I’ve finally gathered reviews and comments about Mara House and our Salahadeen Restaurant here on my own website. There aren’t many for Salahadeen, as it’s been open only to Mara House guests for years and TripAdvisor has since removed those reviews. These come from TripAdvisor, Google Maps, guest blogs, letters, and other kind words shared over time. Some are missing, as I hadn’t realized TripAdvisor began deleting reviews from tour guests who did their tours with us but who didn’t stay at Mara House. I hope these words give you a true sense of who we are and what Mara House is all about. Enjoy, Mara
471 entries.
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
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
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..."
"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..."
We were taken care of from the moment we arrived at the airport through our departure after 10 days in Egypt. I can't say enough about the accommodation, food, tour guides, tour managers and the quality of our itinerary. We saw the best of the best and the timing was designed to minimize waits. Just one example was arriving at the great pyramids in Giza before the tour busses arrived so that we were actually the only ones in the great pyramid at the time. Mara usually has more guests but as it turned out we were the only ones on our tour. I am willing to bet that any other tour company would have cancelled us. Because every guide, driver, tour coordinator we had was Egyptian, we feel we had a more authentic experience than we would have with a North American Company. Egypt itself was awesome, and even better with Mara and her fabulous local staff.
Traveled as couple Sept 2019. Reviewed on Tripadvisor May 2020. Booked the Egypt 9 Nights Package
Traveled as couple Sept 2019. Reviewed on Tripadvisor May 2020. Booked the Egypt 9 Nights Package
Being a solo traveler to a country such as Egypt can be a little daunting. Thankfully I found Mara House early in the planning stages of my trip. I found Mara's blog posts invaluable - I read them all, some of them several times! I ended up booking the 9 night Egypt tour with an extra night in Cairo so I could add on a day trip to Alexandria.
I didn't actually have much communication with Mara herself - in fact I only got my actual itinerary when I emailed Mara the day before I left on my trip to ask for it, and she wasn't in Luxor when I arrived. However all her guides were fabulous! Ahmed was in constant contact making sure my trip was running smoothly. Nothing was too much trouble for him. A BIG thanks to Ahmed for letting me borrow his USB charger for my phone while I was in Cairo!!
Suzie and our driver in Cairo were both incredible. Thank you for taking us to eat at local places, I enjoyed the koshari immensely 🙂 Driving around Garbage city was a fun experience for me!
Mohamed took us to Alexandria for the day and was a terrific guide. So full of knowledge and very easy to get along with.
Once arriving at Mara House in Luxor, Amr took great care of us and fed us until I was fit to burst! The food was sensational - I only wish I could've eaten more. Mara House itself is just like staying in someones home. The suite I had was massive, with my own balcony, sitting room and extra large bedroom. I appreciated the suburban location so I could get a real feel for the way regular Egyptians live, however I did miss being able to easily take a stroll along the Nile - it's a good 20-30 minute walk to the river so wasn't very convenient to take an evening wander. I also missed small things such as having instant hot water and amenities such as shampoo etc available in the room.
Mohamed was our guide for our entire time in Luxor and on the cruise. You couldn't ask for a better person to accompany you on the tour. Full of interesting facts and stories. I don't think there was one question I had that he didn't know the answer for. I felt very lucky to have him during my time there!
I had such an amazing time in Egypt I'm already planning my return, this time bringing a bunch of my family members with me! I will definitely be booking with Mara House again! Thank you for making my trip to Egypt so special.
Reviewed on Google Maps 6 March 2020 - booked Egypt Holidays 9 Nights Package
I didn't actually have much communication with Mara herself - in fact I only got my actual itinerary when I emailed Mara the day before I left on my trip to ask for it, and she wasn't in Luxor when I arrived. However all her guides were fabulous! Ahmed was in constant contact making sure my trip was running smoothly. Nothing was too much trouble for him. A BIG thanks to Ahmed for letting me borrow his USB charger for my phone while I was in Cairo!!
Suzie and our driver in Cairo were both incredible. Thank you for taking us to eat at local places, I enjoyed the koshari immensely 🙂 Driving around Garbage city was a fun experience for me!
Mohamed took us to Alexandria for the day and was a terrific guide. So full of knowledge and very easy to get along with.
Once arriving at Mara House in Luxor, Amr took great care of us and fed us until I was fit to burst! The food was sensational - I only wish I could've eaten more. Mara House itself is just like staying in someones home. The suite I had was massive, with my own balcony, sitting room and extra large bedroom. I appreciated the suburban location so I could get a real feel for the way regular Egyptians live, however I did miss being able to easily take a stroll along the Nile - it's a good 20-30 minute walk to the river so wasn't very convenient to take an evening wander. I also missed small things such as having instant hot water and amenities such as shampoo etc available in the room.
