Stuff We Love
An Interview With Worldnomac, The American Vlogger Who Adores Lebanon
It all started on a summer day in the month of July when an unfamiliar face landed in Lebanon, and TikTok’s FYP became flooded with his 40+ part series called “Things to do in Lebanon” that went viral across the country.
We sat down with Mac Candee, the 28-year-old American travel vlogger with a sense of adventure, and had a chat with him about his love for Lebanon that flourished during his stay back in the summer 2021.
After his initial visit and within six months, Candee would return to Lebanon three times! He spent the summer here, returned in November, and spent two weeks in January to celebrate his birthday.
This begs the question – why does he always come back to Lebanon?
As a traveler, Candee typically takes 6-12 months traveling around a region and chooses a country to be his base within that area. Amid his exploration of the Middle East and South Asia, he selected Lebanon as his go-to base destination.
“I like to find a place where I can have a bit of consistency in my life,” said Candee in a conversation with Beirut.com. “In Lebanon, I made a lot of really close friends in a short period of time… and it’s easy to adjust to the culture. You get a bit of the western culture and a bit of the Middle Eastern culture, so that mix is what I find to be exotic and attractive for me”.
Byblos and Batroun are tied for number one on the list of Candee’s favorite places in Lebanon. However, the vlogger often finds himself spending part of his week in the many cafes in our beloved Beirut, where he feels he is most productive.
“There are more favorites to be added to the list pretty soon,” says Candee, sharing his desire to return this summer and visit Saida, Zahle, and Jezzine.
Aside from Beirut’s nightlife and the beauty of the Northern coast, Candee enjoys spending time with friends, as well as having a taste of Lebanon’s famous cuisines – namely man2oushe and shawarma!
“I don’t really experience cultural shocks,” comments Candee. “I’m open-minded and leave my expectations fully open.” However, there are a few instances that left the vlogger in a state of astonishment! For example, Lebanese hospitality and habit of fighting over who pays the bill, and the insane (but somehow workable) driving.
Candee was also surprised by how rapid and fast-changing things work in Lebanon. He recalls when the fuel crisis began back in August and how the streets were flooded with cars trying to fill up their tanks and when he returned a month later, there were no longer any lines.
Finally, Candee was surprised by the positive attitudes the Lebanese people maintained during this economic and political crisis.
“A large-scale shock is how kind, giving, and inviting people were even when Lebanon is facing their worst point in history,” comments Candee. “People here have hearts of gold, and [they] are so resilient to get through so many things.”
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We sat down with Mac Candee, the 28-year-old American travel vlogger with a sense of adventure, and had a chat with him about his love for Lebanon that flourished during his stay back in the summer 2021.
After his initial visit and within six months, Candee would return to Lebanon three times! He spent the summer here, returned in November, and spent two weeks in January to celebrate his birthday.
This begs the question – why does he always come back to Lebanon?
As a traveler, Candee typically takes 6-12 months traveling around a region and chooses a country to be his base within that area. Amid his exploration of the Middle East and South Asia, he selected Lebanon as his go-to base destination.
“I like to find a place where I can have a bit of consistency in my life,” said Candee in a conversation with Beirut.com. “In Lebanon, I made a lot of really close friends in a short period of time… and it’s easy to adjust to the culture. You get a bit of the western culture and a bit of the Middle Eastern culture, so that mix is what I find to be exotic and attractive for me”.
@worldnomac Ehden means heaven, now I understand why they named it that #lebanon #ehden #traveltheworld ♬ Be Free – Sol Rising
@worldnomac My first thoughts catching a Byblos sunset #byblos #lebanon ♬ I Will Love You – Sol Rising
Byblos and Batroun are tied for number one on the list of Candee’s favorite places in Lebanon. However, the vlogger often finds himself spending part of his week in the many cafes in our beloved Beirut, where he feels he is most productive.
“There are more favorites to be added to the list pretty soon,” says Candee, sharing his desire to return this summer and visit Saida, Zahle, and Jezzine.
Aside from Beirut’s nightlife and the beauty of the Northern coast, Candee enjoys spending time with friends, as well as having a taste of Lebanon’s famous cuisines – namely man2oushe and shawarma!
“I don’t really experience cultural shocks,” comments Candee. “I’m open-minded and leave my expectations fully open.” However, there are a few instances that left the vlogger in a state of astonishment! For example, Lebanese hospitality and habit of fighting over who pays the bill, and the insane (but somehow workable) driving.
Candee was also surprised by how rapid and fast-changing things work in Lebanon. He recalls when the fuel crisis began back in August and how the streets were flooded with cars trying to fill up their tanks and when he returned a month later, there were no longer any lines.
Finally, Candee was surprised by the positive attitudes the Lebanese people maintained during this economic and political crisis.
“A large-scale shock is how kind, giving, and inviting people were even when Lebanon is facing their worst point in history,” comments Candee. “People here have hearts of gold, and [they] are so resilient to get through so many things.”
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