Middle East - Anthony Ham [371]
St Bernard Hotel ( 03-289 600; s/d/ste US$70/90/150; ) An old and ever-popular ski lodge near the cedar forest grove, this warm and welcoming place is great for its location just a couple of minutes from the ski slopes.
L’Auberge des Cedres ( 678 888; www.smresorts.net; s/d from US$110/145, luxury tents for 2 from US$205, chalets for 6 from US$435; ) Popular with well-heeled Beirutis, this place offers stylish, comfortable accommodation with the bonus of fabulous food, fresh croissants delivered to your doorstep every morning, and plentiful options for ballooning or quad biking during the snowless summer months.
Getting There & Away
Click here for details of services from Tripoli and Bcharré to the Cedars. During the winter months, a daily minibus usually operates between Beirut’s Dawra transport hub and the Cedars: check locally for timings and prices.
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SOUTH OF BEIRUT
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SIDON (SAIDA)
07 / pop 170,516
A small, workaday but attractive port town lying 40km south of Beirut amid thick citrus and banana groves, Sidon is most famous in modern times as the birthplace of assassinated former prime minister Rafiq Hariri. Delving back rather further into history, though, it was once a rich and flourishing Phoenician city, with tight trade links to ancient Egypt and a globally renowned glass-making industry.
Traces of Sidon’s rich history can still be found all over town, with many ancient remnants tucked away in its intriguing medieval souqs. Unlike, for example, pretty Byblos to the north, Sidon makes few concessions to tourists: here, the history is very much part of everyday life, and while this means that options for accommodation and eating out are fairly limited, it also offers a stronger sense of exploration than some of Lebanon’s more traveller-frequented destinations.
Orientation & Information
Almost everything of interest to visitors is along or just off the seafront, where you’ll also find lots of eating options and Sidon’s best hotel. Saahat an-Nejmeh, a huge roundabout, marks the centre of town, and is where you’ll also find the bus and service taxi stands, along with the police station. On Rue Riad as-Solh, which runs south off Saahat an-Nejmeh, there are dozens of banks (most exchanging travellers cheques), ATMS, travel agencies and moneychangers. Currently, there are few long-lasting internet cafés in town: ask at your hotel for the latest location with the swiftest connection.
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TRAVEL WARNING: THE SOUTH
With a tragic history marred by frequent Israeli incursions, along with regular Palestinian and Hezbollah offensives, the south of Lebanon has suffered unlike any other region since the early days of the civil war right up to the present day. Most recently, the 2006 Hezbollah-Israeli war saw civilian casualties and widespread destruction in the countryside south of Sidon and Tyre, and thousands of UN Interim Forces troops (UNIFIL) remain stationed throughout the area.
While travelling here, don’t venture too far off the main roads between Sidon and Tyre. Some foreign offices advise staying away from bars and restaurants popular with off-duty UN troops in Tyre. The land itself is still littered with unexploded mines and cluster bombs, so it’s definitely not the place to set off on any kind of hike.
If you do wish to explore outside Sidon and Tyre, heed local advice: you can check with locals, embassy staff, UNIFIL or Lebanese soldiers and, as always, stay informed on the news front. For more information on UNIFIL itself, go to www.un.org/Depts/dpko/missions/unifil/.
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Post office ( 722 813; Rue Rafiq al-Hariri; 8am-5pm Mon-Fri, 8am-noon Sat)
Tourist office ( 727 344; 8.30am-2pm Mon-Sat) A small office, with maps of Sidon’s historic sites, operating inside the Khan al-Franj.
Sights & Activities
With the exception of the Sea Castle, all Sidon’s sights are free to visit. Opening