Tioman Island

When I visited friends in Singapore, I decided to spend a couple of days in Tioman Island in Malaysia. I first went to Mersing, Malaysia, by bus and then took a ferry to the island. I got out of the boat in its last stop at Salang, which is the northernmost tiny village on the island. Salang attracts a lot of visitors to go there or to a nearby beautiful island, Coral Island, for diving and snorkeling.

Malacca City

Malacca is a historical city, one of popular tourist sites in Malaysia. It has a rich colonized culture including the Portuguese, Dutch and the British and also Chinese cultures, which influence the architecture in the town. There are a lot to see here, such as the historical buildings, churches, Malacca River and night market on Jonker Street. It's a lovely place with a variety of delicious food for at least a couple of days' visit.

Kuala Lumpur

I stopped by Kuala Lumpur on the way to visit friends in Singapore. KL is the capital and the second largest city in Malaysia. This is well-developed city, famous with its tallest twin towers in the world and also with its rich mixed cultures from many ethnic groups.

Lebanon-Byblos

Byblos is an ancient city at Mediterranean. It's believed to have been found around 5000 BC and be the oldest continuously-inhabited city in the world. We stopped by this famous tourist area in Lebanon to enjoy its beauty and the delicious seafood and explore its Phoenician, Roman and Crusader ruins.

Lebanon-Bsharri

The village of Bsharri


The museum of Khalil Gibran


The street of Bsharri

The house of Khalil Gibran

The interior of Gibran's house

We took a bus from Tripoli to Bsharri on Mount Lebanon Mutasarrifate to visit the museum and also the house of Khalil Gibran (1883-1931), a Lebanese American artist, writer and philosopher. The museum is in a cave, formerly a monastery. After Gibran died in New York, Gibran's sister purchased the site and turned it into a museum and buried him there. Before his family moved to U.S., They lived in a single-room stone-built house at the center of Bsharri. From its only one window, we could see its interior and realize how simple the life they once led.

Lebanon-Tripoli (2)

One thing that I like about this city is that people here are much friendlier and laid-back than in Beirut. The local forks are more willing to talk to us in Arabic, instead of English or French. Because its location is near the border with Syria, we met quite a lot of Syrian people working here. However, what is happening in Syria affect the tourism here. Very few travelers come to this city.

Lebanon-Tripoli (1)

Le







Tripoli, the second-largest city in Lebanon, is located on the north at Mediterranean Sea. It's a city with a long ancient history but much less developed than Beirut. We spent two days here visiting the old city souq and the sea port area. We were amazed by its rich culture but shocked to see how deteriorated the outlook of the city.