Lebanon - Urbane Nomads

Lebanon
URBAN E NOMADS
Photo credit to Hajar Ali
Lebanon
URBAN E NOMADS
Photo Courtesy of José A. Warletta
This 8 day itinerary reconstructs the glamorous Beirut of old- a city where the likes of Brigitte Bardot and a
pre-exile Kim Philby partied. Your first day in Beirut will have you touring the beautiful AUB campus,
spending sunset by Pigeon Grotto and stopping for coffee at one of the cafes frequented by the city’s
intelligentsia, touring the famous towns and historical sites of Beirut before ending the trip in Faraya Mzaar,
sampling its exotic skiing and apres-ski scene. The design and architecture of the restaurants and clubs that
we recommend to you though are reflective of Beirut’s contemporary history and frequently double up as
social commentary.
URBAN E NOMADS
Day
1
Beirut
Day
2
Baalbek & ksara
Based at the Albergo, the city (and country’s) installation of a Relais y Chateaux, settle into your hotel and then a tour
of the AUB Campus in the afternoon. Situated on a hill overlooking the Mediterranean sea on one side and Bliss Street
on the other, the campus’ history is reflective of Lebanon’s own. The site of the assassination of political scientist
Malcolm Kerr and bearing the physical scars of multiple sieges on Beirut (its famous clock tower was bombed in 1991),
the campus, however, follows a long line of illustrious alumni. Come 2009, the university’s centre for Middle Eastern
Affairs will be designed by Zaha Hadid, an AUB alumni. Dinner tonight will be at Centrale, dubbed ‘one of the 20 most
beautiful restaurants in the world’. One of the best places in Beirut to enjoy French cuisine, the restaurant was designed
by Bernard Khoury, an architect whose works you would encounter, time and again, during your stay in Lebanon.
Explore the Roman ruins, which were built in
honour of the God Bacchus (as per the
Roman name for Dionysus), the Roman God
of wine. Have lunch in a modern-day winery
in Ksara, partaking of traditional Lebanese
mezze, main courses of lamb, fish or chicken.
Dinner tonight is at Bread, located on
Gemmayzeh, the epicentre of quaint
boutiques and chic restaurants in Beirut.
Take a trip, post-dinner, to B018, an
underground bunker in a deserted parking
lot with nothing belying its location with the
exception of a few security personnel
positioned above ground. At a certain time of
the night, the roof of the underground
bunker opens up to reveal a starry night sky.
URBAN E NOMADS
Day
3
Byblos
Day
4
Beiteddine
Photo Courtesy of José A. Warletta
Byblos, with its Arabic name Jbeil, was alternately referred to as
Gibelet. One of the contenders for the ‘oldest continuously
inhabited cities in the world- the other two being Damascus and
Jericho. Visit the Castle and Church in Byblos, built by the
Crusaders in the 12th and 13th Centuries before sampling a
seafood lunch in this famed seaside town. Expect plenty of fresh
seafood and fresh salads in unpretentious surroundings.
Dinner tonight is at Yabani, a sushi restaurant similarly designed
by Bernard Khoury. Located on Achrafiyeh, entry to the restaurant
is through a ‘elevator’ door that slides open to allow patrons in.
Once inside, the ‘elevator’- as big as a dining area and with
circular plush seating allowing patrons to lounge in for the length
of the ‘elevator’ ride, then opens up to the main dining area
located underground.
Head to Beiteddine today to visit the residences of the last Emirs
of Lebanon. You can opt be based for the night in a hotel that
has been converted from the original Emir Amine Palace or to
drive back to Beirut and spend the night there. The summer
residence of the Archbishop of Sidon(formerly Emir Bechir’s
country house) is located within walking distance from Emir
Amine Palace. With a view of the Chouf Mountains and with
most of the rooms opening into private terraces and a hanging
garden, this 24-room boutique hotel represents a unique stay in
Lebanon- a departure, perhaps, from the glitz of Beirut and into
the historical recesses of Lebanon
Photo Courtesy of Ramzi Hashisho
URBAN E NOMADS
Day
5
Tyre/sidon
Transfer back to Beirut, travelling to Tyre and Sidon. Stop at the famous sea castle in Sidon, originally built as a crusader
fortress by King Louis IX, and later to grace the imaginations and illustrations of many an Orientalist’s account of the
area, was alternately destroyed by (to prevent the return of the Crusaders) and then reconstructed by the Mamluks in
the 17th century. Have lunch at the Rest House, a restored Ottoman Khan overlooking the Sea Castle and a garden
terrace with a view of the sea. Drive down further south to Tyre and witness the 20,000 spectator chariot racing arena
in the hippodrome.
The city of Tyre figured prominently in
the trade route of yore, most well-known
for its production of a purple dye, a
shape dubbed Tyrian purple, a colour
reserved for royal use in ancient times.
