Middle East - Anthony Ham [378]
Orientation & Information
Most of the town’s amenities are scattered along the main road, Rue Brazil, and Rue St Barbara, running parallel.
Dataland Internet (Rue Brazil; per hr LL5000; 8am-midnight)
Khoury General Hospital (Rue Brazil) Towards the head of the valley
Post office (Rue Brazil; 8am-5pm Mon-Fri, 8am-noon Sat)
Sleeping & Eating
In summer months, head down to the riverside, where the Cafés du Bardouni all offer mezze, grills and ice creams galore. Most open between 11am and noon, and stay open late into the night, for live music, a spot of gambling, and lots of whirring, flashing fairground attractions for the kids.
Hotel Akl ( 820 701; Rue Brazil; s/d/tr LL35,000/50,000/60,000, s/d without bathroom LL25,000/40,000) Though definitely dilapidated, this great budget choice has large rooms with lots of natural light, some overlooking the river, and a communal lounge with fireplace and a piano for a spot of Chopsticks. Check with the friendly management that the cheaper rooms have some sort of heating during the chilly winter months.
Hotel Monte Alberto ( 810 912; www.montealberto.com; d/tr US$60/70; ) Located high above town, the hotel commands amazing views from its simple but spotless and comfortable rooms. If you’re a fan of all things kitsch, you’ll be able to choose between the vaguely cowboy funicular railway leading up the hill to the hotel and the revolving restaurant at the top.
Grand Hotel Kadri ( 813 920; www.grandhotelkadri.com; Rue Brazil; s/d/ste US$105/125/160; ) Great facilities here include a health club, tennis court, nightclub and two restaurants, but the rooms at this grand and venerable place – once an Ottoman hospital – are a bit of a let-down. Note the name tags of the female receptionists: they all appear to have the same name (mystifyingly explained by one assistant on the grounds that it was ‘so as not to confuse telephone callers’).
Getting There & Away
Minibuses run from Beirut to Zahlé (LL3000, around one hour, approximately every 15 minutes from 4am to 1am) leaving from the southwest side of the roundabout at the Cola transport hub. Service taxis (LL6000) leave from the same spot. Both will drop you off at the highway roundabout turn-off, which is just over 1km from the centre of town. You can walk or negotiate a private taxi from there.
To get to Baalbek from Zahlé, take a service taxi (LL3000, 30 minutes) from the main taxi stand on a square off Rue Brazil, or walk to the highway roundabout at the southern end of town, where you can hail a passing microbus (LL1500, 45 minutes).
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BAALBEK
08 / pop 31,962
Known as the Heliopolis or ‘Sun City’ of the ancient world, Baalbek’s ruins, without doubt, comprise the most impressive ancient site in Lebanon and are arguably the best preserved in the Middle East. Their temples, built on an extravagant scale that outshone anything in Rome, have enjoyed a stellar reputation throughout the centuries, yet still manage to maintain the appealing air of an undiscovered wonder, due to their position in the middle of quiet, bucolic Baalbek. The town itself, 86km northeast of Beirut and administrative headquarters for both the Bekaa Valley and the Hezbollah party, is small, quiet and friendly, only really coming to life each July with the arrival of the famous annual Baalbek Festival (www.baalbek.org.lb), which runs whenever the political situation allows.
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FRUITS OF THE EARTH: THE BEKAA’S VINEYARDS
It’d be a shame to come to the Bekaa Valley and not have a quick tipple at one or two of its vineyards, which are fast becoming international names in wine. It’s best to call in advance to make an appointment, and to ask for specific directions to the vineyards.
Lebanon’s oldest and most famous winery, Ksara Winery ( 08-813