Guest Book

This was my first trip to Egypt and I was a little unsure what to expect. Mara House couldn't have been a more perfect choice! The location in Luxor is fantastic - just a few minutes to the Nile, the temples, and the markets. The hotel is beautiful, with an open sitting area, large formal dining room, and large suites with a small in-suite kitchen and mini bar.

The staff are fantastic - honestly, the best group of people I've ever worked with through all my travels. The hotel manager, Ahmed, is warm and accommodating; every detail is worked and runs like clockwork. He is there if you need anything. The guide for Mara House - Mo - is so knowledgeable about both modern and antiquities Egypt and answered every question I had. He provides information about each one of the stops on the tour, so you get more than just snapshots on your trip. All of the drivers for Mara House are fantastic and will get you anywhere you want to go.

The itinerary Mara House has worked for the "3 Day Luxor Package" is perfect. You see enough sites without feeling rushed or overwhelmed. And with Mo's help, you'll understand the significance of each stop in the itinerary.

Overall, an incredible experience from start to finish. I would absolutely recommend Mara House to anyone, whether it's your first trip to Egypt or your 20th.

Thank you to Mara and the staff at Mara House!

We booked a 10 day trip with Mara House. Her team handled all arrangements as documented on her website. We arrived in Cairo and Fatima picked us up and transferred us to the Ramses Hilton (old hotel will review separately).

Over the time we were in Cairo Fatima was attentive and available for all questions. While in Luxor Ahmed was extremely attentive and coordinated our entire stay. He went above and beyond what any hotel concierge or staff would.

Mara House is very nice and the food was great, however if you want a hotel experience Mara House may not be for you since its on a residential area, but I would take this over any hotel in Luxor. The tours were great, we learned a lot and the best part for us, not for Egypt, is that most tour sites where empty. Thank you Mara and team!!!

Travelled June 2017 with family

I took the Mara House Luxor group tour in November 2016. Over five months later, I am still in awe of the experience. If you are looking for a trip that is forgettable the next month, you don’t want to use Mara House. However, if you are looking for a trip that you will fondly remember long after the journey has ended, Mara’s House is such a destination.

As a single female traveler, I was hesitant about safety. Prior to the trip, Mara quickly got back to me on every question that I emailed her. I wondered if she ever slept since I never had to wait long for her replies. Booking that trip was one of the best things I have ever done. Our small group was a joy to travel with on the daily adventures Mara planned out for us. On the first night meetup, she had us go around the group to not only introduce ourselves but ask what we wanted to accomplish for this trip. I was impressed that over the next 10 days, she worked to make each of our dreams a reality.

There were opportunities some of us took such as a side trip to Abu Simbel and touring the recently opened tombs such as Sety I. For the extra money and the expectation that this would be a once in a lifetime trip, I did it all and have no regrets. The days were busy but not hectic.

Mara is passionate about what she does and it shows in the exceptional staff that she has assembled to make your stay a pleasurable one. It was also educational not only learning about Egypt’s past but the present hopes and future dreams of its people. I cannot sing enough praises for the staff. They were remarkable! After all, that is what travel should include in being able to get a taste of the culture of the country that you visit.

Speaking of taste, you will not get any better food than what is prepared at Mara House. The stairs to the various room levels may be a little challenging for some, but I found it not an issue. The room was clean and I had fun using the shower in the bathroom. After all, travel is about new experiences. It is located on a side street and if you are lucky you might get to see the camel right down the road.

If you are thinking about visiting Egypt, don’t let this opportunity pass to experience the hospitality at Mara House Luxor. You won’t forget it (in a good way)!

I had a wonderful time in February 2017 with Mohamed and Fatima. I enjoyed the Pyramids of course, but also 2 tours of different areas of Cairo. The Ramses Hilton hotel was spectacular, and Fatima and Mohamed and their drivers were extremely knowledgeable and helpful. I guess what makes them so excellent compared to other tours I have done is that they made me feel they were excited to be my tour guide. They had great enthusiasm and I felt very comfortable under their guidance. I have already recommended the tours to other travelers.

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