I have finally found a way to bring reviews and comments about Mara House and our Salahadeen Restaurant together within my own website.  Sadly, I have been unable to find many about the Salahadeen because it has been open only to Mara House guests for some years now and Tripadvisor has deleted the reviews.  The reviews here are gathered from sources such as Tripadvisor, Google Maps, guest blogs, letters from guests etc etc.  I hope they give you a feeling for what Mara House and ourselves are all about.  Enjoy – Mara

NOTE 8 Oct 2023.  – you will find the latest guest comments for now at the end of the Mara House Page here

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459 entries.
Dan R - USA wrote on 23/11/2022 at 2:22 am
I am 63 years old and Egypt has been on my bucket list for long time. We only had 12 days to see as many sites in Egypt as possible so we made the decision to hire Mara and her team in Luxor and we were very very happy we did. Her team (Mohamad and Mohamad) made the most of our time there and toured us through all the most important sites with their knowledge, ease and grace. Mohamad's tours were informative and comfortable and adapted to our particular interests. I highly recommend Mara’s team's tour services!

In regards to her hotel, it was as expected - very nice. Mara's manager, Amr, accommodated all our special requests and he even arranged and joined us on a feluca sailboat ride on the Nile. The one downside of her hotel is it is located probably 15 minutes walking distance from downtown. Amr solved that problem with several $1-2 taxi rides with his favorite taxi person.

Travelled Oct 2022. Reviewed on TripAdvisor Nov 2022
Ty from Los Angeles, California wrote on 22/11/2022 at 10:31 pm
We first read about Mara and Mara House in an Egypt guidebook when we we’re looking for someone to manage some tours for us.

We had a lovely suite and stayed for 4 nights. Breakfasts are included and wonderful. The hotel manager Amr is charming and very helpful. We had dinner in the hotel a couple nights after long days sightseeing and the food is as good as or better than anything else we had eaten in Egypt.

Mara arranged tours for us and we were joined by two, sometimes 3, other guests. The guide, Mohammed “Moh” and the tours were good. They’ll manage the driver. They even managed a day seeing sights in Aswan before we arrived in Luxor.

We highly recommend Mara House and the tours she offers. Couldn’t be happier.
Whitney wrote on 22/11/2022 at 10:19 am
5 out of 5
by Whitney on
Expedia
Posted Nov 22, 2022

If you're coming to Luxor do yourself a favor and stay at Mara's. Beautiful property, wonderful staff, delicious food. We had a seamless pick up from the airport (including a return trip to pick up lost luggage that Amr helped track down), on time pick up each day and an enthusiastic and knowledgable guide.

Amr and his family are fantastic hosts, kindly asking about our day and welcoming us into the space. Food was incredible.

My favorite day was the second, with the trip to Dendera. While the ride was long, it was comfortable and intriguing to see what life in Egypt is like outside of Cairo and Luxor proper. On my last day I had 12 hours in Cairo before flying out and Mara arranged a whirlwind visit to the pyramids, sphinx and Cairo Museum. Our guide had a PhD in Hieroglyphics and was extremely valuable in navigating all three locations.
RancourMonster from Hillsboro, Oregon, USA wrote on 13/11/2022 at 10:36 pm
Staying at Mara House in Luxor and also working with Mara to book tours throughout Egypt was one of the best decisions we could have made. Upon arriving in Luxor, we were provided with a free airport transfer to Mara House, where we were warmly greeted by Amr, which set the tone for the rest of our stay. Tastefully decorated and inviting, our suite included a kitchen, a large sitting area, clean bathroom, and comfortable beds. It was the people of Mara House, however, that truly made our time unforgettable. Amr is an excellent chef and served us some of the best food that we had in Egypt. Amr also helped us with many other things, such as answering complicated questions, arranging transportation, ordering takeout food, and even taking care of our laundry
.
Prior to arriving, we worked extensively with Mara to arrange tours not only in Luxor, but also in Giza, Aswan, and beyond. In Giza (as well as Memphis, Saqqara, and Dashur), we were escorted in private car by Mara’s incredibly knowledgeable Giza-based guide, Mohammed. Having a doctorate in Egyptology with an emphasis in hieroglyphics, Mohammed was able to accurately and concisely explain the many things we were seeing.

Much of our time in Luxor and Aswan was spent with Mara’s very capable and thoughtful Luxor-based guide, Mohammed (Mo for short). Along with providing interesting information on Ancient Egypt, Mo ensured we always had enough water and also had time to explore the many sites that we visited. Additionally, Mo made sure that we visited sites at times of day when crowds were at their lowest, which made our experiences more relaxing and enjoyable.
Joan B wrote on 05/04/2022 at 9:32 am
I chose Mara House because of her helpful and informative blog. I found Mara herself to be equally helpful and informative at all stages of my travel planning. She knows Egypt well and was invaluable at helping us to prioritise what we could do during our short stay.

