Rubbish pickers there hunt for recyclable plastics to earn a living. But off Tripoli's Mediterranean coast, a pristine haven attracts migrating wildlife and daytrippers alike. Things to bring with you: food & drink, umbrella, towels, sunscreen, snorkeling gear, garbage bags to throw your trash in and return with you to keep the island clean (there are no trash cans), swimming shoes (some parts of the shore are slippery). Here’s the location. The short answer is: definitely yes! But the mainlanders bring pollution with them. Dubbed "Rabbit Island," Ōkunoshima has become more popular since 2014, when a video of a woman being stampeded by bunnies went viral. The drive will take around 1.5 hours (sometimes more if you don’t make an early start). Rabbit Island. More travel inspiration here: 6 Ways Traveling Can Change your Life Forever. These days, though, it’s most often referred to by its nickname Usagi Jima, which translates to Rabbit Island and is so named for the hundreds of feral rabbits that call it home. In recent years, the severity of pollution on Lebanese beaches has become striking. Abdelkarim Abdulkhader, who lives in Tripoli, visits Rabbit Island four or five times every summer and is happy to pay the entry fee if it helps preserve the island's nature. The last boat that leaves Rabbit Island back to the port is at 5PM, but in case you want to return before that, you can just inform them to pick you up at the time that you want (every 30min). Thanks for your reply in advance! The first thing that everyone asks is: are there rabbits on the island!? Rabbit Island Tripoli Lebanon Summer 2016 Chris Khoury. It’s like having a mini island almost all to yourself! These rivers run through highly populated areas with a lack of adequate waste disposal infrastructure. In addition, visitor facilities are being enhanced with a new eco-friendly floating dock and bathrooms built on the island. The water is crystal clear and turquoise along the coast of the island. Wow, lovely read… Would love to visit the Orient Express, but is it safe anymore to visit the area ? It’s over 100 years old and used to be the last stop for the Orient Express train back in the golden years. Rabbit Island Glamping is the latest addition to the accommodation offered by Appleby House and Rabbit Island Huts. Is Rabbit or Palm Island Lebanon worth a visit? There are no fumes, no noise, nothing except the sound of the waves," conservationist Aziz Zok says. Here’s a great guide: Rabbit Island Lebanon Guide. But a lot of plastic also ends up in the ocean ... Much plastic enters marine habitats through rivers like, the Yangtze, the Indus, the Ganges, Pearl River, and the Mekong. You can call them and book your spot 1 day ahead, but don’t worry if you haven’t, because there are so many boats that can take you at any time. The salty sea slaps against the beach, seeming so endless as wave after wave crashes onto a sandy shore and explore a land carved into the palm trees. And there are hidden treasures, too. Underwater caves provide an ideal breeding ground for fish, such as sea bream, grouper and parrot fish. Lebanon Culture. "At first all you can see is black, then a bluish light suddenly appears and you go up into a perfect rock pool in the centre of the island. You’ll be lucky to see one when you’re there. Unfortunately, the answer is not anymore. This makes the clear shallows around Rabbit Island even more enticing for swimmers and sun worshippers, who count down the days till the visitor ban is lifted. Privacy Policy | Also read my Ultimate Lebanon Travel Guide (including a guide to Beirut). You might even spot Sea Turtles and flying fish depending on the season. For those in charge of the protected Palm Island Nature Reserve, which comprises Rabbit Island and the smaller Sanani and Ramkine islands, the problem is finding a balance between people's right to visit and the need to protect an endangered environment. The port doesn’t have any decent shops or supermarkets, so it’s best to stop by one of the many big supermarkets in on the Jounieh Highway on your way to Tripoli. Sea plankton, which are an important source of food for fish and other marine animals, have been filmed eating them. Rabbit's island, north Lebanon Must See! Rukam's residents thought selling their land to a palm oil company would bring wealth, but the environment has suffered. