In this week’s episode of the Travel Squad Podcast, we are taking you on an unforgettable journey through Lebanon – a small but incredibly diverse country nestled on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean. Lebanon is known for its ancient history, culinary traditions, stunning Mediterranean coast, Roman ruins, beautiful landscapes, vibrant nightlife and warm hospitality.

The Squad spent 5 full days exploring Lebanon, packed into a 10-day international trip that also included a stop in Dubai (which we’ll cover in next week’s episode!). From ancient Roman ruins to delicious street food, snow-capped mountains to Mediterranean beaches, Lebanon delighted us at every turn, and should be on everyone’s travel visit list!

Highlights of Lebanon Include:

• Exploring downtown Beirut
• Raouche (Pigeon Rocks) - Iconic rock formations in Beirut along the Mediterranean coast
• Jeita Grotto - A stunning limestone cave complex with stalagmites and stalactites
• Batara Gorge Waterfall - An 837 ft. waterfall that cascades into a giant sinkhole within the limestone rocks and mountains of Lebanon
• Cedars of God - a UNESCO World Heritage Site and home to the famous Lebanese Cedar forests talked about through antiquity and mentioned 103 times throughout the Bible
• Byblos - One of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, right along the Mediterranean, and home to Roman ruins
• Jounieh to Harissa - Taking the famous gondolas from the seaside town of Jounieh to the the top of the mountain in Harissa, which offers unmatched views of the Mediterranean coast
• Anjar - Ruins of the 8th-Century Umayyad palace city
• Ksara Winery - Founded by Jesuit Priests in 1857, it is Lebanon's oldest and largest winery
• Baalbek - A UNESCO site, it is home to some of the most well preserves, as well as largest Roman ruins outside of Rome

Lebanon is a small country, and everything can be easily reached via day trip from the Capital of Beirut. Therefore, we recommend staying in Beirut and traveling from there. While in Beirut, we recommend staying at the following accommodations:

• InterContinental Phoenicia
• Beverly Hotel Beirut
• Staybridge Suites Beirut
• Radisson BLU Martinez Hotel Beirut

While exploring Beirut and Lebanon on your own can be easy, we highly recommend booking tours and activites to make your time in Lebanon more enjoyable and unique. Be sure to check out things to do in Beirut and the surrounding areas via Viator.

If you're looking for a flight deals to Lebanon, or anywhere else, we recommend signing up for ⁠⁠⁠⁠Thrifty Traveler Premium⁠⁠⁠ ⁠to get daily flight deals (points & cash) emailed directly to you! Use our promo code TS10 to get $10 off your first year subscription.

Since this is an international trip, make sure you can stay connected and access internet and data on the cheap with Airalo. Airalo is an E-Sim instant download that allows you to avoid the high costs of accessing internet and data with your home country cell provider while traveling internationally.

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