Searching Beirut travel won’t help you find Beirut

We know you’re not planning your next family adventure to Beirut. A quick Google search for ‘Beirut travel’, responds with a collective shun for even considering it. To think about it is crazy. It’s risky, especially with a young family.

Our itinerary; however, had us doing just that.

Much like Colombia, Lebanon is a country that evokes images of a violent past. The bloody Lebanese civil war raged from 1975 to 1991, and modern media plays to the same well and oft-told script.

It’s true that ISIS, Hezbollah, and extreme terrorism exist in the shadows of daily life here, and incidents in 2005, and 2006 including the assassination of the Prime Minister Rafik Hariri hang in the air as reminders of this country’s flashpoint ability to erupt into violence.

But our reason for visiting this place wasn’t to chase danger. Quite the opposite – although we read every Beirut travel blog, and took every Beirut travel advisory to heart. We planned an agenda that we did not put ourselves at risk in our mission to uncover the beauty and soul of a country that desperately wants to recover it’s past.

The result was as expected; half covered in rubble, chaotic, and even polluted, Beirut would be an unexpected paradise whose charm and beauty won our hearts almost instantaneously.

Day 1

Tired from 21 hours of travel we decided to only do a short half-day tour through Beirut. Basking in the heat of Springtime in the Mediterranean we explored the downtown core with its rebuilt Ottoman style colonial buildings and speckled remains of ancient Roman ruins. Later we marveled at the grandeur of the Mohammed Al Amin Grand Mosque (Re-built as result of a private donation of the late Prime Minister Rafik Hariri).

Our day concluded with a stroll through narrow streets of the bustling Armenian district.

Once known as the Paris of the Middle East you’ll still find hip cafés, restaurants, and pubs throughout cities different districts.

Head to the Hamra District (and Makdessie Street), Mar Mikhael Area or Gemmayzeh.

Some of the places we ate were, Ferdinand's, Ales and tales, T-Marbouta, Mezyan, and Kababji.

These areas are perfect for evening strolls as the more raucous and infamous Beirut nightlife takes place in Zaytouna Bay.

Day 2

There may be no faster cure for jet lag than Lebanese (Turkish) Coffee served with Cardamom. Café Younes and Urbanista are great choices to enjoy sipping this high powered liquid on a patio with locals; however, there are literally hundreds of coffee stands spread across the city (in the back of trucks, vans, and in many shops) that serve a more Vietnamese style coffee with Nescafe and Condensed milk blasted through an espresso maker.

After coffee, we met Pia from Discovery Beyond Borders, our guide for the day, then traveled by van over Mount Lebanon and into the Bekaa Valley. Boarding Syria to East, the Bekaa Valley is the primary farming region of Lebanon. It is also known for conflicts; as such we passed at least seven military checkpoints before we reached the Baalbek Ruins. Baalbek Ruins, meaning “Sun City” are a UNESCO World Heritage Site and its Temple of Jupiter and Temple of Bacchus are two of the largest and grandest remaining in the world today. They are extraordinary

In Lebanon public transit is non-existent. The Canadian government advises against taking the Gypsy taxi - think Uber pool without the app as well as the numbered buses which are private and not mandated by the government. But if you know where you’re going you can hop on and hop off and it’s extremely cheap.

That said, you can either take a regular taxi or Uber. We rented a van with a driver for our entire stay.

Day 3

Following the Baalbek ruins, just 18 kilometers outside of Beirut, Lebanon treated us to another spectacular wonder, the Jeitta Grotto. Running over 9 kilometers deep into the mountain these limestone caves of sculpted and crystalized stalactites and stalagmites are stunning. So stunning and otherworldly, that I’m not sure either us or our children, could really comprehend this miraculous spectacle of our planet. No wonder it’s been entered as of 14 natural wonders of the world competition.

With both a walking and boat route alongside the shimmering grottos, you’ll be able to spend at least a few hours savoring this relatively unknown gem.

