Lebanon - Tripoli & Byblos, or Baalbek?

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roxunreal
roxunreal

Hello everyone. I'm planning an Istanbul to Cairo trip itinerary for this summer, and am a bit stuck in Lebanon. Thing is, I plan on entering Lebanon from Homs, Syria, but am having troubles deciding if I should enter via Qaa, see Baalbek and go on to Beirut, or if I should enter Lebanon from the north via Aabboudiye and head for Beirut through Tripoli and Byblos and see those along the way.

Currently my money is on the later option since I could combine that route with visiting crak des chevaliers in Syria, basically I'm asking if it's worth missing Baalbek for Tripoli and Byblos. I'm more of a "life and culture" than "tourist attractions and ruins" guy if that helps, but Baalbek is supposedly Lebanon's top attraction so I don't know, while Tripoli and Byblos have been described by some as "nothing too special". Visiting all of them is out of the question since my Lebanon itinerary is too streached out as it is and detouring to Baalbek on the way from Beirut to Damascus is not an option, don't have time to waste on backtracking.

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raki_man
raki_man

After my one and only trip to Tripoli my thought was 'once is enough'- its just a big city.

Baalbek is brilliant, and also compact to visit- and also has the advantage if you are after 'life and culture' of being bang in the center of the Shia Bekaa Valley, and so totally different to Beirut.

Bought a Hizbollah t-shirt at the Baalbek souvenir shop when I was there.

Never try to whistle with a mouth full of custard.
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marcopoloo
marcopoloo

Raki Man the forum veteran gave you the right answer i second him.
As for the T shirt Hizboallah they ask a lot dnt pay more than 5 bucks

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roxunreal
roxunreal

Well ok then, at least it should be faster too, I think I'd use up more time stopping at Tripoli and Byblos. Baalbek it is :)

Thanks.

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joannaf
joannaf

While Byblos is a really nice ruin in a really nice setting with the blue ocean waters in the background I would still choose Baalbek over Byblos because Baalbek is so big and I did enjoy the drive from Tripoli to Baalbek - through a gorgeous mountain area that looked like Switzerland (sorry I cant remember the name) and then into the Bekaar (sp?) valley itself, with all the opium crops and really cool goats.

I could live without Tripoli, preferred Aleppo and Damascus. Although I did have a good time in the gold souq in Tripoli...

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