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Public Holidays
Date 2003
Occasion
January 1
New
Year's Day
January 6
Christmas
(Armenian community holiday, not general)
January 7
Christmas
(Orthodox old calendar community holiday, not general)
February 9
St
Maron's Day
February 12
Eid
ul Adha
March 5
Islamic
New Year
April 18
Good
Friday
April 21
Easter
Monday
May 1
Labour
Day
May 6
Martyrs'
Day
May 14
Prophet's
Anniversary
August 15
Assumption
of the Virgin Mary
November 1
All
Saints Day
November 22
Independence
Day
November 26
End
of Ramadan
December 25
Christmas
Day
December 31
Evacuation
Day
Weekend - The Christian communities and some Muslim areas (mainly in downtown
Beirut) observe Saturday and Sunday weekends. Some Sunni, most Druze and almost all the
Shi'a communities observe Thursday and Friday. Government offices in Beirut close on
Saturday afternoon and Sunday all day. Banks are closed on Sunday. Shops are often open 7
days a week.
Health & Safety
No
mandatory vaccinations are required for entry into Lebanon unless you are coming from a
disease-affected area. It is nevertheless recommended that you take preventive shots for
polio, tetanus and typhoid.
The medical services in
Lebanon are well developed and most doctors speak English or French as they have graduated
overseas. The private hospitals are very expensive and are the best equipped, so ensure
you get your medical insurance policy. Pharmacies prescribe medicines for minor ailments
and most drugs are available over the counter.
You have to take
precautions with food and water and avoid drinking tap water totally. Drink only bottled
water or boiled water. Always wash fruit and vegetables and avoid eating salads in cheap
snack bars.
Most of Lebanon, except the
south, is safe for travel. Please carry torches and avoid walking in the roads at night
because electricity shortage plunges the roads to complete darkness. Safety in southern
Lebanon is questionable, especially with repeated Israeli attacks and air raids. Also, it
is advisable to stay away from Hezbollah areas that are mainly in south Lebanon and the
Bekaa Valley. Before visiting Lebanon, it is suggested that you find out about the current
political situation, as it tends to be volatile.
Avoid leaving your
belongings unattended or leaving money and valuables in your hotel room, as theft is
possible. Use money belts and never expose too much of cash.
Customs
Visitors can bring in
either, 400 cigarettes or one bottle of liquor, or 200 cigarettes and two bottles of
liquor. There are no restrictions on the import and export of local or foreign currencies.
Electricity
Visitors
can bring in either, 400 cigarettes or one bottle of liquor, or 200 cigarettes and two
bottles of liquor. There are no restrictions on the import and export of local or foreign
currencies.
Post & Communications
Though
the main GPO is in Downtown Beirut, and out of the way, there are smaller post offices in
other places, one of the most efficient being the post office of the American University
of Beirut (AUB). Post offices are open Monday to Saturday from 8 am to 1.30 pm. Though
slow, the Lebanese postal service is reliable. You can only send letters from a post
office. Receiving mail takes a very long time. There are no post restante facilities. Fax
and Telegraph can be sent from large hotels and from many private bureaus in Beirut. There
are several around American University Campus.
Public
phone service is not common, though private phone service is widely available. Most people
in Beirut use cellular phones and if you take a GSM mobile there are a couple of networks
here. There is a government run telephone, near the office of the Ministry of Tourism,
from where you can make both local and international calls.
Weights and measures
The Metric System is in
use.
Tipping
Tipping is usually expected
because as a result of devaluation of the Lebanese currency, salaries and wages are much
lower than they used to be. Most restaurants and nightspots include a 16% service charge
in he bill, but it is customary to leave an extra tip of 5 % to 10 % of the total.
Bakhsheesh or tipping
to procure special favours, for which almost any minor rule can be broken, is common here
in Lebanon. The guards and officials may expect some more palm-greasing here. Bargaining
is possible in everything ranging from taxi fares to hotel charges. Many hotels will give
you a discount if there are many of you or if you are spending more than three days in
their hotels. They may even give you free breakfast.
English Language Media
There is a new English
daily called the “Daily Star” and a weekly news magazine, “Monday
Morning”, which reviews the week’s current affairs and social events. Bookshops
and newsagents store many foreign publications, including foreign newspapers.
The Lebanese Broadcasting
Station has programmes in both English and French, as do most of the private radio
stations. You can pick up BBC’s 24 hour service on 1323 kHz o 720 kHz medium wave.
There are more than 10 TV stations broadcasting in Arabic, English and French at different
times of the day.
Recommended
Reading
You Have Your Lebanon and I
Have my Lebanon: Kahlil Gibran
Rebuilding Beirut: Victor A. Khoueiry
God Cried: Tony Clifton and Catherine Leroy
Hezbollah – Born with a Vengeance: Hala Jaber |
