May 2014 “Huffington post” chose Lebanon to be one of the “9 places you absolutely, positively must see before you die” after asking its Facebook fans what spots they would like to see before they die?
Lebanon was ranked number six after Bora Bora, Denmark, Italy, Scotland, and Santorini Greece.
“This is where my grand-parents were born. My parents never had a chance to go before they passed away so it is my dream to walk where my roots are, said Suzan Latuga.”
The Lebanese know that Lebanon has this “unique something” about it. Is it its beautiful nature; is it its happy people, its history or its geographical location? It’s definitely hard to answer those questions but what’s certain is that “La joie de vivre”, the love of glamour, the love of life and living day by day make this country a fun place to be.
Considering its people, after long years of war, the Lebanese learned to live for the day. It’s more like a surviving process which makes them careless about planning too much for the future. If you got a dollar, you are definitely spending it and God will send you the rest. This situation pushed the Lebanese to always think about ways to have fun and let go of the stress they are facing daily. It’s almost like living a constant dream; you can call it a surreal life. It’s a life of non-stop entertainment, of great spending and of extreme elegance.
Moreover, you cannot deny that the nature and the weather have also a direct effect on its people. Where there is a beach, there is a good time. Thus, you can be sunbathing on the beach during the day and then feeling the cool breeze in the mountain at night, since the beach and the mountains are very close to each other. You can be sitting on the balcony in the mountain and looking at the beach.
Stretching along the Mediterranean Sea, Lebanon played a big role in trade connecting the Mediterranean world to India, East Asia and Europe. That’s why it used to be called “the door to the Middle East”.
On the other hand, Lebanon is rich in history starting with the Phoenicians who created the alphabet and transmitted it to the world on the Lebanese coast then ruled by many such as the romans, the crusaders, the ottoman rule and the French mandate.
Furthermore, Lebanon is definitely a dining destination with the variation of its healthy cuisine, its huge culinary delight and its rich food culture.