Lebanon 2015 & 2016

Lebanon (2015 & 2016):

Aim of this post:

• I travelled two long weekends to Lebanon, once in November 2015, other other in June 2016 thus I will briefly share my experience giving some ideas that might be helpful for your trip
• I recommend renting a car and discover the country but driving is a bit chaotic

Places visited:

• Beirut
• Jeita Grotto
• Byblos
• Bisharri
• Tannourine
• Baalbek
• Anjar
• Sidon
• Tyre
  
  

Beirut:

• Despite being full of traffic and with presence of the army, Beirut is interestingly mixed with different cultures and lovely food and nightlife 
• The vibe in the city is great and some interesting areas include:\
• Downtown (nice streets with French influence, Mohammed Al-Amin Mosque, plenty of bars and restaurants and even bungee jumping are some options):

• Rauche (there are small boat services that get you to the rock itself):
  
• Beach (there is public beach in Beirut even though nicest beaches might be private):
  
  
  
  

Jeita Grotto:

• Half way towards Byblos you can visit these magnificent caves
• The visit includes a cable car and kayak rides
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

Byblos:

• Probably my favourite place in Lebanon with a nice small castle, the marina, or cute little streets downtown

 

Bisharri:

• Beautiful mountain villages that I was lucky to visit late autumn
• Winter sports can be practised starting half an hour far from Beirut
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

Tannourine:

• South from Bisharri you can find Baatara gorge waterfall in Tannourine 
• Great landscape to have some picnic and enjoy the views
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

Baalbek:

• One of the best preserved Roman ruins in the world, not to be missed!
  

Anjar:

• Not too far from Baalbek there are Anjar ruins, not that impressive but nice as well

Sidon:

• Village by the sea with a beautiful castle built as a fortress during the Crusades

Tyre:

• More ruins in the southern part of the country, not as nice as Baalbek and its surroundings but worth a visit if you have enough time

Seychelles 2015 & 2017

Seychelles (17th-20th December 2015 & 4th-7th June 2017): 

Aim of this post:

• To share my experience in Seychelles and give some personal recommendations

Places visited:

• Seychelles has over 100 islands however I visited the only three inhabited: Mahe, Praslin, La Digue

Recommendations:

• Places I liked the most are La Digue and Anse Major in Mahe island. If you are short on time I would definitely visit the north of Mahe and La Digue
• You can use the public bus all around Mahe island. Routes are simple mainly going north or south and it is very cheap ($0.5) while taxis are very expensive. I found hitchhiking quite easy and safe as well
• Accomodation is expensive so couchsurfing is an option to consider. However have with you a previous booking at any hotel, which obviously you cancel on time, in order to show at the airport as you are normally checked at the airport
• Beaches (anse) are spectacular wherever you go so there is no need for a fancy resort unless you really want that experience
• Most people speak French and English so communication should not be an issue

Mahe

• The main island is Mahe, where the international airport is located, on the east side
• Right outside the airport there is a bus stop, with buses going north (towards Victoria, the capital, 15 minutes away, or south) so again, no need for taxi
• I spent the three night on the west part of the island, with lovely sunsets and great views to Grand Anse
  
  
  
  
  
• Main places visited in the main island were Anse Royale, Anse Intendance, Victoria, Beau Vallon, Anse Major and Morne National Park
• Anse Royale (south east)
  
• Anse Intendance, popular wild beach in the south west part of the island, where swimming between May and September might be dangerous
  
  
  
  
  
   
• Victoria: capital of the island, where you can do some sighseeing, visit some local markets or go to the National Botanic Gardens where you can enjoy and even feed giant turtles
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Beau Vallon: nice beaches in the north of Mahe 
• In a different trip in 2017 I went diving in Beau Vallon, in particular to the Marine National Park, where I had the chance to see manta rays and a small shark (not showing in pictures but recommended). We were lucky to see dolphins on the way back
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Anse Major: I highly recommend visiting this beach, located on the north west of Mahe island. Closest bus goes through Bel Ombre rd reaching Treasure Cove Hotel. From there you have a 30-minute beautiful walk till Anse Major, where privacy and views are amazing
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Morne National Park: on the central north part of the island there is a large national park where you can follow different trekking paths. In less than 1 hour you can get to see the island from the top
  

La Digue

• One of the most beautiful islands I have ever seen
• I regret I did not spend one night here as I was a bit rushed on time
• Ferry departs from Victoria and stops in Praslin on its way to La Digue but there are only few ferry frequencies per day 
• I went with Cat Cocos but I do not know if there are more companies offering trasnport to La Digue. You could find some discounted ticket buying tickets a bit in advance (https://www.seychellesbookings.com/cat-cocos). Anyway ferry ticket is very expensive, over $100 for a 1-hour 2-way ride
• Best in La Digue is the absence of motorised vehicles
• Once you arrive there are many offers to rent a bicycle, which is a great way to visit the small island
  
• One of my best surprises was to to a giant turtle crossng the road
  
• All beaches in this island are magnificent
  
• The beach I liked the most is Anse Source D'Argent, but they charge a few dollars for the access. However it is completely worth it. Remember to take with you some googles!
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

• In order to reach that beach you go through a beautiful park with giants turtles 

• On the same day I went for a short visit to Praslin, and as I have said, I wish I would have been able to stay longer in La Digue

Praslin:

• I visited the Vallé de Mai National Park, where giant coco de mer fruit palm, unique in Seychelles and with quite a sexual appearance, can be appreciated
  
  
  
  
• Also views from this park are nice
  

•  Hope this post is useful to somebody, enjoy Seychelles!