Download - Reception Booklet Winter - AIESEC in Lebanon
’
Dear Exchange Participants,
Welcome to Lebanon! As a country, Lebanon is usually named theParis of the Middle East as it has the beauty and open mindness ofEurope but mixed with the arab culture which makes it a uniquedestination for anyone.
I hope your journey in this magical country will be remembered foryears and decades. You will have an amazing time full of newmemories, friends and knowledge. Learn, live and have fun.
See you soon,
Jose Luis CuriMCVP iGCDP 14/15
AIESEC in Lebanon
About Lebanon
Culture
Cuisine
Tourism
Nightlife
Transportation
VISA
AIESEC in Lebanon
Expectations
Survival Kit
Contacts
Lebanon, officially the Lebanese Republic, is a country on the EastMediterranean. It is bordered by Syria to the north/east andPalestine/Israel to the south. Lebanon’s location at the crossroads of theMediterranean Basin and the Arabian hinterland, has dictated its richhistory and shaped a cultural identity of religious and ethnic diversity.
The country is famous for its exquisite beauty, diversity, glamor, Europeanflavor, and hospitable people. Its rich culture and history have placed iton the “must see” list of every world traveler. Lebanese cities are amongthe most famous names in ancient history and majestic ruins still standtoday as a testimony to the greatness of people who lived in this land.
It is the cross culture of various civilizations over thousands of years.Originally home to the Phoenicians and then subsequently con-queredand occupied by the Assyrians, the Crusaders, the Ottoman Turks andmost recently the French; lebanese culture has evolved by borrowingfrom all of these groups. Lebanon’s diverse population, composed ofdifferent ethnic and religious groups, has further contri-buted to thecountry’s festivals, musical styles and literatura as well as cuisine.
Despite the ethnic, linguistic, religious and denominational diversity ofthe lebanese, they share an almost “common culture”. Lebanese Arabicis universally spoken while food, music and literatura are deep-rooted in“wider Medierranean and Levantine norms”.
Lebanese cuisine includes an abundance of starches, fruits, fresh fish, vegetables and
seafood; animal fats are consumed sparingly.
When red meat is eaten it is usually lamb onthe coast, and goat meat in the mountainregions. It also includes copious amounts of
garlic and olive oil, often seasoned by lemonjuice; olive oi herbs, garlic and lemon are typical flavors found in the Lebanese diet.
Some dishes are also specifically
prepared on special occasions: the meghli dessert,
is served to celebrate a
newborn baby in the family.
Recently, after the long years of the civil war and reocurringperiods of political unrest, Lebanon has become an increasinglypopular destination for tourism. In fact, in 200, the New York Timesranked Beirut the No. 1 travel destination worldwide due to itsUnique Nightlife and Hospitality.
Its rich history, mild climates, along with other factors, have allmade Lebanon currently one of the most visited countries in theMiddle East. Lebanon, even in its post-war state, has managed toattract around 2,352,081 touristsin 2010. Statistics have shown thatLebanon’s tourist attraction has been rapidly increasing and theMinistry of Tourism predicts that this ongoing trend will amplify in thecoming years.
Top tourist destinations in Lebanon
Baalbek Jeita Grotto The Cedars
Tyre/Sour Beirut’s hippodrome
Byblos
Afqa Waterfall Deir EL Qamar Beittedine
National Museum
Ecotourism in Lebanon has a rich background of natural diversityand a wide range of outdoor activities. With an original landscapeconsisting of mountains, forest, wildlife, beaches, snow fed, rivers,caves, valleys and gorges, Lebanon is becoming more of anoutdoor destination where people can visit its natural reserves andpractice their ecotourism activities.
Rappelling
Horse riding
Snowboarding
Mountain biking
Mountainclimbing
More info: Click here
Rafting
Hiking
Caving
Dirt biking
Skiing
Lebanon has a wonderful nightlife, it is possible to find bars, nightclubs,pubs and restaurants of all possible styles; it is guaranteed that everysingle taste will be satisfied. Lebanon is considered to have one of thebest gastronomical offers in the Middle East; the Lebanese blood of itsresidents makes them assist to the local nightclubs to show theirdancing skills; also it is possible to find more relaxing plans like having adrink or coffee in many places around the city, like cultural andrecreational activities. All these makes Lebanon a wonderful destinationfor all those interested in discovering the nocturnal side of its culture.
More info: Click here
The majority of travelers use service taxis to get from place to place.“Service” taxis often operate like buses on set routes between townsand cities, though they can be hired to visit other places with somenegotiation. Each taxi carries between 4 (inside metropolitan areas)to 6 (longer distances) passengers, who share the fare betweenthem. The fare is 2000 LL (Lebanese lira) for a short distance of acouple of km, and increases depending on both distance to betraveled, traffic and of course, like everything in Lebanon,persuasion/negotiation skills. A private Taxi ride, is similar to “service”when it comes to pre-negotiation, but the cost is the same as a fullyloaded “Service” (the fare * number of passengers).
Entry visas may be obtained from the Lebanese Diplomatic and Consular Missions Abroad
or at the airport.
Please check with your nearest Lebanese Consular mission for more details concerning
visa regulations applying to your citizenship.
1. Citizens from:
Bahrain, Jordan, Oman, Qatar and UAEReceive a free entry VISA or 3 months at the airport.
