Getting there BMI and MEA fly direct from Heathrow to Beirut. A 25-minute taxi ride into the city centre costs about £13-agree the price before you get into the cab and beware of touts aiming to charge you a lot more.

Business climate Lebanon, once the banking and entrepot capital of the Middle East, is bouncing back strongly from its long civil war, with banking and tourism leading the recovery. Heavy borrowing for rebuilding produced massive national debt and a need for foreign donor aid. But GDP in 2009 grew by seven per cent and the inflation rate was 3.4 per cent.

Don't miss Sydney's Bar on the rooftop of the InterContinental Le Vendôme hotel with its great views. It's a Beirut institution before a night of clubbing. Crystal remains at the heart of club-lined Monot Street, its history and blinged-up clientele making it a must-see.

Etiquette Beirut's streets are full of the casually dressed but business is still done in a formal suit. Personal contacts are important, so using a local go-between or taking time to build friendship will pay off in the long run. Unlike the rest of the Arab world, the working week is a western Monday to Friday or Saturday morning but Ramadan is still observed.

Culture Nearby Byblos, with its 10,000-year history, is a layer cake of Greek, Roman and Crusader remains that will whet your appetite for the longer excursion to the awesome Roman remains in the Bekaa Valley, pictured below. The National Museum of Beirut displays ancient archaeological treasures in a modern setting. The new Beirut Art Center brings things bang up to date from painting, sculpture and architecture to photography, video and design. Its Mediatheque digital multimedia library is a unique guide to contemporary art in the region.

Where to stay After a spell in the doldrums, Beirut is bursting with newly built hotels. The Four Seasons brings its notably high international standards to the city while Le Gray, above, aims to trump it with boutique style and its destination rooftop bar and restaurants.

Eat like a local Food is a passion here and Lebanese wines are growing in popularity to match the strong local cuisine. The Downtown area is full of good cafés and restaurants where locals sit long into the night enjoying great food and drink. Abdel Wahab offers a gourmet Lebanese eating experience. Main meals are often served as mezze, a near-endless set of small plates. National dishes include kibbeh (ground lamb and cracked wheat), tabbouleh (diced parsley and cracked wheat) and hummus. Rich desserts end the meal, usually with a bitter coffee and nut- and honey-rich baklava.