Is travel returning to Lebanon?
Our travel consultant Kenny recently travelled to Lebanon for a holiday, despite the FCDO advising against all but essential travel (yep, he's definitely one of us). Despite the hardships Lebanon has faced in recent years, it's clear that this is a travel destination that certainly deserves a chance.
Lebanon is probably not the first holiday destination that comes to mind when you’re thinking of your next escape. The country has had its fair share of misery: a 15-year-long civil war that ended in 1990, then a second war in 2006, revolutions and a few months into the pandemic, a huge explosion that devastated the capital. Nevertheless, Beirut was once the Paris of the Middle East and the country’s coastline, food, people, mountains and cultural heritage lured my partner and me to this forgotten corner of the Mediterranean.
Choosing Lebanon as your next destination will inevitably get you a few surprised looks from friends and family. When we boarded the plane, four Lebanese businesswomen and men queried why we were going to visit their country and it visibly impressed them when our answer was ‘just for a holiday.’ They expressed their gratitude for giving their country a chance. Throughout our trip, we were stopped on the street by passersby, who would ask us where we were from and thank us for visiting Lebanon.
Even though inflation soars, on the black market one US dollar was worth 35.000 Lebanese Pounds at the beginning of our 9-day trip and 39.000 by the end of it, the Lebanese are incredibly hospitable and perhaps the most helpful people we have ever encountered on our travels. They would give us advice on what to see, how to drive (we rented a car and to say it is stressful to drive around here is an understatement), what to eat... we felt truly welcomed and special. Visiting local shops, going to the hairdresser, and eating at a falafel stand by the road was not only a great experience for us but directly supported their struggling economy.
We planned a combination of nature, ancient history and gastronomy for this trip. This meant we started in the mountains near the ancient cedar trees - which are Lebanon's national symbol - of the Shouf Cedar Reserve. From here we went for easy forest walks in the cooler mountain air, sampled wines at an event with live bands at a local winery, visited small mountain villages, felt like 19th-century royalty in the magnificent Beiteddine Palace and even drove to the spectacular and unmissable Roman Ruins of Baalbek.
For the seaside leg of our trip, we chose the port city of Byblos, which according to multiple sources is one of the oldest cities in the world! Continuously inhabited since 5000 BC, it has seen the rise and fall of many empires and civilisations. You will find a mix of Phoenician remains, Roman ruins, Byzantine churches, Crusader fortresses and Ottoman mosques in one compact city. The ancient port of Byblos is the place to be for souvenirs, seafood restaurants, hip and trendy bars or simply for taking in a gorgeous sunset on the pier with a glass of Lebanese red wine in hand.
Even when you need a break from the busy town, the mountains are only a short drive away. The Jabal Moussa UNESCO Biosphere reserve is an hour away from Byblos and boasts beautiful gorges, forests and mountain scenery. There is a wide range of walks from multi-day treks to the three-hour return hike to Chouwan Lake, an incredibly scenic but freezing cold body of water (I admit, I don’t do well in cold water). The forests here are home to striped hyenas (yes, hyenas - Lebanon’s national animal) and wolves, but the chances of seeing them are lower than finding a restaurant that doesn’t serve the iconic Lebanese hummus.
Have I mentioned yet how great Lebanese food really is? For breakfast, you will almost certainly be served the omnipresent Man’oushe (a Levantine Za’atar flatbread) accompanied by olives, tomatoes, labneh (yoghurt) and feta. Lunch could be a quick but delicious falafel wrap and for dinner, you will find aubergines in every shape and form, stuffed vine leaves, delicious hummus, oven-roasted veggies, grilled Lebanese halloumi and the list goes on. Throughout the day you can find the freshest watermelons, grapes, apples, pears, and plums…or if you fancy a sweet treat, the bakeries and artisanal pastry shops serve the widest variety of pastries with nuts, dates or nougat. Another highly underrated aspect of Lebanese gastronomy is their wine! The Phoenicians were instrumental in spreading wine and viticulture throughout the Mediterranean in ancient times, so it’s safe to say they’ve got a wealth of experience.
You will have plenty of opportunities throughout the country to sample fantastic Lebanese cuisine, but Beirut is the epicentre of gastronomy. Although many buildings still bear the scars of the 2020 port explosion, the restaurants and nightlife here are on another level. From having dinner in the courtyard of a 19th-century mansion in the bohemian district of Gemmayze to traditional falafel shops in the Hamra district, the city is foodie heaven.
With a full belly in tow, you must pay a visit to the compact National Museum of Beirut, the best place in Lebanon to learn about the country’s history and culture dating back to the Bronze Age. A walking tour through the city centre will shed light on Lebanon’s very complex modern history - you will learn how the political system is linked to the religious groups in the country and the challenges they present, see bullet-ridden buildings from the civil war, walk through desolate, razed streets as if the blast happened yesterday, before continuing to the Zaitunay Bay where you can count more Lamborghinis than people. Beirut is in every sense a city of contrasts but just like the country, its resilient people are doing everything in their power to get back to the Lebanon it once was. With your help, they might even succeed.