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. The exhibition’s introduction— Located four miles east of the Keweenaw Peninsula, Rabbit Island is a protected 91 acre wilderness that hosts artists, writers, and researchers from a wide variety of disciplines. There’s also a lifeguard/security that constantly walks around, so there’s nothing to worry about. A European-Union funded eco-tourism project is tackling the problem by charging visitors a $2 (€1.80) entry fee to help pay for rangers, rubbish disposal and maintenance of the plants and beaches. For a little adventure, visit Rabbit Island off the coast of Tripoli. Lebanon's beaches are notoriously dirty. your own Pins on Pinterest Does anybody know how to reach this place without car? A baby loggerhead turtle hatches from its egg. "It's a really beautiful place but you often see broken glass bottles on the beach and people throwing their rubbish in the sea.". We're well aware of the large pieces of plastic bobbing on the ocean's surface, as is pictured here off the Hawaiian coast. Contact Head to Tripoli Mina (here’s the location on Google Maps). DW's half-hour radio show and podcast brings you environment stories from around the globe. Rabbit Island, Falkland Islands is located north of West Falkland in the Falkland Islands; Rabbit Island, Lebanon; Zayachy (Rabbit) Island, Saint Petersburg, Russia; Ōkunoshima, Japan, often called Usagi Shima, or Rabbit Island But if current trends continue, scientists believe there will be 12 billion metric tons of plastic on the planet by 2050. Officially known Palm Island, the daytrippers' retreat gets its nickname from the rabbits that were brought over in the 1920s in the days of the French mandate and were bred there for hunting. Take a trip to the South of Lebanon to visit Saida and Sour. Once you have done it, try to have a rest. The Palm Islands Nature Reserve consists of three flat, rocky islands of eroded limestone and the surrounding sea area, located 5.5 kilometres (3.4 mi) offshore and northwest of the city of Mina El Mina, Lebanon, to the west of Tripoli, Lebanon.. There are countless boat companies at the Mina port that have boat charters every 30 minutes to Palm Island. Eating the material can lead to organ damage and blockages in the gut. At 6am, the first boats arrive at Lebanon's Rabbit Island, bringing daytrippers eager to secure the best sunbathing spots. But some of the most significant developments are taking place under water, where sophisticated sensors are being installed to monitor pollution reaching the island from the mainland coast and concrete reproduction caves are being built to create safe sites for fish to spawn and reproduce. 6 Bonus Stop on the way to Rabbit Island Lebanon There are several amazing beach resorts and public beaches along the whole coast of Lebanon. 2. The beach at Beirut, strewn with plastic trash. Visitors appear to have disrupted the reptiles nesting on the island. Make sure to bring an official ID or passport, because there’s an army checkpoint on the way to the island and they will ask to see your ID. Answer 1 of 8: Hello! Private taxis from Beirut to Tripoli will cost around $55 each way. Declared a protected area by UNESCO in 1992, camping, fire building or depredation is forbidden. Lebanon garbage crisis pollutes Mediterranean, Death of rare Yangtze giant softshell turtle leaves 3 remaining in the world. Meanwhile, some native species are under pressure. According to one study of 34 seabird species in northern Europe, Russia, Iceland, Svalbard, the Faroe Islands, Scandinavia and Greenland, 74 percent had ingested plastic. RABBIT ISLAND MUST DO: Well, just relax. On this week's Eco Africa, we learn how farmers in Namibia are keeping cheetahs away from livestock, see how popcorn can be used as a natural substitute to polystyrene, and shine a light on the solar energy revolution. © 2021 Deutsche Welle | We've produced 8.3 billion metric tons of the material since mass production began in the 1950s. There are 2 ways to get there: Car and Bus. "We worked with the budget at hand but we need to do more.". If they look closely, visitors to the island can see rare botanical treasures like the sea daffodil. PALM ISLAND, Lebanon- ... “We wanted to hold the competition on Rabbit Island [a nickname for Palm Island] to valorise the work that they are doing,” Khoury said. And because it's closed for all but three months of the year, Tripolitans make the most of it when they can. The Mapua Ferry carries cyclists back to the mainland. Discover (and save!) You can find more information in our data protection declaration. There’s a gorgeous deserted train station really close to Tripoli Mina. Read more: Plastic pollution: Do beach cleanups really make a difference? Sep 19, 2017 - This Pin was discovered by Mallori Smith. Even larger animals aren't immune to the effects of consuming plastic. Outside the three-month season, it's hard to imagine the pristine island teeming with picnicking humanity. Because it doesn't easily biodegrade, much of what we've made now lives in landfills like this one on Nairobi's outskirts. 39 WOODLANDS CLOSE #08-67 S737856 (carpark ends at level 7, please park near lobby F) 96742615 Other animals mistake the material for food. The boats are required to have life jackets onboard, so make sure your boat has them before hopping on. the largest, known as the Island of Palm Trees or Rabbit's Island, is now a nature reserve for green turtles and rare birds. A popular spot for all year round for relaxation, great for a picnic. 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