There's never a dull moment living in Beirut, but every once in awhile you need to escape the constant fast-pace and excitement. And let's face it, since the trash crisis, we've all got to rise above the air pollution... literally.
This summer, I decided to spend a weekend with friends in nature. The complicated bit was choosing a spot, not because they're hard to find, but because there are far too many options. It can be hard to believe that there are so many epic nature spots in such a small country of just over 10,000 square kilometers.
We finally settled on Lebanon's Shouf region, and camped right outside Lebanon's largest nature reservation, the Shouf Biosphere Reserve, at the newly opened Cedars Ground Campsite .
The camp ground describes itself as “a majestic eco-friendly campsite, adjacent to the Shouf reserve, offering a meditative and relaxing outdoor experience for happy campers.” I can assure you that it lives up to that description. From the incredible location to the delicious breakfast the staff prepared for us in the morning, we were blown away and you would be, too.
We arrived just before sunset to catch a breathtaking view over the mountains.
We enjoyed lounging around the fire, snacking, talking and laughing until the early morning.
The campsite's cozy atmosphere was great for relaxing under the stars.
Even though we stayed up late, we woke up early to enjoy an delicious breakfast.
And we made some animal friends...
Then it was time to head off on an adventure!
Kind of like Bilbo Baggins...
We hiked further up the mountains inside the Shouf Biosphere Reserve, taking in the forests of pine and cedars.
Of course, we only explored a small fraction of the reserve, which stretches from Dahr Al-Baidar in the north to Niha Mou ntain in the south.
But, we did make it to top of the mountain and got a view of the patchwork greens and yellows of the Bekaa Valley.
Now it's your turn to head out on your own adventure...
