase a local line upon arrival from the nearest phone store next to your hotel (Alfa or Touch). This should cost around $10 for ~10GB of data and a range between $10-$20 for the sim card.

Tap Water

Tap water is not safe to drink. Make sure you only drink bottled water.

Enjoy Batroun like No one Else 

Batroun, a gem to be discovered. Only a ten-minute drive from  Arnaoon Village, you will find yourself at these mesmerizing beaches, where pristine sands and crystal-clear waters await.

- Spa du Jour
- Seasalt Spa
- Orchid Spa
- Las Salinas Spa

- Visit the Phoenician Wall
- Historic Chekka Tunnel (climb it for a great view)
- Rent an SUP
- Visit Ixsir the Winery
- Eat at Biomass (Farmer's Market)

Local Bakeries

- Forn Koko (Make sure to taste their Brioche)
- Forn Merchak (Amazing Mankoushe)

Healthy Options

- Fuwaki 
- Darma Ji
- Breakfast Barn 

Coffee Spots

- Patchi
- Lina's
- Leaf 

Lemonade Bliss

- Hilmi Lemonade
- Le Garage Lemonade (near Saint Stephen Cathedral)

For the Sweet tooth

- Noix (Delicious soft serve ice cream)
- Jessy juice (Famous for their sushi crêpes) 

Street Food Lovers

- Georges Maalouf (Seafood Sandwiches) 
- Dough on the go (Pizza slices takeaway) 
- Uncle Asho (Fajitas, chicken sub)
- Snack Gaby (Tawook)
- Big Mike's
- Midnight Munchies
- Mashewe Express (Good Shawarma)
- El Abdallah (Classic Chicken Sandwich) 

Our Fave Sunset Drinks

- Almaza Bay
- Buttler's Beach Club
- Ô-Glacée
- Bolero
- Pierre & Friends
- Ray's
- A la Pier
- Colonel Brewery & Distillery 

Dining

- Bistr'eau
- Mariolino
- Ahwet Zahtouna
- Sushi On The Roof 
- Oyster's Seafood Bar 

Bars

- Moubs Bar
- Barrio67
- Cheers Cousin Mike 

Beaches

- White Beach
- Isole
- Soult Beach Bar
- Bonita Bay
- Joining
- BluBay Beach
- Nowhere Beach (Chekka)

Stroll along the lively streets of Gemmayze and Mar Mikhael, celebrated for their dynamic nightlife, diverse array of bars, eateries, coffee shops, and enchanting architecture. Take a leisurely walk in the Downtown district, where you can explore Beirut Souks, Saifi Village, Martyrs Square, and the adjacent landmarks of the Mohammad Al Amin Mosque and Saint George Cathedral. You also have the option to visit the Sursock Museum, have a pleasant walk by Zeitouna Bay, or enjoy the beautiful sea scenery from the Raouche area (not to miss the Pigeon rocks).

COFFEE SHOPS

- Levant
- Salata (good for a healthy salad stop or a coffee)
- SIP
- Lost
- Kalei Coffee Co

FOOD ON THE GO/LATE NIGHT FOOD

- Barbar (Manouche, Shawarma, and Sandwiches)
- The Bros (Amazing Burgers)
- Joseph (Shawarma)
- Mano (Shawarma)
- Freddy's The Hotdog Truck + Baked Potatoes 

KNEFEH IN LEBANON FOR BREAKFAST OR DESSERT

- L'Abeille D'Or
- Hallab 1881 
- Nemer el wadi
- Amal Bohsali
- Sea Sweet

RESTAURANTS

- Em Sherrif (Lebanese)
- Loris (Lebanese)
- Leila (Lebanese)
- Dar Beirut (Lebanese)
- Leo La Terrasse (Diverse Menu)
- Vicoli Saifi (Italian)
- Julienne (Mediterranean-Japanese)
- Tom & Mutz (Italian)
- Fred (Franco-Italian)
- Jnaynet el Khawaja (Lebanese)
- Liza (Lebanese)
- Bavaglino (Italian)
- Mitsu-ya (Japanese)
- Kampai  (Japanese)
- Gavi (Italian)
- Buco (burger joint)
- Toto (Italian)
- Paname (French)
- Society Bistro (Italian - French)
- Meat The Fish (Seafood)
- Terre (Local Produce)
- Miiyao (Asian)
- Merchak (Lebanese)
- Beit Kanz (Lebanese)
- Le Petit Gris (Bistro)
- Sapa (Peruvian)
- Makan (Indian cuisine)
- Ditto (Mediterranean)
- Mayrig (Armenian)
- Roadster Diner 
- Sud (Mediterranean)

DRINKS

- Analogue
- Arthaus
- Albergo’s Swim Club
- Brazzaville
- Centrale
- Cyrano
- Clap
- Dead End Paradise
- House of Buttlers
- Pacifico
- Paloma
- Union Marks

CLUBS

- Music Hall
- Bazalt
- Iris
- Darling
- Clique
- Spine
- Sapa
- B018
- The Ballroom Blitz
- Skybar
- Sayf