Chtaura should be your base for visiting the Beqaa, for this is the area's banking and commercial center. Hotels, film, gasoline and picnic supplies are readily available.

Local cheese and yogurt are also popular here; don't leave town without them.

Chtaura is a traditional rest stop and travelers should follow the Lebanese custom of stopping for toasted sandwiches and coffee or cold drinks at any of the numerous snack bars that line the main road. All have restrooms and some 24 hours.

Chtaura is the starting point for private or shared taxis, locally known as "service (with the accent on the second syllable). These can take you to different destinations within the Beqaa as well as to Beirut and Damascus.

Banks have English and French speaking personnel who are happy of help. Foreign exchange operations at banks are handled Monday Friday 10:30-12:30. You can also have your money exchanged at small exchange shops on the main road, which are perfectly legal, But be careful, traveler's checks and credit cards are not negotiable everywhere. One bank, Banque du Crédit Libanais, accepts international credit cards at all its branches.

.