The South - a different side of Lebanon

We decided to hire a car to see Lebanon. It is a small country with lots to see but is very mountainous so direct journeys by public transport take longer than usual. Leaving Beirut we passed through the southern suburbs, home to many Palestinian refugees. On posters and attached to lampposts we started to see the yellow and green Hezbollah flags and the portraits of their leaders.


We drove to Sidon which is about an hours south of Beirut. It is a beautiful port city with a sea castle right in the centre. The children clambered all over the castle, ignoring the lack of safety railings on the walls and the directions of their parents.

The souq in Sidon was a real bonus. The Beirut souq is Armani and Caroline Herrera. The Damascus souq is a working souq, but with areas now focusing on the tourist trade. By contrast in Sidon the souq is the local shopping centre. The narrow alleys and vaulted ceilings are a delight to explore.

We stumbled upon an old caravanserai where, a kind of ancient hotel where you had secure parking for your camels and animals in a central courtyard, and a bed for the night in one of the rooms around the courtyard.