Posted: 08 Apr 2009, 13:36
RF: PM if you decide to come and I'll bung you my number._emma_ wrote: 1. The airport, on the map, looks close to the town , about 4 - 5 km, is that right? It seems a short distance but given the fact that I'll be a lonely woman, still shaking after the flight, in the middle of the night there, I suppose it's better to know in advance how to get into town. So:
Is there any public transport from airport to town going AT NIGHT? How much is it? Is it safe? What else should I know?
Or, alternatively, is there anybody who would like to colect me from the airport and accompany me to the town?
RF: No public transport from the airport, taxi should be about $25, you'll need to book somewhere to stay anway, and they'll be happy to send a cheapo taxi for you.
2. What currency is generally accepted in Beirut? Lebanon Pounds? US dollars? What currency should I take with me, and how much for a two-day trip?
(on the ticket-selling site it looks that 45000 LBP is equal to 30$, blimey is that possible?)
RF: Yep, the exchange rate's right. Take dollars, everywhere accepts dollars, and you'll get your change in Lebanese.
Prices wise, local beer about $4, decent meal about $15, though you can live on meze, hotel $45-infinity a night, taxis random... Not an expensive place by any means, but not amazingly cheap.
3. Are visa cards accepted in most pubs/restaurants etc.?
RF:Not all by any means, but quite a few, there are a good batch of cash machines around with English interface that give dollars and Leb cash out.
4. Can you recommend a cheap and decent hotel either near the venue, or - even better - in between venue and airport? (Looks like I'll be flying back home on May3rd at 6AM so that would be easier)
Hotels near the airport are a bit businessy and expensive. If you want that side of town I've stayed at http://www.southtravels.com/middleeast/ ... uroyhotel/ before and it's fine. Though it is next door to Rafiq Hariri's TV station and hence often surrounded by tank traps and nervous blokes, which can be quite funny.
Me and my mate Kev will be gently drinking ourselves to death on the other side of town at http://portviewhotel.blogspot.com/ which is cheap, clean, and on a dodgy street full of bars. We like it and go there as often as possible.
5. And again, will it be easy to get to the airport very early in the morning on Sunday with public transport?
Either hotel will arrange a car for you, no more expensive than normal, the airport's pretty busy that early anyway.
6. Anything else that a lady arriving in Beirut on her own should be aware of?
RF: Nope, it's not at all islamo-scary, you don't need a scarf or anything daft. You'll be safer than in most European or American cities. Though sometimes 12 year old boys on scooters like to tell you they're in Hezzbollah in an elaborate game of "Make the Westerner look nervous".
Thank you very, very much in advance, if it wasn't for this thread in this forum I would probably never even think about doing this trip.
, April is the 4th month and yesterday was the 9th of April, 9 plus 4 makes 13, so no, not today, maybe tomorrow, and so on... Last night I only slept for 2 hours altogether and whenever I managed to fall asleep all I was dreaming of was heading towards the ground in a swirling metal box filled with fire.
I hate myself. 
)
To be honest, I did half expect this, considering that we'll be heavily involved in a project in early May - one that actually secured my employment there in the first place. Still, I was hoping to get a couple of days off and had suddenly got very used to the idea of going to Beirut damnit!