Mleeta
Mleeta
4.5
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dmittleman
Palm Beach Gardens, FL1,409 contributions
Oct 2019
This extraordinary museum gives the average non-Arab visitor a completely new perspective on the Lebanese-Israeli conflicts. The museum consists of a large indoor gallery with captured Israeli booty. Then there is an outdoor section with captured Israeli military equipment (tanks, planes, etc). Next comes an outdoor exhibit with tunnels and fox holes. Finally, there is the HQ and the memorial site.
Although the exhibits may be a bit one sided, it is a fresh perspective on what nationhood means to Lebanon. The museum won't change anyone's mind about the Middle East situation, but it might help you give a new way to look at things.
Do your best to ditch the local museum guide. The local guides hammer you with anti-Israeli propaganda. The exhibits speak for themselves. Let them speak to you.
Although the exhibits may be a bit one sided, it is a fresh perspective on what nationhood means to Lebanon. The museum won't change anyone's mind about the Middle East situation, but it might help you give a new way to look at things.
Do your best to ditch the local museum guide. The local guides hammer you with anti-Israeli propaganda. The exhibits speak for themselves. Let them speak to you.
Written January 5, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
TravelbugVietnam
Vietnam1,647 contributions
Oct 2012 • Solo
Mleeta is a brilliantly designed war museum depicting the history of of the resistance who fought against the Israeli army in southern Lebanon in 1982. The site is where the resistance fighters actually lived and fought, and you can look at the surrounding hills and imagine the battles that are depicted in the displays. There is a film shown in various languages and the volunteer guides also speak many languages. There are walkways showing bunkers and a collection of tanks and other remnants of war in a large sunken central display area. There are many areas for quiet contemplation and it is quite a spiritual place. Another building houses a restaurant. Make it a day trip and combine it with a walk through the Chouf Cedar Reserve.
Written October 28, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Nate B
Dublin, Ireland568 contributions
Jan 2014 • Couples
Visited mleeta with my girlfriend, we were quoted ridiculous prices by taxis from beirut but as with baalbek and byblos etc we took a local bus which cost next to nothing 1-3000 ll, the buses go from 'cola street' and let you off at saida however from there we had to get a taxi, the driver drove us up the mountains, about 40 mins and waited for 2 hours before driving us back to the bus for beirut for 50,000 which was fair price i think, entrance is cheap to the museum which is very very clean and amazingly laid out, we were escorted around the main attraction by a hezbollah guide, very friendly guy and very informative before we were allowed to wander the tunnels and trenches by ourselves however we were not so subtly followed by 2 staff everywhere, being the only foreigners there we kind of expected it though. You ideally want 3 hours here we were rushed because the driver was waiting but the views alone are stunning and the design of the displays etc are very very professional it can be a little daunting going there but seemed quite safe and peaceful, something different for your trip!
Written February 10, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sarbani M
Bangalore, Karnataka, India17 contributions
May 2013 • Couples
The experience of visiting Hezbollah theme park is beyond words. If one has to understand the present Lebanese history, then its a "must visit" site. It transports one back to the 80's when the Resistance forces fought with Israelis to push them out.
The thoughts and emotions that have gone in designing the place- be in architecture or in landscaping, is something one has to see to believe. I got goose bumps while listening to the war stories.
First we saw a small documentary on the war. I could not get the entire essence of the war ( while watching the film) as I had to read the subtitles. Our guide, Mr Mohammad was extremely well informed on the subject. We must have asked him hundreds of questions based on our knowledge acquired via media. Some of them definitely were uncomfortable for him. But, he was very patient in explaining to us each of the aspects. His narrative skills are such that it will move even the strongest opposition. Allah Yaatik Allafi!
My voice chocked, thinking that the resistance force did not have enough weapons to fight their enemy. Standing in front of the prayer room of a fighter or inside the bunker or in front of a shoot out point - the experience was just too overwhelming.
I feel this is a very intelligent way of telling the world - their stories. The version we get from media is usually biassed and one sided. We need to listen to both sides before passing any judgement.
I am thankful to Ministry of Tourism in Lebanon for having given the world a chance to listen to the other side of the war with Israel.
May truth prevail....
The thoughts and emotions that have gone in designing the place- be in architecture or in landscaping, is something one has to see to believe. I got goose bumps while listening to the war stories.
