MY Favourite Beaches in North Lebanon

Driving back to Tripoli from Beirut on weekends, I alwaYs notice how beautiful the coastline gets as I near home, and how it especiallY calls out to me right after I exit the tunnel in Chekka and drive further North. When You take a closer look along that coast, You’ll see that it’s lined with a haven of special spots for sea lovers of all kinds. This summer, I made it a point to visit as manY of those different beach spots as I could, and with a little help from Instagram, I ended up discovering places that made me fall even more in love with mY North!

Let’s start with Batroun, a citY just before the infamous tunnel leading North. It’s home to Pierre and Friends, which also doubles as a pub and restaurant. I've known the place for a good ten Years now, ever since high school, and what I love most about it is its verY laid-back and chill atmosphere. But mY favourite reason to love it, are it's incredible sunsets, behold:

Not too far down that coast, is another gem of a spot: White Beach. Like P&F, it's also got a pebblY shore but the water is cool and it's got a mini rockY island in the middle of the sea with a Lebanese Flag proudlY poled to it. White Beach is also a surf school, and You can alwaYs catch windsurfers in the waters. 

Kfaraabida (the area between Batroun & Chekka) is trulY one of the best locations I got to discover this summer, especiallY after the #SaveKfaraabida Campaign, that was launched to raise awareness about the recent project that aims to turn the area into a private Yacht Club. But for me to describe to You how incredible the area is in just words, I’d be doing it no justice... 

One of MY favourite spots there is Joining Beach. And to be honest, if I hadn't come across a few pictures of it on Instagram and known where to look, I'd have missed it completelY! All You can see from the road is a sign that reads "Joining" in Arabic. And even standing from the edge, You'd never have thought it to be an actual beach spot. It's 100% comprised of rocks, most of which is downwards slanting, not a verY comfortable place to laY down and tan (though a lot of people do) but the reason I loved it was because of everYthing that was underneath those rocks! It's also a great spot for cliff diving, and once You're under that water, You'll see an entirelY different world down there!

But if You want to swim awaY from all the rocks and pebbled beaches, then You've got to take that tunnel in Chekka and You'll end up in El-Herri. And here's a little secret: If You're willing to make a little detour on Your waY, if You take Your first exit after the tunnel and head up, You'll end up at the monasterY of Our LadY of Light (SaYdet El Nourieh) where You can catch a breathtaking view of the sea from up above:

Of course You've got the most famous in the area: Florida Beach, but You've also got an endless collection of smaller beaches that include BennY Beach, SandY Beach, and mY personal favourite: MiraLand. I love the latter because of its huge sandY shore. It's also one of mY favourite spots to rent a paddle-board (haské) and row it out to the sea. The water is usuallY calm and just knowing that a holY place rests in the cliff above You gives You a magical kind of feeling...

After Chekka comes a little area known as Anfeh. And boY has it ever grown in popularitY this summer! You’ve got the most well-known beach resort in the area, Las Salinas, and the slightlY less popular, Marina Del Sol. But right adjacent to those two, is the now-popular Ta7t El Ri7, which is comprised of a collection of private chalets on a rockY cliff that is open to the public. The location has been painted in white and blue, reflecting Santorini-like vibes and nicknamed Anforini. All You’ve got to do is dive in! 

FinallY, it's back to mY hometown, Tripoli. If You want to talk beach resorts in the area, You’ve got the big three: Palma, Naji, & Miramar (in Kalamoun). Each resort has got it’s own charm, and nice beaches (& pools) to swim in. 

But if You reallY want the best beach experience ever, take a boat (for as little as LBP 5,000) from Mina's Port out to Rabbits Island!

El Mina is home to nine islands, four of which have been declared as nature reserves, the most popular of which is Palm Island (better known as Rabbits Island). It’s the second largest of the islands with a beautiful sandY shore and crYstal clear blue waters. 

You’ll want to make a full daY trip out of this one. You’ll need to pack some snacks and drinks to take with You as there's no food on the islands, and an umbrella for shade if You need one. Nothing beats a breakfast here (preferablY a man2ouché):

While I've listed some of mY favourite Beaches in North Lebanon, I'm sure there are still a lot of more secret spots to discover! If You'd like to share, please leave a comment!

