WHAT??
Yes, you read correctly.
Beirut is an up and coming gay travel hotspot.
Some are even calling it the Paris of the Middle East.
Some  say  Provincetown of the Middle East.

San Francisco, Las Vegas, Barcelona, Sydney and … Beirut? As surprising as it sounds, the buzz is building around Beirut, Lebanon, as a top gay travel destination.

The New York Times dubbed Lebanon’s capital “the Provincetown of the Middle East” in a 2009 article and the winter 2010 edition of Netherlands-based Winq magazine devoted eight pages to the city, citing its emergence as “the (gay) party capital of the Middle East.”

Beirut is booming and trendy. Although homosexuality is still illegal, beirut’s gay scene is flourishing and pure fun, especially for tourists. Besides the incredible nightlife, Lebanon packs in its small size everything you want.

“Lebanon is a very liberal country. Once you’re here, you’ll be surprised,” said Bertho Makso of IGLTA, who is based in Beirut. “It’s a county rich in attractions to appeal to LGBT travelers. Beirut is like nowhere else!”

Tourism  has empowered the Beirut gay and lesbian community and has made it the most liberal place in the Arab world. “Tourists come from all over the world because they know Lebanon is a fairly open society,” says Georges Azzi, head of the Beirut-based organization Helem (Arabic for “dream”), the Arab world’s first and only gay advocacy group. “This is especially so for Gulf Arabs,” he explains, referring to the Middle East’s most lavish spenders, from countries like Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates. “So the police couldn’t crack down on the nightlife scene even if they wanted to.”

Food:
 Lebanese food is known to be the best in the middle east. Never eat too much of the delicious entrees ( Mezze) as the main course is huge as well. Don’t forget to wash down your food with a cool Almaza beer or excellent lebanese wines (Chateau Musaar, Ksara and Kefraiya). You can also visit the wine-valleys and have a wine tasting there.

Nightlife:
Beirut nightlife is extraordinary. It does not matter where you are going, you will see the crowd dancing in ecstasies on chairs, tables and even the bar. Lebanon has some great DJs and, of course you can hear some tunes which are not even played in Europe.

Hospitality:
You will realise in Lebanon that you get invited always. For tours, for after-parties, for dinner and – of course- sex.

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