Mohamed was our guide for our entire time in Luxor and on the cruise. You couldn't ask for a better person to accompany you on the tour. Full of interesting facts and stories. I don't think there was one question I had that he didn't know the answer for. I felt very lucky to have him during my time there!
I had such an amazing time in Egypt I'm already planning my return, this time bringing a bunch of my family members with me! I will definitely be booking with Mara House again! Thank you for making my trip to Egypt so special.
Reviewed on Google Maps 6 March 2020 - booked Egypt Holidays 9 Nights Package
I’ve wanted to visit Egypt since before I can remember, but everyone I’ve known who’s been there has told me that due to the hassle from the touts and the difficulties of getting around Cairo and the country, you really need to take a guided tour. I’ve always traveled on my own, and I’d never been part of a tour group for longer than a day trip, so that worried me. But last year I got serious about going, and while researching, stumbled across Mara House, which turned out to have the best itinerary of any tour I’d found. And after contacting Mara, I was amazed to find out it also had the best price, and her blog had answers to every question I had about traveling in Egypt, and many I didn’t know I had.
So this month I took the 9-night Egypt tour package, and also did the optional tours of Coptic Cairo, the day trip to Alexandria, and Abu Simbel. And the whole experience was even better than I’d dreamed, seeing everything I ever wanted to see with guides whose stories and explanations made everything more memorable. My thanks to Ayman who smoothed my arrival in Cairo; Suzy who took us to Coptic Cairo, Giza, and the Egyptian Museum; Mohammed who took us to Alexandria; and Mohammed who guided us around Luxor, on the cruise, and to Abu Simbel. Mara House in Luxor is beautiful—I especially enjoyed the rooftop terrace--and Amr was not only an excellent host who answered every request but was also responsible for the incredible meals.
Special thanks to Ahmed, who not only guided the Medieval Cairo tour, but checked in with us every day in Cairo by phone or in person to make sure everything was going well. Then on my final day, I got to be a test subject as Ahmed did a trial run of the new Royal Cairo tour, which I can heartily recommend. We began at Manial Palace on the island of Roda for a history of the Egyptian royal family. Next we went to the City of the Dead to see two astonishing tombs; one neglected, full of graves, and haunting; the other still beautifully maintained thanks to continual upkeep paid for by a royal abroad who intends to be buried there. We ended up with more royal tombs in the mosques of Sultan Hassan and al-Rifai, which are worth seeing on their own, and since they’re right across from Saladin’s Citadel, Ahmed offered to take me there as well, where I got a last view over Cairo to the pyramids.
I also want to mention the wonderful staff and service at the Steinberger El Tahrir, and aboard the MS Concerto, as well as the friendly drivers. I can’t thank Mara and her colleagues enough, and will be recommending Mara House tours to everyone who wants to explore Egypt.
Traveled solo. Reviewed on TripAdvisor 29 Feb 2020 - Egypt Holidays Package - 9 nights
So this month I took the 9-night Egypt tour package, and also did the optional tours of Coptic Cairo, the day trip to Alexandria, and Abu Simbel. And the whole experience was even better than I’d dreamed, seeing everything I ever wanted to see with guides whose stories and explanations made everything more memorable. My thanks to Ayman who smoothed my arrival in Cairo; Suzy who took us to Coptic Cairo, Giza, and the Egyptian Museum; Mohammed who took us to Alexandria; and Mohammed who guided us around Luxor, on the cruise, and to Abu Simbel. Mara House in Luxor is beautiful—I especially enjoyed the rooftop terrace--and Amr was not only an excellent host who answered every request but was also responsible for the incredible meals.
Special thanks to Ahmed, who not only guided the Medieval Cairo tour, but checked in with us every day in Cairo by phone or in person to make sure everything was going well. Then on my final day, I got to be a test subject as Ahmed did a trial run of the new Royal Cairo tour, which I can heartily recommend. We began at Manial Palace on the island of Roda for a history of the Egyptian royal family. Next we went to the City of the Dead to see two astonishing tombs; one neglected, full of graves, and haunting; the other still beautifully maintained thanks to continual upkeep paid for by a royal abroad who intends to be buried there. We ended up with more royal tombs in the mosques of Sultan Hassan and al-Rifai, which are worth seeing on their own, and since they’re right across from Saladin’s Citadel, Ahmed offered to take me there as well, where I got a last view over Cairo to the pyramids.