The Cedars of Lebanon

Last year, while in my second year at BankMed, Jinan and I planned a work trip to the cedars. It really turned out to be a fun filled day in the snow, but the one thing I regret was that we didn't have enough time to visit the Cedar forest (which closes at 3:00PM). So this year, to make up for last time, Jinan and I planned the same trip with the first stop being the forest!

On the drive up, we spotted a cart of cotton candy, which Jinan insisted on getting! Here’s the story in two shots :-P

The scenery on the way up to the Cedars is just wonderful, snow covered everything!

The entrance to the forest (and when I say entrance, I don't just mean the door but the entire way in) was blocked with snow! A local shop owner told us that some people were getting in from an open wire fence a couple of feet down and so we followed the snow prints…

It was a long hike up to the forest, and the walk up took half the energy out of us. But when we reached the top, the view was worth it! We took a rest on a nearby Cedar branch, which was also drowned in snow! We took pictures and had fun and I definitely made it a point to come back here in summer, where I can imagine the view would also be majestic without the snow…

On the drive home, we stopped for a late lunch in Ehden, where I also took the opportunity to shoot the winter scenery…

Shoot As You Walk 28

The winds of change haven’t left us yet. This March has been the coldest month we’ve had this year, with snow and rain and blistering cold! Despite the weather, “Shoot As You Walk” is back with it’s 1st adventure of 2012!

This time, the path was a one less travelled, to Dahr El Megher, an area between Abou Ali River and The Citadel of Saint Gilles. I’ll let the pictures do the talking:

The First Rains Of September…

Last week, Nada from work mentioned that the first official day of autumn was this week, on Friday September 23rd to be exact. And as if autumn had heard her speak its name, on Friday morning, the skies changed color and the leaves on the trees outside our window at work began to rustle. Not a lot of customers came in that day, and the streets were unusually empty. I guess the first rain was something most people preferred to experience from inside looking out. Despite the calm, I was immersed in a lot of office work and so I didn't get many chances to look outside that day, until it was time to go home at around 4:30pm. That night, the downpour began…

Till Saturday morning it rained, and, for the second day in a row, I didn't get to be outside while it was raining. I heard it rained a lot, and I heard there was a rainbow. But again, being inside, I didn't get to personally experience either. Until I noticed a picture Ymn had posted on Facebook:

“I felt like going down and walking in that field” she posted. And looking at her photo, I felt like I wanted to do the same thing too! And I still can’t believe I missed seeing a rainbow that big in Tripoli! God, I need to look up at the skies more often…

There’s something magical about the first rain. Especially for another work colleague of mine, who recounted to me a story of when she and her then boyfriend (now husband) first started going out. She was alone at home and her mother had asked her to take watch of the cooking pot she had on the stove. Her boyfriend called her and they spent well over an hour on the phone, and she forgot all about her mother’s cooking pot and ended up burning their lunch for that day. And so, every first rain of the season, her husband calls her at work and reminds her of the time she burnt lunch…

In other news, the price of gold in the market also fell with the rain (yes, I like to throw in financials :-P) Though I’ll admit, I’m not a big fan of the first rain, as it usually marks the end of summer and the end of beaching, but I’ll keep my fingers crossed for brighter skies next weekend, where I’ll hopefully get one last chance to visit and say goodbye to the warm sea waters of summer… :-)

Winter Trip To The Cedars '11

Ever since the collapse of our government (no comment), I've been surrounded by a lot of people’s negative attitudes. It’s quite infectious but I’m quite immune, so I decided to spread a little positivity at work last week by organizing a trip to The Cedars!

Yesterday, we all met up at 8:00 A.M. (well, I’ll admit I was late, which was Micho’s fault because of Armin Van Buuren! :-P). We left Tripoli at 8:30 A.M. and arrived at The Cedars around 10:00 A.M. The road to get there was almost empty, there were few people there, and even fewer snow. But, with a group like ours, it’s all about fun!

Micho took us to the Army’s ski lift where we only had to pay LBP 4,000 for a ride up to the very top of the mountain and then back down again (about a 30 minute round trip). I got some snapshots of this winter wonderland (it’s the best I could get before my fingers almost snapped off from the cold!)

