Brian Tuck

Words to live by in Beirut: Habibi (my dear) and Ahlan wa sahlan (welcome)

Our journey begins in the Middle East in the beautiful city of Beirut, Lebanon. Nestled in between the Mediterranean Sea and the Western Chain of mountains, it is considered one of the most progressive cities in the Middle East that is beginning to attract more and more gay visitors every year.

A city of proud and beautiful people, Beirut offers an eclectic space catering to all touristic tastes. You can enjoy the day lounging on Edde Sand beaches along the blue waters of the Mediterranean Sea in Spring and spend the rest of your day skiing at Faraya, only an hour drive away.

An experienced gay traveler tends to overlook this Mediterranean jewel. Most are unaware Beirut is one of the most progressive cities in the Middle East. While their gay community is not as visible as Manhattan or Montreal, they do host annual gay pride events that continue to grow every year. You can enjoy the awesome beats at Acid, one of Beirut’s most popular gay bars, amongst many other gay establishments that keep popping up every year. Beirut is bursting with an incredible nightlife that will keep you dancing until sunrise.

For a quieter evening, you can find yourself enjoying their local award winning wine, Ksara at the Grand Hills Village, a hotel resort and pedestrian village with a scenic view of the city and coast below.  This would follow a day of complete pampering in their spa, of course.

You can spend your days shopping at all the amazing boutiques at the City Mall in Dora or pack a lunch for a short drive outside the city to Barouk National Park where you can hike a forest thousands of years old. Consider visiting Jeita Grotto, offering 9km of undisturbed limestone caves to be explored on boat and elevated walkways through its underground river. Open from May until end of Fall, Jeita Grotto is a finalist in the New Seven Wonders of the World competition, so adding this to your places to see is a must.

For those who just can’t escape the Western grip you can still get your fix at a local Dunkin Donuts, but why not enjoy some authentic Lebanese cuisine in one of the city’s restaurants. A typical Lebanese meal consists of tabouleh and fattoush salads, meza appetizers of delicious hummus, baba gannouj and labne (a thick yogurt) to dip fresh pita in.

A variety of meats to be tasted are cooked slowly throughout the day or you can also try their Kebbe, a Middle Eastern version of our tartare.  For dessert, fresh fruit is usually served, but of course, a meal is never complete without some baklawa, which you just can’t find even at their Dunkin Donuts! So ordering extra phyllo pastry goodness for your road trips is essential to avoid the western corporate not-so-goodness. You can even be served in English, French, and ofcourse Arabic if you want to practice the Lebanese dialect.

For your next journey around the globe, consider stopping by this bustling and growing city. Rich in culture and history, you are most likely to pass by some ancient Roman architecture, a city blending stone and steel, past and present. A world that is increasingly less understated in tourism today and definitely at the top of our list of places to see in 2011.

Shukran! (thank you )