2. WINTER WONDERLAND Bnachii Lake
Bnachii Lake of fers the ultimate winter setting and since 2008 NGO Al Midan (06 664466, almidan.org) has organized “Christmas by the Lake” between December and early January. The shores of the lake are surrounded by Christmas decorations and each year they raise the biggest Christmas tree in Lebanon, at 22m high and 10m wide. The lake becomes a center of festivity with parades, games, theatrical plays and Christmas carols. The festival features a special children’s section that includes a Christmas train and boat, plus games such as kayak polo and bungee jumping. The festival also features a market of Christmas gif ts and handicraft, Christmas cakes and sweets.
SLEEP Stay at the beautiful Olive Gardens Resor t (70 159901, oliveresort.com), nestled in the middle of the Koura region.
EAT Enjoy Lebanese mezze at Bnachii Lake Restaurant (06 550550, 03 969796) or stop in Amioun on the way to taste the famous pizza of Napoli (06 952355, 03 655630, pizzanapoli-lb.com).
SEE Take the time to visit the churches of Amioun and the impressive Wildlife Taxidermy Museum (06 550500), which contains over 3,000 sea and land animals as well as a huge collection of birds.
