It was really time to get out of the city, so T and I organized a trip to the North to breathe in some fresh air.

Okay, let’s be honest here.

We planned our trip to the Cedars because I wanted to inhale this:

Pit-stop #1: Biscuit Bakery & Patisserie in Mansourieh

We left the house at around 9 a.m. and passed by Biscuit for some baked goodies for the road; they have the best mouajanet in the WORLD. They’re baked with a single brush of oil for that toasted golden look. We got mini pizzas and several varieties of mouajanet.

Note to self: I need to write a full detailed review about this place soon.

Pit-stop #2: Supermarket – Buying the trip’s necessities

• Hand gel and tissues
• 2L of water (per person); cold since it will just go to room temperature in this blistering summer heat
• Chewing gum (useful to prevent your ears from getting blocked as you change altitudes)
• Snacks including raw carrots, fruits (my favourite are crunchy apples and sour green grapes), thinaw nuts, dried fruit, etc.

Pit-stop #3: Breakfast (Part 1) at Amal Bohsali in Zalka

Amal Bohsali in my opinion has one of the best and most delicious Knefes in Lebanon. This place is a must-try; make sure to go early though as they almost always run out by noon!

Pit-stop #4: Breakfast (Part 2) at Moulin D’Or in Amioun

This wasn’t part of our plan, but we wanted chocolate. Chocolate cravings cannot be ignored. Ever.

Pit-stop #5: Hasroun…

…to have the biggest and most delicious Mankoushé-style pizza in Lebanon.

This wasn’t really a pit-stop, but more like the purpose of the whole trip. More details soon in this post.

Cedar Mountains (Al Arz) in Bcharre

[Entrance Fee = Name your price]

We arrived to the Cedars of God Forest Reserve in Bcharre a little after 1 p.m.– I think we should reconsider our food stops. Nope, not gonna happen. #strugglesofbeingafoodie

The cedar tree is the symbol of Lebanon and holds great significance to the country.

The Cedars of God are the oldest and largest cedar trees in Lebanon; some rise 35m above ground and are believed to be around 2,000 years old! Because the Lebanese cedars were close to becoming extinct, they are now protected by the Committee of Cedar Forest Friends in Bcharre.

A small donation must be paid in order to enter the reserve; the suggested amount is usually 3,000 LBP ($2 USD), but you can pay as much as you want. The donations are used to plant new cedar trees.

Once you enter, there’s a walking path marked out for visitors to follow. Surrounded by tall majestic trees, it’s a rather beautiful, scenic and peaceful walk. There’s also a small chapel within the forest that we paid a visit to.

After spending two hours in the serene Cedars of God reserve and breathing in that crisp fresh air, we drove up a little higher over the reserve where several vendors were parked selling some nuts, dried figs and other goodies in their cars.

We bought some shelled almonds and then went a bit further on foot. The view from the mountain is incredibly beautiful; we were literally above the clouds!

Pit-stop #6: Souvenirs

On our way back down, we passed by one of the tourist shops and got our names engraved in authentic cedar bark.

Obviously, we opted for hand-carved personalized key-chains.

Now what?

There was the option of visiting the home and museum of Gibran Khalil Gibran on our way back down to Beirut, but we’ll keep this for another time.

We really enjoyed our day excursion to the Cedars along with all those (necessary) pit-stops. If you decide to visit Bcharre, be sure to wear something comfortable and pack a jumper/cardigan as it is rather cold as you move higher up into the mountain range.

We’re eager to plan some more exciting adventures, so stay tuned!

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Our Day Tip to Bcharre

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