For us, the highlight of the trip was Cairo. Mara's guide Suzy was excellent--knowledgeable, friendly, and overall a complete delight. She helped us negotiate our camel ride at Giza and buy things at the grocery store without getting ripped off, and she directed us to restaurants with prices printed on the menus so we didn't have to negotiate the price of dinner. She made visiting Cairo completely hassle-free, which was just wonderful for us.

We also enjoyed staying at Hotel Steigenberger in Cairo, which booked through Mara. She was able to match the price of booking.com but threw in free breakfast for the 5 of us (and the breakfast was excellent!).

In Luxor itself, we had a nice stay too. Mara House is a B&B off the beaten path. Our room was very spacious--more room than we needed for our family of 5, which was a surprise and delight. Amr was friendly and hospitable and a great home cook. We were surprised to have our sleep disturbed at dawn by the call to prayer, but in retrospect we shouldn't have been--that's just life in an Islamic country! I think we would have preferred to stay closer to downtown Luxor, but again, in the context of a comprehensive travel solution that included a chauffeur for anywhere we wanted to go, it was not a deal-breaker.

Mohamed, our guide in Luxor, was also very knowledgeable and personable, and did his job as a tour guide well. However, I found him less assertive than Suzy at protecting us from the hassle of street vendors and unwanted "helpers" at various points along the way (especially on the Valley of Kings tour). I think Mohamed is empathetically looking out for the livelihoods of the people whose economic circumstances are regrettably not great by not denying them opportunities to earn tips--and I understand and even respect that (even though it feels a bit like emotional extortion to have to tip for a service that was neither desired nor useful). But I was a bit disappointed at the level of hassle for me while touring Luxor, especially after a perfect trip to Cairo with Suzy.

But all in all, I would recommend Mara House as a travel agency as well as a B&B. We had a great trip and the level of hassle was lower than it would have been without the presence of our guides and drivers in both destinations. And I very much appreciated Mara's help as a travel planner--she saved me from several potential pitfalls and guided me towards a vacation we will always remember

Traveled as family of 5 Feb 2022. Reviewed on Tripadvisor April 2022

Booked 3 nights in Luxor and 3 nights in Cairo with tours
David S wrote on 13/03/2022 at 10:23 am
We had a great stay. We were very comfortable in our suite and were extremely well looked after by Anr and the team. The guided tours worked out perfectly. And we found getting in and out of central Luxor quite easy. A great opportunity to see an area of the city that’s untouristed.
Thank you Mara

Traveled as couple. Reviewed on Tripadvisor March 2022 Booked Luxor Holidays 3 Nights Package
Justin_U_CGAM – Atlanta, Georgia, USA wrote on 14/10/2021 at 7:10 am
I have recently stayed at Mara House in Luxor Egypt and thoroughly enjoyed my time here!

I opted for a three night stay and the three day tour of Luxor.

The accommodations are incredible! The room really blew me away. It doesn’t feel like a hotel, it feels like someone’s home. The location is in a residential area but a short walk to downtown Luxor and the Nile. The staff are amazing. Amr, the property manager, literally went above and beyond to make sure the trip was perfect. I cannot speak more highly of someone who just wanted to actually make my stay nice! The room is immaculate, the showers are awesome, air conditioning is cols, internet is fast, and the breakfast was delicious.

Staying at Mara House was was highlight of my trip. Definitely recommend.

– Reviewed on TripAdvisor 14 Oct 2021 – booked Luxor 3 Nights Package
Traveler84 from Raleigh, North Carolina, USA wrote on 12/05/2021 at 1:22 pm
"My wife, grown daughter, and I came to Egypt on Mara’s 9 day tour. As you know, the sights and food in Egypt are wonderful; this review will focus on post-Covid concerns you might have. We decided to come despite Covid because we are all vaccinated and Egypt has a low covid prevalence."

We almost missed our flight out of the US because they said our Covid test done on Saturday was too old for our flight on Monday. We had a rapid re-test on Monday am. I would suggest getting tests two days before your flight and then the day before your flight. Get the tests late in the day; for example if your flight leaves at 4pm, get swabbed at 4:30 pm. You want your tests to be as “fresh” as possible.

Mara made sure the Egyptian logistics were all very smooth. The guides (Mohammed Hedar and Mohammed Ahmed) were both very friendly, knowledgeable, and vaccinated. Most of the drivers were also vaccinated. I encouraged the hotel staff to get vaccinated also. We were touring from 9am to 3-5pm every day, after which we were tired and happy.

The Steigenberger hotel in Tahrir Square was modern and clean. It was near great restaurants including Felfala, Abou Tarek (khosary), and El Abd Pastry. The Old Cairo Museum was directly across the street. We walked 20 minutes to the Cairo tower.

We were the first group at Mara House since the pandemic began. As others have noted, the House is not in a scenic or walk-friendly area, but the rooms are huge, comfortable and cool. The chef, Amr, prepares very nice meals. On our free evening Amr arranged a car to take us to the Luxor museum and to watch the sunset from the waterfront.

The Nile cruise was on the Steigenberger Royale ship. It appeared to be the cleanest and newest boat in operation. It was limited to 50% occupancy. The staff did temperature checks, wore masks, etc. I don’t know whether they were vaccinated.

