Marie Vaughan – known in Egypt simply as Mara – has lived and worked in Luxor since 2003. She is the founder of Mara House Luxor and a certified Fora Travel advisor.
Over two decades of on-the-ground residence in Upper Egypt is the foundation of everything on this site – every itinerary, every recommendation, every article. Not research. Not visits. Lived experience, continuously updated.
Her work centres on designing journeys that go beyond what is publicly available – including permitted private access to sites that are otherwise closed: the interior of the Great Pyramid after dark, the Sphinx enclosure at ground level, the Osirion at Abydos, Abu Ghurab, and the hidden Sekhmet sanctuary at Karnak are just a few. These are not upgrades or add-ons. They are the result of long-term relationships and permissions built over many years.
Mara is connected through marriage to the family of the last royal dynasty of Egypt – the descendants of Muhammad Ali – and Mara House displays what is believed to be the largest photographic collection of that dynasty on display in any one place today.
She is the designer of Egypt’s most comprehensive 2027 total solar eclipse travel packages, two of which are already sold out.
Resident in Luxor since 2003 · Founder, Mara House Luxor · Certified Fora Travel Advisor · Private access provider · Connected to the Muhammad Ali royal dynasty of Egypt · Designer of 2027 solar eclipse packages
Elsewhere online:
LinkedIn · Fora Travel profile · Mara House Luxor
The question everyone asks — why Egypt, and why did she stay – is answered in full here: Who is Mara →