The historian Theopompus recorded
how: Purple for dyes fetched its weight in
silver at Colophon ( somewhere in
modern day provinces of Manisa and
non-coastal Izmir in Turkey). Dinner
tonight is at Al Mijana, a Lebanese
restaurant with Warholesque portraits of
famous Arab personalities. Brought to
you by the same people behind Sky Bar,
Al Mijana injects a suitable dose of chic
to Lebanese cuisine. Have post-dinner
drinks at the Sky Bar @Biel. Fashioned
after the Sky Bar at the Mondrian in
Miami, the Sky Bar in Beirut is a new,
mega version of the original.
Photo Credit to Elizabeth Ayoub
URBAN E NOMADS
Day
6-7
Faraya mzaar
Day
8
Beirut
Move on to Faraya Mzaar in the morning for your day of skiing or
snowboarding. We’ll arrange for an instructor and ski passes
depending on your preference. Based at the Move on to Faraya Mzaar
in the morning for your day of skiing or snowboarding. We’ll arrange
for an instructor and ski passes depending on your preference. Based
at the different sort of vantage point from the restaurant ‘People’
another work by Bernard Khoury), dining alfresco and overlooking
what the people at Aishti promise to be a ‘blue, blue sea’. Have a late
lunch at People Restaurant or at the cafe- both with a view to the sea
and an impossibly chic decor. Hop next door to Black Box Aizone- a
structure that must have caught your attention during your drives to
your other destinations in Lebanon.
Spend the morning at leisure, preparing for your flight back home or
for your onward journey to Syria and/or Jordan.
Options This itinerary combines well with Syria and Jordan. Alternatively,
explore the age of the Emirs and Pashas by starting the trip in
Greece, staying in a boutique hotel that was once a pit stop
for pilgrims en route to Mecca.
accommodation
URBAN E NOMADS
Beirut
Albergo Hotel
Beirut
(Alternative) Le Gray
accommodation
URBAN E NOMADS
Faraya mzaar
Intercontinental Mzaar
URBAN E NOMADS
Total Price (Indicative Only): USD2210
baalb ek
Price includes:
byb los
b eirut
per person on double occupancy basis
faraya mzaar
All domestic, flights, transfers and tours mentioned.
All accommodations and meals specified.
b eitedd in e
Price excludes:
si d on
tyre
ksara
All gratuities and tips, tours not mentioned
and items of a personal nature.
URBAN E NOMADS
Important Notes
Trip Grading/Difficulty:
This itinerary is done at a relaxed pace, with no strenuous or overtly physical activities and is suitable for all ages.
Flights:
It is essential that you give us your air schedule at least 60 days prior to departure, so that we may confirm your
arrival and departure hotels.
Health:
You are strongly advised to contact your own GP or vaccination centre in respect of required vaccinations for
Lebanon. Check on recommended immunizations as least a month before travel. Among the items you might pack
are: sun creams (factor 12 and above), insect repellent, sting relief cream, antiseptic cream, a lightweight hat and
sunglasses.
Important Note:
While we endeavor to make the itinerary as accurate as possible, it should be considered an approximate schedule
of activities rather than a rigid schedule of events. Trip itineraries are subject to revision due to weather, road and
trail conditions, government restrictions and other factors beyond our control.
URBAN E NOMADS
Booking Conditions
Booking your tailor-made holiday:
A booking is accepted only after we receive the completed signed booking form and/or the non-refundable deposit
required. If the booking is made within 60 days of departure, then full payment is required at the time of confirmation
except over the Christmas & New Year period when the full itinerary amount must be made at the time of booking.
The balance of payment due for your travel arrangements must bepaid by you not later than 60 days before departure;
otherwise we may treat the booking as cancelled.
Methods of payment:
Payments for deposits and final monies for Travel Arrangements may be made by bank transfer.
Cancellation:
All cancellations must be advised in writing and will take effect the day we receive it. Urbane Nomads refunds all
recoverable costs after cancellation, subject to third-party cancellation and refund policies and a USD500
administration and travel planning fee.
In some cases hotels require prepayment in full for hotel rooms and services in the peak period. In such cases these
deposits are non refundable.
Travel Insurance
It is a condition of booking the Travel Arrangements that You are adequately insured for the full duration of the your
travel arrangements in respect of illness, injury, death, loss of baggage and personal items, cancellation and
curtailment. The choice of insurer is the sole discretion of You. In signing the Booking Form or paying for your holiday
you confirm to us that you either have or will have procured such insurance before the commencement of your
travel arrangements.
Further Terms and Conditions apply. In signing the Booking Form or paying the deposit you confirm to us that you
have accepted the booking terms and conditions.