Free Nights at Mara House – Why I’ve Changed My Group Tours
Over the last two months, I’ve been revising and refining my group tours for 2025 and beyond. Not because they weren’t already good—but because I believe in doing better every year. That means adapting, rethinking, and responding to what I see happening on the ground in Egypt.
One of the most important changes I’ve made is to offer up to three extra nights at Mara House—completely free of charge, including breakfast— before our group tours even begin.
Let me tell you why.
But First -Why I Still Personally Accompany My Group Tours
I love these trips. Always have. The friendships, the conversations, the shared discoveries—I get as much out of them as my guests do. Meeting new people is one of my greatest joys. It gives me the chance to see Egypt again and again through fresh eyes.
But I don’t just come along for the fun. I’m there because Egypt is a place that needs translation—not just of language, but of experience. And, to do justice to this amazing country, it needs translation by a foreigner who love it. A place this layered, this beautiful, and this complicated deserves a guide who can open it up with care. And that’s what I do.
What Changed After the November 2024 Tour
In November 2024, I led a group that included my grandson, Adam, and my closest friend. As always, I’d made changes to the itinerary—updates I felt would improve the flow and give guests a deeper understanding of Egypt. But I hadn’t anticipated just how much Egypt had changed since my last tour in 2019. Nor, to be honest, how much I had changed myself. The years are passing faster now!
Some changes in Egypt were welcome. But others—particularly in tourism procedures, logistics, and site re-organisation—were more complex, less thoughtful, and frankly, less guest-friendly. Many tour operators working day in and day out won’t have noticed the small things that have slipped or disappeared. But having returned with fresh eyes, I noticed them immediately.
These aren’t minor details. They’re the quiet gaps in service and accessibility that directly affect how a visitor experiences Egypt. And if operators don’t see what’s missing, how can they compensate for it?
That’s where I come in. With over 20 years of guiding under my belt, I know how things should work—and more importantly, I know how to step in when they don’t. When service falls short, we quietly pick up the slack. When logistics falter, I adapt. My job isn’t just to follow a script—it’s to hold the experience together when everything else is trying to pull it apart.
What Was Missing: Time Together
One of the biggest lessons from that 2024 tour? We didn’t have enough time together. Real time. Time to simply talk, rest, reflect, and enjoy each other’s company.
Even though I was sharing a hotel room and cruise cabin with Adam and my friend, we often felt like ships passing in the night. And while I loved sharing meals and moments with the wider group when possible, I kept wishing for more time to truly connect. Not in the middle of sightseeing. Not between buses and monuments. But real, unstructured time.
Some of that was my fault. I’d packed the itinerary too tightly, wanting to show everything—which is, of course, impossible in Egypt. And to top it off, I injured my spine climbing into the subterranean chamber of the Great Pyramid during our private visit. I really don’t know how I completed the trip -part of me must have gone to a parallel universe or something! The injury made the rest of the trip more challenging for me physically, but it also slowed me down enough to see what really matters on these journeys.
I’ve since spent months recovering—and just as much time reflecting and revising. I’ve now republished the itineraries four times. I think I’ve finally got them just right.
Why I’m Offering Free Extra Nights at Mara House
I want us to begin our adventure differently. I want to start slow. I want time to settle in with my fellow adventurers, to talk, to answer your questions, fill you in on whats what, local customs, why some things are the way they are, why everything is not always as it seems, and to share the stories that make Egypt come alive. Not the ones in the guidebooks—but the ones that speak to your individual curiosities and interests.
And I want us to do it from a place that feels like home: Mara House.
Those three extra nights are yours, free of charge, including breakfast. If you can spare the time, come early and let’s ease into the journey together.
You’ll enjoy freshly prepared food from Amr’s kitchen—traditional Egyptian dishes, late-night fruit and ice cream, maybe a barbecue under the stars on the rooftop. We’ll take a sailing boat out for a picnic on the Nile. We’ll walk through normal Luxor life, beyond the tourist trail. Or we’ll just sit and chat, drink hibiscus tea, and get to know each other before the itinerary officially begins. Discover what makes Mara House unique
Because these aren’t just tours. They’re shared experiences. And the more time we have to connect, the richer the experience becomes for all of us.
If you are taking my private 9 night tour of Egypt and there are more than 4 in your traveling group, then your group can avail of 1 extra night free at Mara House before beginning your tour.
Looking forward to exploring Egypt together.
If you’re still planning your Egypt holiday, I recommend reading my full guide to help structure your time and avoid common mistakes.
Looking forward to welcoming you into my world,
Warmest wishes,
Mara
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