Too much time spent in Beirut can leave the impression
that Lebanon, which prides itself as the
region’s greenest country, is a vast and unsightly
concrete jungle. Well, not yet, anyway. Head to either of the
country’s two nature camps, La Reserve in Mnaitra or
Sharewood Camp in Al Khalleh, and be reassured that
breathtaking landscapes still remain. The camps’ purpose is
to encourage appreciation of Lebanon’s unspoiled nature by
way of outdoor activities, such as mountain climbing, caving,
trekking, mountain biking, rappelling, archery and
horseback riding.
“Adventure travel is what we do here,” says Paul Ariss,
proprietor of La Reserve, which was established five years
ago. At an altitude of 1,400 meters, La Reserve has access
to 40 million m2 of impressive mountainous terrain. Sharewood,
which started operating last June, is at an altitude of
1,000 meters and has ample wilderness at its disposal. “We
want people to know how important nature is,” says owner
Rania Gholam.
Sports are an exciting way to explore the areas – and you
don’t have to be an athlete to participate. Excursions are categorized
according to aptitude. And activities are designed
for kids as well as adults, so sporting equipment, such as
bikes, is available in all sizes.
Entry is free, while fees are charged per activity. At La
Reserve each activity costs either $5 or $10 per person. The
one exception is horseback riding, which costs $20 an
hour. At Sharewood the price per activity ranges from $2 to
$10. AU rates include equipment, insurance and instructors.
Adventurers-cum-nature lovers usually choose to make
the most of it by partaking in a number of activities. In this
case the camps suggest package deals. La Reserve offers a
challenging two-day trail called Sports, Culture and
Nature at $55 per person, including meals and insurance.
It incorporates hiking across the Akoura heights, caving in
the Roueiss and Afqa grottos, camping and visiting the
val1ey of Adonis and the temples of Ashtarout and Yanouh.
Guides explain the history and geography of the areas
explored. Sharewood has a two-day all-inclusive package
costing $40 for adults and $20 for kids.
Both outfits are equipped with tents for overnight stays.
They are readied with air mattresses, but participants are
asked to bring bedding, with sleeping bags recommended.
The use of tents cost $IO a night per person.
Visitors can enjoy the night sky at Sharewood ‘s observatory,
equipped with ten telescopes that offer a close-up
view of galactic wonders. There is also a STARLAB – a
mobile and inflatable planetarium for three-dimensional
astronomy presentations that is mostly used as an educational
tool for kids.
While the camps operate full swing in summer, things simmer
down in winter. Winter activities are gaining popularity,
however. Last winter La Reserve offered adventure
camping, which combines snow shoeing, rappelling, hiking,
caving and camping in igloo tents.
The two-day all-inclusive
package costs $50 per person. This winter will be
Sharewood’s first, but it’s already planning two-day survival
camps. Participants will be taught skills like map and compass
reading, starting campfires and cooking outdoors.
Adventure buffs take note – Sharewood organizes weekend
expeditions led by its X-Treme Team (not to be confused
with Mansour Mansour’s popular scuba diving club of the
same name). Activities include diving to discover archeological
sites, an event during which divers can learn underwater
photography and videography. The cost per person is
about $25 a day.
The non-athletic shouldn’t be deterred from visiting the
camps because participating in activities isn’t mandatory. The
camps offer refuge for those simply seeking to get away from
the hustle and bustle of city life. The Club House at La
Reserve offers Lebanese cuisine, with meals costing about $20
per person. On Sundays an elaborate buffet lunch is served.
The camps open daily from May to September, weekends only
in October and November. Reservations are required.
Camps for kids and incentive programs for companies are
available (see box).
Contact Lil Reserve (www.lareserve.comlb) at O l/498-774/5/6
or 03/727-484 and Sharewood Camp at 03/294-298.
By Natacha Tohme
A conquering of culinary palettes is coming from the Far East
A taste of Asia
The Asian cuisine craze that swept much of the
Western world has landed on Beirut’s Mediterranean
shores. Over the past few years, a number of
Asian restaurants have sprouted throughout the city,
promising to turn Beirut into the future culinary capital of
the Middle East.
The newest and trendiest of Beirut’s Asian restaurants is
undoubtedly Indochine. Conceived by hotshot Chinese American
designer Tony Chi, who was inspired by Vietnam’s
French colonial era, the restaurant is a visual feast of
soft ivory, pistachio and peach colors amidst a profusion of
verdant tropical plants. Princess Minh Kim, who manages
the restaurant, set her sights on Beirut after two successful
restaurant ventures in Paris and Brussels. Although
Indochine offers Vietnamese cuisine, the dishes – all based
on Princess Minh Kim’s secret recipes – are unique to the
restaurant. The most popular items include fondue of beef
with vinegar, shrimp fried on sugarcane sticks, banana flower salad and grille<!
seabass with turmeric.
Compared to other
Beirut restaurants, Indochine
is reasonably
priced. There are two
prix-fixe menus that
cost LL35,000 and
LL41,000 each, or the
slightly more costly a la
carte options. lndochine
also offers three-course
business lunches including
a glass of wine for
$25 per person.
The Blue Elephant
specializes in sophisticated
Thai cuisine.
Accessible via a wooden
staircase, and bathed in
appealing dark wood, the
restaurant is divided into
cozy alcoves best suited
for intimate conversation
or a romantic dinner for
two. Favorite dishes here
include spicy prawn
soup and a delectable
chicken curry. Make sure to save room for the Star of Siam,
a decadent blend of Thai sweets with mango, papaya and
other tropical fruit. Like Indochine, Blue Elephant offers a
three-course lunch for businesspeople that costs between $25
and $35. Dinner is a bit pricier at $35 to $45 per person. Tuesday
is Ladies’ Night, which means that each male-female couple
gets a 50% discount off their bill.
If Vietnamese and Thai are not your forte, try Jardins de
Chine. The six-year-old institution, owned and managed by
Fadi Abou Jaoude, continues to entice diners with its
exquisite Chinese cuisine. Open for dinner only, Jardins de
Chine offers mouthwatering
specials such as
beef with black pepper,
crispy chicken with yellow
bean sauce and even
dim sum (steamed or
fried dumplings). The
toffee cheese and banana
served with ice cream is a
perennial dessert
favorite. The prix-fixe
menu, which costs
LL45,000, offers eight
varied dishes and dessert.
There are also less costly
a la carte options.
