Fantastic Stay in Beirut

Talal's New Hotel was recommended to me by a friend who had just returned from Beirut. After spending 3 nights in a budget hotel in Hamra I worked up the courage to give it a go.

I arrived at Talal's to be greeted by Talal himself who immediately offered me a free drink from the fridge and welcomed me. That was the start of 10 great nights.

This hostel is awesome, it is the only one I have been to that has satellite TV, A/C, and a bar fridge in every room!

Talal is a great host, he always lets you use his PC for free Internet access. If you want to go anywhere he will give you clear directions, tell you all you need to know to make sure that you get there cheaply and safely.

The atmosphere in the hostel is excellent, and I met lots of great people there! There is a fridge well stocked with beer, juices, and soft drinks for bargain prices. This is definitely the place to stay in Beirut!

My friend Rita took me up to Batroun, we hired some bikes for LL1000 per hour and rode around the old town. It was just fantastic, the coast line was spectacular. My food poisoning however made bike riding a bit hard!

If you go to Lebanon and don't go to Baalbek, then I think you have just wasted your time. These ruins are some of the most amazing I have ever seen, they really make you realise how incredible our ancestors were!

The bakeries in Lebanon are amazing, from communion bread to exotic Lebanese pizzas. You can find them on every street corner and they are just great! Breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

I headed up to Tripoli, a city some 80km from Beirut. Talal, from the hostel, told me how to get there for LL2000. It was well worth the visit! The place was teaming with life, and a very different cultural experience from Beirut.

The old souk was definitely worth visiting, you will be amazed by the range of cloths, spices and food that is sold there. When you are finished with the souk there is a great castle worth seeing nearby.