Suggestions for a week in Lebanon (Tripoli/Beirut)

October 3, 2018 2:07 PM

I will be taking a trip to Tripoli, Lebanon in mid-November and, while I will be hanging with a friend there (a Tripoli native who has lived in the US for several years) the whole time, I was wondering what lovely tidbits of knowledge (things to see/hear/do/buy/avoid) the Green might have. I'll be staying in Tripoli the whole time, though we plan to spend at least one day in Beirut, so info on either city is great. We will have a car.

Snowflake details: Mid-30s male with basic-intermediate familiarity with middle eastern culture (one parent was born in the region), but no arabic language skills. Photographer. Already down for all the food, so specific recommendations for restaurants/cafes/stands are very appreciated.

I'm thinking about buying soap from the souk there--is there anything else I should keep an eye out for? Will there be a dude hand-hammering a copper cezve/ibrik/kannaka that I should pick up, or will it all be made in China?

posted by Grimp0teuthis to Travel & Transportation around Tripoli, Lebanon (3 answers total)

I was in Tripoli a couple of weeks ago. It's a lovely little town and I wished I could stay for longer than a weekend. I envy you! You'll be fine without Arabic though it helps to be able to read the script. If you know French, that will be helpful.

1. Soap in the souq was a bit disappointing, the scents used seemed quite artificial to me but your friend might be able to steer you better. But the souq and surrounding areas are worth a visit, they are beautiful and atmospheric. Don't miss the baths. You'll go to the Citadel, and it is aweinspiring and often has art shows.

2. I was hoping to pick up some copper utensils, but didn't find any local makers. I was with a local and she took me to where she remembered going with her mother to buy them but almost all the shops there only sold imports from Syria and Egypt. You might be luckier. If you are do look longingly at a small copper coffee pot for me, as that is what I hoped to buy.

3. The old train station is worth seeing. Bombed out ruins, rusting steam engines, covered in flowering vines and graffiti.

4. I really enjoyed walking from Mina to the train station through the fish market as there are incredible Ottoman era buildings that are inhabited and full of life, although also crumbling badly. Tripoli's people are, generally, lovely and friendly. It is the poorest city in Lebanon, and it really shows.

5. Food I enjoyed: I liked Minos's fish mezze in Mina, and I believe they also arrange private day trips to islands off Tripoli with grilled fish etc. Tripoli specialises in sweets, and has a particular style of knefe made with clotted cream instead of the cheese they use further south. There is also a very famous hummus place in the old city, which was great. I hung out for a bit at a cafe in the newer part of the city, called Tafech/Ahwak (sign only in Arabic) and had some excellent coffee and people watching.

6. If you have a car, Lebanon is tiny and really easy to get around (carry your passport if you are going to pass checkpoints). Don't restrict yourself to Beirut, though it's an incredible city. I'm in Baalbek right now, and the Beqaa area is stunning, very different from the coast. I didn't have time on this visit but I'd have loved to hike through the Qadisha valley and see the rock-cut monasteries. Akkar, which is just north of Tripoli, is supposed to be very pleasant. If you like caves, Jeita Grotto is great to visit.

7. Beirut: where to start? In East Beirut (where I stayed), Kalei and Beyt are lovely, restful and very atmospheric cafes. Downstairs from Bayt is Plan Bey, which sells Lebanese photography and prints, some very good indeed. Maryoul is a new restaurant nearby which I thought was fantastic, great cherry kebabs. In West Beirut cafes, I believe Mezyan is where the lefties and civil societies types hang out, it also has good food. Another great spot is Dar. Beirut, and Lebanon is incredibly romantic, with flowering vines, ruins and bombed out buildings (take a look at the remarkable ruin housing Beit Beirut). Onno in Badaro was my favourite Armenian restaurant. The national museum is excellent, and keep an eye out for art exhibitions and film showings etc, if you are interested; Beirut is a very lively city beyond its justly fabled nightlife.

You haven't asked, but I read Fisk's Pity the Nation when I arrived in Beirut and it really brought the city's past alive for me. The streets are the same, and many of the politicians are the same. If you are interested in contemporary politics, I've really enjoyed following the Lebanese Politics Podcast.
posted by tavegyl at 3:35 AM on October 4, 2018 [3 favorites]

Response by poster: Thanks, tavegyl! Those are such great suggestions—it's like you've known me a long time already :P
posted by Grimp0teuthis at 8:07 AM on October 4, 2018

I really enjoyed a side trip to Byblos when I was (briefly) in Beirut. I don't feel like I was there long enough to recommend much else, but it's a fascinating city with a deep history and I'd love to go back someday.
posted by gingerbeer at 5:32 PM on October 4, 2018 [1 favorite]