Lebanon isn’t your typical Levant country. For one, its capital Beirut is easily the Middle East’s swankiest city. Five-star resort hotels line the Mediterranean shore, little enclaves of western character that stand almost aloof to the outbursts of religious conflict that often flare up all around. After all this is also the stomping ground of the Hezbollah too, while refugees from neighbouring strife torn countries stream in, making many foreign offices still warn against travelling here.

That said, the country is a treat for the senses; there is a deep and ancient past to explore, oozing out from the crenulated, crumbling Sea Castles of Sidon, the Phoenician bulwarks of Byblos, the mountain-shrouded cathedrals of Bcharreh and the UNESCO-attested Qadisha Valley, steeped in Biblical stories like few places on earth. Then there are ski resorts in the Cedars, not to mention hiking through the rugged valleys of the Lebanon Mountain. Meanwhile, Lebanon tour guides showcase the heady nightlife in the district of Gemmayze in the capital, while the hummus and baba ghanoush that grace the mezze platters explain why the local cuisine is world famous!