Does anyone have any experience gaming in Lebanon? I hear it's very different from other neighborhood countries.

Can't help on that one.
But http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHLTLZ4thvs .. Love Bourdain. If I get an invite, I'm there.

Beirut is high up on my list of must-see places. Eventually I want to do a multi-country tour of the region seeing Lebanon, Jordan, Israel and Egypt.

I have a feeling it would be pretty hard to pick up there, but maybe not. I'll have to ask my cousin, she lives there.

Craig has been blogging from there lately..

http://www.travelvice.com

Thanks everyone! Would love to hear from anyone about their personal experiences.

Lebanon/Beirut is definitely different in that it is considered one of the most "westernized" part of the region, in that they are more open to drinking and the women can roam free without head scarves. My Lebanese friend was selling it to me, and it seems like a pretty cool spot to check out, except you have to watch out for the occasional war and bombs from Israel As with most of the Middle East, I think the best way to approach it is by getting to know someone there first. Try coachsurfing. Although you have to remember that Lebanon is still pretty much a war-zone.

Another place in that region everyone seems to love is Istanbul. It is definitely one of my next destinations. Istanbul has a lot of history (Istanbul was Constantinople; why they changed is no body's business but the Turks) and according to some survey, it seems that the Turks have one of the highest partner counts in the world. The Chart, if you're interested.

I don't know if we can count on this survey data. Turkey is a muslim country after all.

Well with Turkey it seems they are alot more western..in the cities than some places. Remember Turkey is still struggling to make it in to the EU. I don't that the mean age is 16 though...i would say more like 18 or 19.
I've been to Turkey and my current girlfriend it Turkish..apparently I heard Turkish mean often have multiple partners and stay married..and the wives turn the other way..its just not talked about.
To to me I think the facts are wrong.
More accurately..the boys may be having sex younger and more(with tourist also) while the girls are probably at a mean at of 18

(06-08-2009 05:58 PM)Roosh Wrote:  I don't know if we can count on this survey data. Turkey is a muslim country after all.

For sure. I've met basically two contrasting types of Turks: the religious and the secular. As obvious as that observation is, their views on openness, particularly towards sexuality, is very different. I am sure the religious (which I imagine most of the Turks to be) would not participate in this survey, and the people who do respond to the survey are the ones that are basically rebelling against the religious mores by fucking around (or at least stating that they fuck around).

Either way, when it comes to going to a "better part" of the middle east, for hooking up at least, I imagine Istanbul to be a better choice than Beirut. Mainly because it attracts a lot of tourists, so if you can't hook up with a local, you can always fall back on a fellow tourist.

(06-08-2009 11:05 PM)kerouac Wrote:  Either way, when it comes to going to a "better part" of the middle east, for hooking up at least, I imagine Istanbul to be a better choice than Beirut. Mainly because it attracts a lot of tourists, so if you can't hook up with a local, you can always fall back on a fellow tourist.

I've been to Turkey and Turkish women are mostly hideous, with a few exceptions. Not sure about how open they are to multiple partners but sex before marriage is frowned upon by a majority - again, except very Westernized youth who behave like typical Europeans.

Lebanese women, however, have a reputation for being gorgeous. And I've heard that Beirut has a great nightlife. So, we'll see.

No experience in Lebanon, but Israel was fun. The people in Tel Aviv are very open-minded.

(06-09-2009 11:50 AM)ElBorrachoInfamoso Wrote:  No experience in Lebanon, but Israel was fun. The people in Tel Aviv are very open-minded.

Yeah, if I go to Israel, that will pretty much close my travel to several Arabic countries. I'm saving Israel for last. Which places would you recommend going to in Israel, though?

Keep in mind that Lebanon and several other Arabic countries will not allow you entry if you have an Israel visa or stamp in your passport. Go to Israel last.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israeli_pas...s_or_visas

(06-12-2009 03:49 PM)Flashman Wrote:  Keep in mind that Lebanon and several other Arabic countries will not allow you entry if you have an Israel visa or stamp in your passport. Go to Israel last.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israeli_pas...s_or_visas

That's exactly why I posted what I posted above. Thanks though.

Dubai, Bahrain, Tel Aviv are where its at

the no entry might be BS I just saw a recent UAE Embassy website that said an Israeli stamp would NOT bar you from entry.

an Israel stamp is a definite no no for Lebanon (and probably Syria also). When I went a month or so ago they checked EVERY page of my passport twice....

Israeli immigration is aware of this issue and will often just stamp a piece of paper you then carry in your passport and then discard. You can also make a land crossing from Jordan to Jerusalem which gives you more flexibility if for some reason they want to stamp your actual passport. I've not experienced anything in this paragraph, it's all anecdotal experience from friends.

I do think going to Israel last would be a good decision just in case. I don't think an Israel stamp would stop you getting into Dubai..... but I wouldn't take the risk - I now have an Egate pass as a resident, so no one sees my passport.

I'll vouch for the hotties in Lebanon - although they seemed to largely disappear during the day. I think going to one of the more popular beach clubs would be a hit during the summer.

Dated a Turkish girl for a few months here. Definitely one of the secular ones - hot stuff. It all ended though when she wanted to go shopping when I wanted to watch the rugby!!

The U.S. State Department will issue you two passports for this specific purpose (being able to go to Israel as well as Arab countries without incident): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passport#On...per_person