2. A free one-month valid visa, renewable till 3 months, at the airport,is granted to the
citizens of these countries:
Armenia – Australia – Austria – Azerbaijan – Belgium – Brazil – Bulgaria – Canada
Chile Republic of China – Czech Republic – Costa Rica – Croatia – Denmark – Estonia
Finland – France – United Kingdom – Georgia – Germany – Greece – Hong Kong
Hungary – Iceland – Ireland – Italy – Japan – Kazakhstan – Kyrgyztan – Latvia
Lithuania – Macedonia – Malaysia – Malta – Mexico – Moldova – Netherlands – New
Zealand – Norway – Peru – Poland – Portugal – Russia – Romania – Singapore -
Slovakia – South Korea – Spain – Sweden – Switzerland – Tajikistan – Turkey – USA
Ukraine – Uzbekitan – Venezuela
3. Citizens from:
Algeria, Egypt & Tunisia
Can obtain their visa at the airport provided they are in possession of the
following:
A round trip non – refundable ticket.
A hotel reservation or residence adress.
A 2000 USD in cash or check from a recognized bankYou might be asked for the $2000 upon arrival and you have to show them
the money and not give it to them; sometimes they don’t ask for it.
4. Other nationals should contact the Consulate at the Lebanese Embassy for
details botow to obtain their Visa, at least one month prior to arrival.
5. Restricted Entry: The Government of Lebanon refuses entry to holders of Israeli
Passports, holders of Passports containing a visa for Israel, valid or expired, used or
unused and Passports with entry stamps to Israel.
More info: Click here
HistoryFounded in June 2011 as an expansion by AIESEC Egypt, it becamean official Committee in February 2012, being the fastest entity tobecome a full member in the AIESEC network.
AIESEC Lebanon continued its achievement to win the prestigious INGaward for having the best relative growth in performance.
In recognition to the amazing efforts and success, LAU LocalCommittee won the regional relative growth award in 2012.
AIESEC Lebanon has hosted two regional conferences: MENACo inOctober 2012 and MENA XLDS in March 2013 which is the biggest andthe most anticipated event in the MENA region.
iGCDP
AIESEC Lebanon’s global community development program will beworking in three major issues of the nation: unemployment, tourismand refugees.
We run projects as: Discover Lebanon and Refugee-AID during thesummer and AMAL Project during the winter.
The quality of the program is our major focus; we strive to provide ourexchange participants with the best of personal and professionaldevelopment environments.
Before arrivalGeneral support on how to prepare your stay in Lebanon through theReception Booklet.
Expectation meet: a Skype call with an AIESEC member where youcan ask him/her questions concerning your stay and also you will betold about what you shall ideally expect from us.
Inform AIESEC with all the information of your travel:
Flight number.
Flight departure and arrival time.
Flight date.
Have at hand the name of the person responsible for your pickup,including the mobile number.
After arrivalProvide support to find accommodation & concrete options if wehave some available.
AIESEC will deliver an induction session where you will be informedabout your work, more details of Lebanon and things you shouldknow prior your internship.
Taking you on your first working day to the office.
AIESEC is responsible to provide initial assistance in establishing andorienting you upon arrival for your internship. We are here to support,but it is expected from the interns to be responsible for their work andbasic needs in a foreign country.
What we expect from our exchange participantsPersonally:
Be open minded
Accept and try to understand cultural differences.
Be flexible and patient.
Be open to us and speak up if you experience any difficulties or problems.
Deal with the challenging situations and “give it a go”.
Professionally:
Showing commitment.
Being punctual
Add to the organization you are working for.
Show respect to the organization’s internal personnel.
3 main languages: Arabic, French and English.
You can wear whatever you want, no one really cares. For summer isrecommenderd shorts and shirt because it can get around 32°C and warmclothes in winter.
People are usually too friendly, so don’t feel offended or scared.
Go out as much as you can and enjoy your time. There will be alwayssomething to do.
Don’t talk about politics or religion, it’s a sensitive topic.
Lebanon time is GMT+2.
Currency:
1 USD ≈ 1,500 LL
You can use LL or USD, both currencies are acceptable
1 Euro ≈ 2,000 LL
1 Egyptian pound ≈ 250 LL
Common Expenses
Milk
$1.50
Large Meal
$8
Capuccino
$3.50
Soda
$0.75
Bread
$1
Tomato (1kg)
$1.67
Beer
$1
Taxi
$3
Eggs (12)
$3
Restaurant
$10
Water (.33L)
$0.33
English Lebanese (Generic) English Lebanese (Generic)
Hi, Hello Marhaba I love you Ana bhibbak
How are you? Kiifak? Sorry Pardon (French)
Certainly/sure! Akkid! Now Halla
Are you sure? Akkid? Here Hon
This is Hayda Let’s go / Come on Yalla
Yes E Yes, please E, please (English)
No La No, thank you No, merci (French)
Good Morning Bonjour (French) A little Cway
Good Evening Bon soir (French) Enough Halaz
Thanks Shukran / merci Forbidden Haram
You’re welcome Ahlen My name is
Common Phrases
Click here for: A short video
MCVP iGCDP
LCVP iGCDP USJ
LCVP iGCDP BYBLOS
LCVP iGCDP AUB
Click here to see all
Lebanon Opportunities
