Luxurious Beirut - Pearl of Lebanon

Sadly, but lots of people have quite a vague idea of what a country Lebanon is. They often confuse it with Libya but what is more terrible, they think Lebanon is all about desert conditions, military operations and poverty. Let's try to break this stereotype exploring Beirut - a capital of Lebanon.

It's located on a narrow piece of land between the sea and mountains. The last war took place in Lebanon in 2006 when Israel had been bombing bridges, plants and power plants of South Lebanon for about a month. Beirut remained untouched. So you can hardly find a single remnant of that war on its streets.

Beirut is a wonderful mixture of luxury and Arabian originality. The center of the city resembles Paris or Rome but with a much less quantity of tourists.

Almost all famous brands are introduced in the shops of Beirut: Louis Vuitton, Burberry, Prada, D&G, Gucci, Dior, Cerutti, Roberto Cavalli and many many others.

Sellers don't act like snobs. They just come to you and unobtrusively offer their services.

Having compared prices of local and Paris Louis Vuitton, it turned out that the first was only 5% more expensive.

People here (as in any civilized country) don't like to be photographed on the street. So one has to take only candid pictures.

At night most of the buildings are illuminated. They say, it's very beautiful here on the Christmas and New Year time. All the city is decorated with fairy lights and open air celebrations last during the whole night.

Though Lebanon is an Arabian country, it follows European rules towards alcohol consumption. It's sold at any bar and restaurant. One can drink 24 hours a day. And the assortment is extremely large.

Beirut is famous for its night life. There are many nightclubs in the city. Restaurants and even bakeries work till very late.

Even at night there are traffic jams because people hang out and party at that time. Numerous casinos open their doors for gamblers.

Morning on the quay.

Local cracknels.

And here are some pictures of local hotels so that you will have a full impression of how good they are.

Instead of simple deck chairs double beds with sunshades stand on the coast.

You can relax on the sofa near a personal hot tub.

A pool of one of the best hotels of Beirut has glass walls and looks like an aquarium.



Its chief cook is from Scotland.

And he makes one of the most delicious and tender cheesecakes ever.

And this is the Intercontinental Hotel where all the sheiks and stars put up at. The most expensive room costs $15.000 a day.

It is proud of its SPA.

And this is another SPA in the Edde Sands Hotel. 

Here you can also rent a double bed near the pool or right on the beach for $33 a day.

The sand is fine and pleasant to walk on.

In the end of Septembrer the temperature is +27 C. On the beach you can find waverunners and other kinds of entertainment.

Well, you see, Lebanon is a wonderful country. And as for Beirut, it's a perfect place for having a rest with your family.

via sergeydolya