Lebanon Test Tour Spring 2015 MEET Project Part 2 : Jabal Moussa, Ehden and Tannourine. 7 days / 6 nights. Cedars and Faces of Phoenicia

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1 Lebanon Test Tour Spring 2015 MEET Project Part 2 : Jabal Moussa, Ehden and Tannourine 7 days 6 nights Title: Cedars and Faces of Phoenicia Target visitors: Hikers Explorers. Family groups. Type of tour: Organized tour Maximum number of participants: 10 pax Hiking Level: Moderate Location: Jabal Moussa Biosphere Reserve Ehden Forest Nature Reserve and Tannourine Cedars Nature Reserve Duration: 7 days / 6 nights Season: April to December Type of accommodation: Twin bed rooming at hotel in Beirut Shared rooms and toilets at guesthouses in rural areas Wi- Fi connection: Free at hotel in Beirut free, but occasional connections and limited access in rural areas) Type of transport vehicle: Minivan 9 seats AC, with driver availability and fuel included during the entire trip Implementing TO partner: Responsible Mobilities Price: 1152 Euros / person Price includes: All ground transportation and transfers from airport to hotel and versus, 6 nights B/B accommodation, (2 nights at hotel 3 stars in Byblos and Beirut 1 night at youth hostel in Qadisha Valley 1 night in 3 star hotel in Cedars 1 night at inn in Tannourine 1 night at local guesthouse in Jabal Moussa ), English speaking Lebanese tour leader, all meals, all activities, entrance fees, local guides, insurance. Price doesn t include: Flight ticket, ticket insurance, airports taxes, visa expenses, personal expenses, alcohol drinks, additional night stays (due to un- adequate flight schedule), any other expenses not mentioned in the package details. Package description: On the eastern side of the Mediterranean Sea, Lebanon is a very diverse and green country. Join us to discover the land of the Phoenicians. Hike the forests of the trees that made the Phoenician culture possible. Meet the local people at Jabal Moussa Biosphere Reserve, who decided to protect the valley of the Phoenician God Adonis ;

2 learn about the Maronite history and try to right your name in Syriac language with a monk in the Qadisha Valley; enjoy the majestic sceneries in the northern Lebanon chain and immerse yourself with the scents of the last protected cedar forests, symbol of Lebanon. Program: Day1: Tuesday, June 23 - Arrival at airport (Different flight timing arrivals) - Transfer to Hotel in Byblos (35km) (Provided by ITO to all individual participant) Day 2: Wednesday, June 24 - Breakfast at hotel - Briefing at hotel - Departure to the Qadisha Valley (The Holly Valley) UNESCO World Cultural Landscape heritage site (60km) - Hiking in Qadisha Valley discovering the troglodyte Maronite monasteries (St Elysee, Our Lady of Qannoubine, Our Lady of Hawqa) (15 km; start at 1300m end at 950m; highest point during hike: 1300m; accumulative difference in altitude 150m; Cyprus, pine and oak Panoramas over steep valley paths over stream) - Lunch (picnic, sandwiches prepared by our local guide) - Short transfer to the youth hostel located at the historical monastery of St Anthony of Qozyhayya (10km) - Dinner and overnight at youth hostel Meet with a Maronite monk and learn about the Syriac language. Day 3: Thursday, June 25 - Breakfast at Qozhayya youth hostel - Transfer to Ehden Forest Nature Reserve (10 km) - Moderate Hiking in Ehden Forest Nature Reserve (12 km; start at 1450m end at 1330m; highest point during hike: 1750m; accumulative difference in altitude 600m; Biodiversity and levels of vegetation theme hike with pine, oak, fir, cedar and Juniper trees. - Lunch at a local family run restaurant located at the lower entrance of the reserve. - Short transfer to Ehden town (3 km). Cultural tour in the old part, discovering the Midane Square, the oldest Maronite church of Mount Lebanon, dating back to the 9 th century; and the St Georges Cathedral where the mummified body of Youssef Beik Karam is still exposed. He was a Lebanese National Hero who fought against feudality in Lebanon in the 19 th c. - Transfer to Bsharry town (15 km) and short stop at Gibrane Khalil Gibrane Museum and Mausoleum (19 th century writer and philosopher who wrote the reference book of The Prophet) - Continue to the Cedars region (10 km). - Dinner and overnight at hotel Le Cedrus Day 4: Friday, June 26 - Breakfast at hotel Le Cedrus - Moderate Hiking from Les Cedres region to Hadath el- Jebbeh village (18 km; start at

3 m; highest point during hike: 2300m; accumulative difference in altitude 750m; great panoramas over the Qadisha valley ring and all the surrounding villages, apple orchards. Lunchbox during hike Short transfer to Tannourine region (5 km) Dinner and overnight at Tannourine Inn located at the entrance of the Tannourine Cedars Nature Reserve. Day 5: Saturday, June 27 - Breakfast at Tannourine Inn - Easy Hiking in Tannourine Cedars Nature Reserve (8 km; start at 1750m; highest point during hike: 1750m; accumulative difference in altitude 100m; cedar forest, panoramas over Wady er- Raha. - Transfer to Byblos (38km) - Lunch at restaurant in Byblos - Cultural tour in Byblos medieval city - Transfer to Jabal Moussa Biosphere Reserve (70km) - Dinner and Overnight at Ghbeleh Guesthouse Day 6: Sunday, June 28 - Breakfast at Ghbeleh Guesthouse - Short transfer to the mountain (10km). - Hiking in Jabal Moussa Nature Reserve el- Msheteh Baydar esh- Shawk El- Bouyout es- Saleeb Snoubar - (15km; start at 1300m; highest point during hike 1450m; accumulative difference in altitude 600m; 1,5km long Roman stairs trail, Oak, hop horn- beam and maple trees; panoramas over the Adonis Phoenician God Valley. - Lunchbox during hike, prepared by local community of el- Msheteh - Transfer to Beirut (50km) - Cultural tour in Beirut down town area - Dinner at restaurant in Beirut - Overnight at hotel in Beirut - Transfers start to airport according to flights schedules Day 7: Monday, June 29 - Transfer to airport

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