First we saw a small documentary on the war. I could not get the entire essence of the war ( while watching the film) as I had to read the subtitles. Our guide, Mr Mohammad was extremely well informed on the subject. We must have asked him hundreds of questions based on our knowledge acquired via media. Some of them definitely were uncomfortable for him. But, he was very patient in explaining to us each of the aspects. His narrative skills are such that it will move even the strongest opposition. Allah Yaatik Allafi!
My voice chocked, thinking that the resistance force did not have enough weapons to fight their enemy. Standing in front of the prayer room of a fighter or inside the bunker or in front of a shoot out point - the experience was just too overwhelming.
I feel this is a very intelligent way of telling the world - their stories. The version we get from media is usually biassed and one sided. We need to listen to both sides before passing any judgement.
I am thankful to Ministry of Tourism in Lebanon for having given the world a chance to listen to the other side of the war with Israel.
May truth prevail....
Written May 16, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Fi S
London, UK525 contributions
May 2018 • Solo
This place is on the site of previous fighting with the Israelis, and is now used to commemorate those killed. Israeli artefacts of war have been creatively set in a central viewing area. You can then walk through paths down into tunnels used by Hezbollah fighters when sheltering from shelling. Everywhere there are things to see, and the guides are only too happy to give you their perspective of this highly controversial period of history. If the cloud base is not obscuring the views across the valley you can look across buffer land which United Nations soldiers still peace-keep. Interesting and very thought provoking.
Written May 20, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
rogerevans115
Kathmandu, Nepal2 contributions
Mar 2017 • Solo
I have been to Israel twice and Lebanon twice. I know which country makes you feel most welcome. no doubt about it.
Written February 26, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ziadzoubian
Beirut, Lebanon287 contributions
Jun 2015 • Couples
Mlita is a unique outdoor museum which is a MUST if you were visiting South of Lebanon.
This museum is informative and gives you a different perspective of the Lebanese-Israelli war and some of the Resistances “secrets” of how they fought Israel.
The site of the museum is on a hill with a panoramic view (AMAZING views of the nearby hills and far away mountains). This hill was used as a base to initiate resistance against the nearby occupied hills (you will see them!!)
The entrance fee is cheap 2000 L.L. (1.2 $) compared to the experience, information and the wonderful views you will be provided.
There you will see different weapons Hezbollah used.
Exhibition of Israeli weapons, tools confiscated by Hezbollah.
Bunker that was used by Hezbollah men.
The 200 meters Tunnel that was dig manually for 3 years.
The spy airplanes Hezbollah flied over Palestine and came back safely.
And a lot of more information.
I will not list all but there are the highlights.
Go by yourself!!
This museum is informative and gives you a different perspective of the Lebanese-Israelli war and some of the Resistances “secrets” of how they fought Israel.
The site of the museum is on a hill with a panoramic view (AMAZING views of the nearby hills and far away mountains). This hill was used as a base to initiate resistance against the nearby occupied hills (you will see them!!)
The entrance fee is cheap 2000 L.L. (1.2 $) compared to the experience, information and the wonderful views you will be provided.
There you will see different weapons Hezbollah used.
Exhibition of Israeli weapons, tools confiscated by Hezbollah.
Bunker that was used by Hezbollah men.
The 200 meters Tunnel that was dig manually for 3 years.
The spy airplanes Hezbollah flied over Palestine and came back safely.
And a lot of more information.
I will not list all but there are the highlights.
Go by yourself!!
Written June 16, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
laurasaridavis
Santa Cruz, CA29 contributions
Jan 2017 • Couples
A day trip to Mleeta is worth the uncertainty of the adventure.
We'd heard from several people that the Mleeta Museum, celebrating the victory of Hezbollah over Israel, was a must-do day trip from Beirut. Many people rent a car to go to this unusual, extremely well-executed propaganda museum celebrating Hezbollah, but I didn't feel confident driving with the crazy Lebanese drivers--especially while trying to find my way since I speak no Arabic and couldn't read the signs.
My partner and I set out to follow the instructions here on Trip advisor and also on the Mleeta website. We took a serveece from the neighborhood we are staying in to the Cola area. When we started asking around about a bus to Nabiteya, the drivers insisted there was no bus to Nabiteya and that the only way was to go by taxi. We knew this wasn't true, that there was an alternative to just taking a taxi all the way because we'd read enough accounts of people doing it. When we heard there was a bus to Saida, we jumped on that one because I'd read we could grab a taxi to the museum from there as well. That bus cost 20,000 Lebanese pounds each (1.50 US). A man sitting next to us spoke enough English to be able to understand what we wanted (methalf Mleeta: museum Mleeta) and he spoke to the driver in Arabic and then assured us when he got off the bus, that the driver would take us to the right transfer point. He was right--and the ride past the Saida waterfront was beautiful.