Later that evening we traversed back up the main winding mountain road that leads to Damascus and headed to the quaint town of Bhamdoun. At an altitude of 1150m above sea level, there is a slight chill in the air compared to the valley below. Located on the steep western facing mountainside is Chateau Belle-Vue Winery and Le Telegraphe Restaurant and Boutique Hotel. Although it makes sense the Mediterranean climate of Lebanon would be perfect for exquisite wines of character – it never crossed our mind. Yet here, in a village destroyed by war 30 minutes (without traffic) outside of Beirut is some finest wine in the world.

Joined by Jill and Naji, who had moved back from London to Bhamdoun in 1999 to raise their four children closer to nature, we enjoyed watching the sunset light up the flowered fields of their vineyards followed by a fireside dinner of decedent French cuisine and perfect wine pairings.

Although our girls fell fast asleep in the middle of eating their risotto – the evening could not have been more perfect.

With Naji’s Vineyard at Chateau Belle-Vue Winery – Bhamdoun

Day 4

The sun was shining again the next morning as we met up Pia. Pia was taking us to Ouzia, Now called Ouzville, a former slum turned into a colorful, art-filled neighborhood by Lebanese Investor Ayad Nasser.

In Nasser's words, the globally acclaimed project is, “ about uniting people, “to teach them that you cannot wait for the government to take care of your own country, that you should start yourself.”

“You shouldn’t complain,” Nasser said. “Start doing what you can to give back to a country that needs you. Be a doer, a giver and not merely a receiver.”

Here, our girls had the great honor of painting a wall themselves! As we began to do so, it wasn’t long before we were joined by a whole host of local children and families.

Pia’s tour also included a delicious lunch hosted by a local woman and her family.

Exhausted, that evening we took a leisurely stroll along the Corniche Boardwalk. Locals ran, biked and walked while taking in the sounds of the waves crashing against the rocks and sight of another brilliant sunset.

Day 5

Lebanese food is often served with fresh Tomatoes, Cucumbers, Radishes, Olives, and Bread. For breakfast, there is always a variety of salty cheeses. Manoushe – which is thyme, mint, sesame seeds, olive oil and other spices spread on freshly baked flatbread. For something sweeter, you can try Knaifeh - a baked cheese dish made with bread and a sweet syrup.

The best breakfast in town, also considered by Travel & Leisure)to be one of the best in the world – and we’d agree- is Al Soussi.

Here, alongside the more traditional trappings of a Lebanese breakfast, our taste buds explored lamb brains, pancreas and fatty meats buts in scrambled eggs.

The verdict – mostly mouthwateringly delicious (with the exception of the lamb brains)

While I’m on the subject of mouth-watering local cuisine you’ll need to try local Shawarma, Taouk, and Falafel.

Recommendations include: Barbar, Malak Al Tawouk and M. Sahyoun

It goes without saying that kids will love the food in Lebanon.

Later that evening we ventured out onto the Mediterranean Sea to sail through the iconic Raouche Rock.

Also known as Pigeon Rock, it was formed by an earthquake and rises 60 meters high.

Another natural wonder that ignited the imaginations of our girls, who were pretending to fish with a piece of palms tree off the side of the boat as we floated through the caves and tunnels in the bay.

Day 6

Atop a mountain with views of Beirut and the coastline, we visited The Lady of Lebanon monument in Harrissa.

After taking in the views we then headed on to the ocean town of Byblos – about an hour outside of Beirut. Byblos is believed to have inhabited between 880 and 7000 BC making it is the oldest continuously inhabited city in the world. The castle, some 6000 years old itself, was believed to have been built by crusaders. Beyond its incredible history, the town is filled with cute souks (markets that sell mostly tourist stuff) and countless restaurants and cafes.

We recommend ordering Meza at Feniqia with some Arak – drink.

Beirut and Lebanon were a wonderland of food, nature, and history. Not only did we feel safe the entire trip (with the exception of one moment that you’ll have to watch the film to find why) but the hospitality and generosity we experienced moved us to our core. There is no place quite like Beirut and Anthony Bourdain was correct in saying everyone needs to visit this place.

Joel PrimusApril 25, 2019Comment