Skiing... in Lebanon

I hear it's a blast.

Mzaar is the principal ski destination, and will (together with all the other ski destinations like Kfardebian) have plenty of snow in Jan/Feb, however, the beach might not be a good idea after. It doesn't snow on the coast, but it's not very warm either, Beirut gets around 5C in January, with water temperatures to match. If you go down to Tyre, *maybe* it'll be warm, but that's a long day trip. You should wait until March/April if you want the skiing and the beach in the same day.

Also Lebanon is safe, all else is memes. Stay in hostels in Beirut and there's a good chance you'll meet other travelers. If you have any other questions, I can answer them.

t. European who has studied in Lebanon.

kind of a small olympics team desu

>>1183207
lol

Yeah, I have.

It's like skiing in any other country that has mountains with snow.

The country is nice in any season of the year, and you don't have to worry about getting killed and shit if you stick to cities and populated towns.

>>1183233
>>1183350

Thanks, I went last summer and managed to visit Beirut, Jounieh and a few other areas, keen to see Sidon and Tyre this time

Is Mzaar the best place to go skiing? And have you heard anything about Tripoli? It was supposedly a no go according to 2/3 groups that went from the hostel I stayed at

>>1184518
I'm >>1183233

>Is Mzaar the best place to go skiing?
I only went there with some friends, and I'm shit at skiing, so I wouldn't really know. It seemed alright. I went in February, and they still had a lot of snow.

>Tripoli?
There are two neighbourhoods in Tripoli where one is Sunni and the other is Alawi. They've never been friends, but the Syrian civil war sparked a lot of violence between them, which is the reason a lot of people say you can't go. There's two things to consider though: The violence has subsided a lot in recent years, and after the army went in and cleaned up, the situation has calmed significantly. And the neighbourhoods in question are far away from where tourists go.

You could check around with locals, but keep in mind that people tend to be biased towards their sect, i.e. muslims will say it's safe and christians will say it's not. I've been there a few times, and haven't had any problems. I'd say it's safe for a day trip. Might not want to linger around after dark though. I wouldn't spend the night either unless you know someone there. It's more conservative than Beirut, so tank tops and shorts are best left at home (but since you're going in winter, no problem).

Also Sidon is nice, but Tyre is a fucking gem. My favorite place in Lebanon, with the possible exception of Bsharri.

>>1183233
Hotels in Baalbek are fucking expensive. Would it be possible to do a day tour there and come back to Beirut at night?
And would you recommend visiting the Cedar forests?

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>>1185992
Baalbek as a day tour is definitely feasible, that's how I did it. Apart from the Roman ruins and "the biggest rock in the world", there's not much to see. Or you can base yourself in Zahle which, unlike Baalbek, is still safe after dark, and do day trips from there.

The cedars were nice, but to be honest, they're just trees. If you go to Bsharri and spend a few nights, which I definitely recommend in the first place, the Cedars of God forest is a convenient short trip from there. Small mountain town with no traffic, clean mountain air, drinkable tap water, breathtaking vistas and much more, it's a must after spending too much time in Beirut. While there you can also hike in the Qadisha valley and/or go to Qurnat as-Sawda, tallest mountain in Lebanon and I think the Levant. Pic related, Bsharri in February this year.

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>>1185992
>>1186052
OP here, agree completely, not much in Baalbek and Anjar (which most group tours take you to before Baalbek) after a few hours

Definitely checking out Bsharri if I go again, you've really sold it to me...

> pic relevant: CAPTCHA pillars

>>1186107
>Definitely checking out Bsharri if I go again
You should, it's probably the most scenic town in all of Lebanon. It's somewhat far from Beirut, so spending a few nights would be preferable. I can recommend Tiger House Hotel, they have a dorm and private rooms at good value, and there's even a good chance to meet other travelers there.

>>1186419
I'm gonna stay 1 week in Lebanon, do you think it's too much time?

>>1187341
Just thought I'd put it out there: It's obvious people are waiting until the thread is about to fall off the board before they bump it. It's annoying when it's a slow board and you (as the resident expert on Lebanon, as it were) have to wait three days for the next question. There's a lot of posters here, so it's not directed at you in particular, I'm just saying it. Ask your questions already people.

Is it your first time in Lebanon? If so, one week is too little if you ask me! I like to travel slow though, but with one week, you get to see Beirut and all the major cities and sights, and that's it. If you do Sidon and Tyre as a day trip, Tripoli as one, Byblos, Jeita and/or Harissa as one and Baalbek and possible Aanjar as one, then that's four days there, and I assume you want to see a bit of Beirut as well, so at least one day there, ideally two. If fast travel like that is your thing then go ahead, it's enough time to see all the major places, but I'd say two weeks is ideal. Then you get all the sights, plus other ones a bit off the beaten path that require some planning (like Bsharri or Mleeta), and also plenty of time to chill/party/smoke shisha/explore in Beirut.