The bus driver found us a taxi and when we tried to negotiate the price, we realized there was no common language between us and the driver. We though he'd cited $14 dollars US first as the price, but that seemed low for the estimates we'd read, but we said yes anyway and drove off in an old rattletrap Mercedes. A bit later it became clear we weren't clear on the price. I tried using google translate, but that failed. Finally he pulled over and I pulled out my conversion app which showed the price in both Lebanese and American dollars. We set a price of $59 US round trip for the two of us, including him waiting for us for as long as we wanted. I gestured three hours. Then he'd take us back to the bus stop in Saida for the van back to Beirut.
The drive to the museum was beautiful and took about an hour. The fee at the gate had doubled from 2000 to 4000 per person, which at three dollars a person still seemed like a real bargain.
We were greeted by a guide who spoke excellent English and he led us into an opening movie--basically a well made propaganda film full of dramatic music and war images, casting the Israelis as the evil invaders and Hezbollah as the virtuous liberators. It was fascinating. I certainly saw myself as a visitor, there to take in their point of view and not to argue politics or discuss terrorism. I even covered my head in respect and because I was sick of being stared at for my very short female hair. Wearing a scarf was a relief!
The museum was incredibly well made. Most of it is outdoors. It is clearly laid out with signs in Arabic and English. The architecture and design were extremely well done and I kept wondering whose millions went into creating such an elegant well thought out portrayal of the war. It was a fascinating place to visit, regardless of how you feel about Middle East politics.
I won't describe the museum itself because so many others have done so here. I wanted to focus more on transit there and back because our experience differed from other posts.
We staying 2.5 hours and that seemed a leisurely amount of time to see everything.
When our driver brought us back to the lot that serves as the bus terminal in Saida, I handed him the 86,000 in Lebanese dollars and he communicated that I needed to pay him an additional 10,000 (about $6.50). I argued for a good long while, showing him the screen on the phone we'd agreed to, but he kept insisting (nicely) and there was absolutely no way for me to understand what he was saying. Was he asking for a tip? Saying the conversion app was wrong? Asking to be paid for waiting for us for so long? The vibe was not the vibe of being ripped off. And do we paid him the extra and he gestured for us to follow him and he led us to the right bus (I'm sure we could have managed this on our own) by walking up to the different vans and asking, bus, Beirut?
Our transit was more expensive than we anticipated, but I'd call the day a very successful adventure with just the right amount of uncertainty and success. I'd highly recommend it as a day trip from Beirut if you've got a taste for a little adventure and a fascinating unique museum experience in a beautiful setting. The trip to the Hezbollah museum was well worth the uncertain adventure getting there.
We'd heard from several people that the Mleeta Museum, celebrating the victory of Hezbollah over Israel, was a must-do day trip from Beirut. Many people rent a car to go to this unusual, extremely well-executed propaganda museum celebrating Hezbollah, but I didn't feel confident driving with the crazy Lebanese drivers--especially while trying to find my way since I speak no Arabic and couldn't read the signs.
My partner and I set out to follow the instructions here on Trip advisor and also on the Mleeta website. We took a serveece from the neighborhood we are staying in to the Cola area. When we started asking around about a bus to Nabiteya, the drivers insisted there was no bus to Nabiteya and that the only way was to go by taxi. We knew this wasn't true, that there was an alternative to just taking a taxi all the way because we'd read enough accounts of people doing it. When we heard there was a bus to Saida, we jumped on that one because I'd read we could grab a taxi to the museum from there as well. That bus cost 20,000 Lebanese pounds each (1.50 US). A man sitting next to us spoke enough English to be able to understand what we wanted (methalf Mleeta: museum Mleeta) and he spoke to the driver in Arabic and then assured us when he got off the bus, that the driver would take us to the right transfer point. He was right--and the ride past the Saida waterfront was beautiful.
