Guest Book

If Egypt is on your bucket list, as it was on ours, then hesitate no longer because Mara and her wonderful crew are here to make your visit to the Land of the Pharaohs all that you dreamed of and more. All the glowing accolades you’ve read about “Egypt with Mara” are true. We’ll give you a few highlights.

- Pre-trip communication: Before our trip, Mara answered each and every question we had, no matter how niggly, via email promptly and in great detail. We were as prepared as we could be having taken Mara’s advice on what to bring and what to expect. (And for those who wonder “Is Egypt safe?”, the answer is yes. Never once did we feel otherwise. And just to make sure, there was an armed security guard on our van,as well as a military escort.)

-Welcome to Egypt: Mara’s right-hand woman is Fatma,a lovely young Egyptian whose smile brightened our time in Cairo. She greeted us at the airport, escorted us to the hotel and made sure we felt like part of the family. Fatma is a gifted multi-media artist, intelligent and insightful, and it was delight to learn about the life of contemporary Egyptian Muslims through her.

-Hit the ground running: From the moment we arrived, our days were packed from morning to night with visits to the major sites up and down the Nile. Mara’s guides were knowledgeable, friendly and patient. We had a succession of Mohammeds, but the one we spent the most time with was with us from Luxor to Aswan. He looked remarkably like Barack Obama and good-naturedly crammed as much information as would fit into our whirling heads. He rounded up the stragglers, kept things moving and made sure all questions were answered.

-Go with the flow: While we did everything that Mara promised we would do, the sequence of events sometimes had to be rearranged because Egyptian schedules can be somewhat vague.
She advised early on that we’d have a much better time if we simply went with the flow, and that occasionally things worked out even better than planned. That being said, if someone in the group had something special in mind to do, Mara was delighted to make every effort to see that it was done.

-Shopping: Mara is strictly about making you happy.. We were there to see the wonders of ancient and modern Egypt, not to spend time in souvenir shops or alabaster and papyrus factories. However, Mara understood that most visitors like to bring something home with them, and there is an afternoon devoted to the market Khan Al-Khalili, where guests are not directed to any shop in particular for the commission, but pointed toward the section of the market where you’ll find what you want.

-Conclusion: Of course, a written description can never convey the experience of actually being there, but you can expect a well-organized, thoughtful, fun, and memorable experience if you throw in your lot with Mara. Her delightful Irish wit kept things light and enjoyable. She also has a deep grasp of the esoteric side of the temples, tombs and monuments of ancient Egypt and understood when I unexpectedly had what she called “a moment” in the Temple at Abydos.
We recommend without reservation “Egypt with Mara” for your visit to the land of the Pharaohs
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Fiona and Kevin Gordon