When I was a kid, there was nothing I loved more than tobogganing! But the last time I did that was probably when I was ten years old. Now, thirteen years later, we rented a toboggan and I don’t think Ive been more terrified sliding downhill at full speed, trying to avoid kids and beginner skiers. My legs are still aching from using them as brakes, and starting a snow fight with the kids. I got hit smack in the face with several snow balls, but I got my revenge. It was all exhilarating fun that I hadn't had in quite a while!

After that, it was time for lunch. We had booked thirty places at Le Pichet restaurant at Le Cedrus Hotel. The food was scrumptious, and I had burned an Arabic music mix. We asked the restaurant to play it, and turned our half of the place into a dance floor. I can’t even begin to describe how terrible I am at dancing, but despite my laughable moves, I didn't leave the dance floor…

What a beautiful day! Great weather, great time, and oh, I also got to tick “snow trip” off my 2011 resolution list. I love when things work out! :-)

You Can't Have A Rainbow...

... Without A Little (or in this case, A Lot of) Rain

As I was getting up to go from the living room to go to the kitchen (it’s almost lunchtime, what’s cooking?), I looked outside our balcony and to my surprise I saw all seven colors of the rainbow! The colors lasted for less than a minute before the rain washed them away but I managed to get this little snapshot of their smile… :-)

It’s Raining @ Home!

Ok, so not only does it rain at work, but it also rains at home! Can you believe that when I got out of bed this morning, and put my feet on the floor, they got soaked! I looked down to find a puddle of water all around my room!!!

Last night I heard the exploding thunder and lightning (very, very frightening! :-P) but I didn't think I’d see its effects indoors the following morning! Guess that’s what you get for living and working in Maarad, the windy city, which blew all the rain in our direction… how’s everyone else holding up under these stormy conditions?

A Stormy Saturday

I’m still trying to adjust to Saturday evenings without Toastmasters. It still feels a little empty, that slot of time between 5pm and 7pm. I also keep getting bombarded with their weekly invites, which I’m thinking of unsubscribing to as well (with all due respect). I need to find something else to do, and with this weather, there isn't much happening…

I remembered when I was a kid back in Ottawa, Mum used to take my brother and I to the public library on a weekly basis, where we’d spend hours picking out books, reading, and checking books out to read at home. Even till this day, throw me in any library or bookshop and I could spend the entire day there going through books, a little book worm I was!

Then, it suddenly hit me that thanks to the Safadi Cultural Center, we've actually got a public library here in Tripoli, the Al Mouna Library. And without a second thought, I grabbed my umbrella and I drove right over! Registration is simple; all you need to bring is a copy of your ID, a passport size picture of yourself, and LBP 45,000 (which is valid for 12 months), and you’re good to go! And mind you, for a public library in Tripoli, it’s pretty amazing with a good selection of books, magazines, computers, comfy couches, and reading areas…

I headed over straight to the section on Photography and Digital Imaging, and I was quite impressed with the selection of books that they had. If I could, I would have checked them all out, but I decided to take it two at a time and went for a beginner’s book called “Digital Photography” and another called “The Complete Guide to Digital Imaging” to refresh and up my skills in Photoshop and the like. Actually, I have a confession to make; I don’t know how to use Photoshop. In fact I don’t even know the first thing about Photoshop! :-$ So how do I play with pictures? I use Paint, MS Office Picture Manager, and other simple websites:-P HOWEVER! I’m adding “Photoshop” to my list of New Year’s resolutions for 2011. But that’s a different post for a different day… ;-)

Till then, I’m going to leave you with the picture of the storm, which began to escalate on the drive home from the Library:

It's Raining @ Work!

The rain has been falling in insane proportions! When I got to work this morning I realized that the balcony, just like a bathtub, had been filled up with water and was overflowing into our office!

We asked the cleaning lady to come help us fix the problem and she put on two black grocery bags over her shoes and dipped them outside to check why the drain wasn't working properly. Turns out it was clogged with leaves and mud and other descendants of Mother Nature. But with some team effort, we all managed to get the water level back to zero and crossed our fingers that the water wouldn't be back when we got back to work on Monday morning… :-P