The bus driver found us a taxi and when we tried to negotiate the price, we realized there was no common language between us and the driver. We though he'd cited $14 dollars US first as the price, but that seemed low for the estimates we'd read, but we said yes anyway and drove off in an old rattletrap Mercedes. A bit later it became clear we weren't clear on the price. I tried using google translate, but that failed. Finally he pulled over and I pulled out my conversion app which showed the price in both Lebanese and American dollars. We set a price of $59 US round trip for the two of us, including him waiting for us for as long as we wanted. I gestured three hours. Then he'd take us back to the bus stop in Saida for the van back to Beirut.
The drive to the museum was beautiful and took about an hour. The fee at the gate had doubled from 2000 to 4000 per person, which at three dollars a person still seemed like a real bargain.
We were greeted by a guide who spoke excellent English and he led us into an opening movie--basically a well made propaganda film full of dramatic music and war images, casting the Israelis as the evil invaders and Hezbollah as the virtuous liberators. It was fascinating. I certainly saw myself as a visitor, there to take in their point of view and not to argue politics or discuss terrorism. I even covered my head in respect and because I was sick of being stared at for my very short female hair. Wearing a scarf was a relief!
The museum was incredibly well made. Most of it is outdoors. It is clearly laid out with signs in Arabic and English. The architecture and design were extremely well done and I kept wondering whose millions went into creating such an elegant well thought out portrayal of the war. It was a fascinating place to visit, regardless of how you feel about Middle East politics.
I won't describe the museum itself because so many others have done so here. I wanted to focus more on transit there and back because our experience differed from other posts.
We staying 2.5 hours and that seemed a leisurely amount of time to see everything.
When our driver brought us back to the lot that serves as the bus terminal in Saida, I handed him the 86,000 in Lebanese dollars and he communicated that I needed to pay him an additional 10,000 (about $6.50). I argued for a good long while, showing him the screen on the phone we'd agreed to, but he kept insisting (nicely) and there was absolutely no way for me to understand what he was saying. Was he asking for a tip? Saying the conversion app was wrong? Asking to be paid for waiting for us for so long? The vibe was not the vibe of being ripped off. And do we paid him the extra and he gestured for us to follow him and he led us to the right bus (I'm sure we could have managed this on our own) by walking up to the different vans and asking, bus, Beirut?
Our transit was more expensive than we anticipated, but I'd call the day a very successful adventure with just the right amount of uncertainty and success. I'd highly recommend it as a day trip from Beirut if you've got a taste for a little adventure and a fascinating unique museum experience in a beautiful setting. The trip to the Hezbollah museum was well worth the uncertain adventure getting there.
Written January 6, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
jyoti307
Cairo, Egypt40 contributions
May 2013 • Couples
I didn't find the place in lonely planet but we were really fortunate since our cabbie cum guide advised us to visit this place. The place will remind you the days when Lebanon was under Israeli Occupation. You will really feel how strongly those Lebanese martyrs fought and shed their blood to free their motherland from Israeli invaders
Written August 20, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
StilaTraveler
New York City, NY245 contributions
Mar 2012 • Solo
This was an eye opening site...and very informative. This basically used to be an old base for Hezbollah (as I understand it). You can see where the resistance fighters lived, slept, remnants of battle badges (Israeli tank, helmets, etc.). Words really can't do justice nor can photos. It was surreal visiting this place. We hired a private car in Beirut to drive us out here. It was not too expensive, couple hours driving and we were there. It was virtually empty when we got there...no people at all aside from a couple of workers. We eventually ran into a local family and the first thing they asked was "Do you like Israel? If you do, you cannot be here". Yep...
DO say thank you, this is great, very educational, etc.
DO NOT in any way, insult or question their beliefs, system, or history. You wouldn't do that at a war memorial in the U.S., so don't do it here either. Have some respect please.
DO say thank you, this is great, very educational, etc.
DO NOT in any way, insult or question their beliefs, system, or history. You wouldn't do that at a war memorial in the U.S., so don't do it here either. Have some respect please.
Written February 28, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Are there safety concerns for Americans visiting Mleeta from Beirut? I'd like to hire a car for a day and see Mleeta as well as a few other places in the southern part of the country. Are Americans welcome here?
Written May 31, 2017
I visited in March as part of a conference in Beirut, i went with 4 Americans there who didn't encounter any trouble at all. Indeed 1 of them works in Beirut and the other two study in Beirut and Tehran and encounter no problems either.
If i were you though i would definitely hire a taxi for the day, Lebanese driving is in the politest way possible, highly questionable especially if you're not used to it. Either way have a great time!
Written June 7, 2017
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