Our family was required to have a new Covid pcr test prior to departure due to regulations in Jordan, our next destination. The guide was very helpful in organizing this. It was pretty expensive but the nice printed documents were helpful in getting through the international flights.

Overall it was a great trip. We had Egypt basically to ourselves! What a great opportunity. I encourage you to email Mara and set up a trip soon before the crowds return.

Travelled as Family. Reviewed on TripAdvisor May 2021 – booked Egypt 9 Nighta Package
Val S wrote on 28/06/2020 at 9:33 pm
Words cannot describe how awesome Mara is. I am a seasoned solo traveler and never hired a guided tour, it's not my thing. Until I found Mara.

I carefully plan my trips and I have never had major issues, but when I started researching the Egypt leg of my Middle East and Africa trip, I realized I may need to cave in and go on some sort of tour. Some sort... I didn't want to go on these inflexible tours that did not leave me any time to wander by myself.

I started asking around, a friend of mine recommended me a tour guide that she said was "fantastic". I asked him for quotes, he was promising me a great hotel but doing further research I was told that the hotel was in an area not up to North American standards (this is not exactly what the Egyptian person I consulted said but let's leave it at that). In addition every service you think you are entitled to, as spelled out in your country's Constitution or the Charter of Rights and Freedoms in my case, is extra and this includes the use of toilet paper.

I then decided to ditch the guided tour and do it by myself, that is when I came across Mara's web page. Her blogs helped me realize that I really needed help if I didn't want to end up getting into a brawl over money in a foreign country. Her level of detail is second to none, for instance, when I got to the Cairo hotel, a suitcase lock and a box of antibiotics for gut bacteria were waiting for me. Her guides are deeply knowledgeable, respectful people and you are treated like a human being, not like cattle going in and out of a bus. Mara was extremely flexible with the schedule of tours, activities, time off to myself, arrival and departure times, etc... so many things to mention! Her house in Luxor is so beautiful and Amr's cooking so incredible that I regret not having eaten enough, it was ridiculously hot in July after all. One day I will go back just for the cooking.

I could probably go on and on about Mara but at this point I am probably losing you, so I am getting to the deal maker for me. Mara's service includes EVERYTHING, except for tips, and this should not come as a surprise if you read her blog about tips, which regretfully I did not, and it is on me. She goes above and beyond by paying extra to her tour guides so they do not make you waste an afternoon shopping at a bazaar in exchange for commissions, something that every tour guide does and would have bothered me. You can go to the bazaar by yourself if you want to, Mara's tours leave a fair bit of time for you to do as you please if that is your preference. Don't get me wrong, it is not the cheapest way to go but definitely the most money-wise one.

Sorry folks, getting to the end now. If you truly want to live the Egyptian experience within North American standards, Mara is your person. Her house is located in a Luxor neighbourhood, not in the five star hotels strip, and that is what I loved about it. The house has all the comforts: very spacious suites, comfortable beds, A/C, extremely clean and beautifully decorated. The cooking is sublime, I still dream about the food I could not eat because it was 46 degrees in the shade.

One last observation: if you suffer the hot weather avoid Egypt in July - August at all costs, unless you want to have the temples and tour guides all to yourself. Sometimes tolerating a bit of heat has its rewards.

Best of luck on your trip to Egypt and I hope you have as much of a blast as I did! If you don't, there is an "I told you so" with your name on it. 🙂

Traveled solo July2019.   Reviewed on TripAdvisor June 2020. Booked Luxor 3 Nights Package plus Cairo 3 Nights Package
lyndajack from Aberdeen, Scotland wrote on 20/05/2020 at 1:10 pm
Mara House was the icing on the cake of Luxor

"Mara House is a great escape from the hustle and bustle of Luxor - a comfortable and comforting retreat when you have had your fill of monuments and baksheesh. It revives you for another daily foray into the fascinating world of the Pharaohs and the no less beguiling contemporary life on the streets..

Mara herself is an excellent host (as you would expect from an expatriate Irishwoman) with plenty of sound advice, especially for the first time visitor to Egypt. Her consideration for her guests even extended to being up at the crack of dawn to make sure that our pick-up for a hot air balloon trip went smoothly.

Our stay in Egypt was stretched by an unexpected 10 days because of the disruption to flights caused by the volcanic eruption in Iceland. We were due to fly from Cairo and would have been homeless had we not been fortunate enough to obtain an apartment from "Rooms in Cairo" which is run by Mara's son Stephen and his partner Sara. The couple proved to be just as helpful and hospitable as Mara. The apartment was cool and spacious, simply decorated and very well situated in downtown Cairo. Stephen took us on a tour of the area, showing us places to eat and shop. This is a great part of Cairo where you are not constantly hastled for tips and taxi drivers charge reasonable prices. Cairo is the dirtiest, noisiest, smelliest, friendliest and most populous city we have ever been in and we enjoyed every minute of it not least because of our pad in Adly Street..."