I also want to mention the wonderful staff and service at the Steinberger El Tahrir, and aboard the MS Concerto, as well as the friendly drivers. I can’t thank Mara and her colleagues enough, and will be recommending Mara House tours to everyone who wants to explore Egypt.
Traveled solo. Reviewed on TripAdvisor 29 Feb 2020 - Egypt Holidays Package - 9 nights
We spent a fantastic 4 days with our 4 children ( 4, 8, 10 and 12 years) exploring Luxor and its surroundings. Mara has a great set up and we had a very spacious 3 bed apartment for the duration. Each day was action packed with great day trips to Luxor's East Bank Temples, its West Bank tombs, including the Valley of the Kings, and a day trip the temples at Dendera and Abydos. All rounded off with a Felucca trip on the Nile.
If you are looking to avoid a standard hotel experience, Mara House is the place for you. Hats off to Amr for the great care and attention he gave us.
Bottom line is the kids' loved staying at Mara House,and they are very hard to please. Highly recommended and a great change of pace.
Ireland will have a direct flight from Dublin to Cairo from June 2020, so why not use it to come to Luxor and stay at this charming holiday option!
Reviewed on TripAdvisor 23 Feb 2020. Luxor Holidays 3 Nights Package
If you are looking to avoid a standard hotel experience, Mara House is the place for you. Hats off to Amr for the great care and attention he gave us.
Bottom line is the kids' loved staying at Mara House,and they are very hard to please. Highly recommended and a great change of pace.
Ireland will have a direct flight from Dublin to Cairo from June 2020, so why not use it to come to Luxor and stay at this charming holiday option!
Reviewed on TripAdvisor 23 Feb 2020. Luxor Holidays 3 Nights Package
If you are interested in more than the usual tour offerings to Egypt, do not look past Mara. She organises excellent tours out of Cairo as well as Luxor where Mara House is located. We did the Gayer Anderson House and Medieval Cairo walking tour. It wasn’t easy to find a tour that visited the former, and our guide Ahmed brought the stories of this amazing house to life. If you have an interest in Islamic architecture and art this gem of a house museum is truly a ‘must see’. All our guides organised through Mara were knowledgeable, with added inclusions built in such as the Solar Boat at Giza and Mummy room at the Egyptian Museum. Her tours might not be the cheapest but we found them to be excellent value for the standard of guiding provided.
Booking directly with Mara was easy, all replies were prompt and I found her blog to be an excellent resource for planning our first trip to Egypt. Mara House itself is in a residential part of Luxor but getting into town was easily arranged with taxis. Yes, the road outside is unpaved, yes it is in a local street with all the colour and noise that goes with it (bring ear plugs for the morning call to prayer) – however the welcome from Amr and the team is warm and genuine. Our room was large and spotlessly clean. The roof top garden would be a pleasant in the winter sun although we did not have time to use it.
If you are an independently minded traveller, looking for something outside of the usual tour offerings, I would not hesitate in recommending Mara and her capable team. We were very well looked after for our first trip to this amazing country.
Reviewed on TripAdvisor 22 Feb 2020 Cairo Holidays 3 Nights and Luxor Holidays 3 Nights packages
Booking directly with Mara was easy, all replies were prompt and I found her blog to be an excellent resource for planning our first trip to Egypt. Mara House itself is in a residential part of Luxor but getting into town was easily arranged with taxis. Yes, the road outside is unpaved, yes it is in a local street with all the colour and noise that goes with it (bring ear plugs for the morning call to prayer) – however the welcome from Amr and the team is warm and genuine. Our room was large and spotlessly clean. The roof top garden would be a pleasant in the winter sun although we did not have time to use it.
If you are an independently minded traveller, looking for something outside of the usual tour offerings, I would not hesitate in recommending Mara and her capable team. We were very well looked after for our first trip to this amazing country.
Reviewed on TripAdvisor 22 Feb 2020 Cairo Holidays 3 Nights and Luxor Holidays 3 Nights packages
I contacted Mara early on in my planning to return to Egypt to explore the Upper Nile having already done Cairo. Mara was great to work with and I enjoyed finalizing arrangements with her for my travels there and stay at Mara House.
I bought a full package of room and meals plus touring for 4 days. Mara House is great. My apartment was beautiful and the food served for all meals was excellent. The tours were well arranged with driver and guide. While some of the travel was long over land, it provided an opportunity to see real life in Egypt along the way, as did staying at Mara House in the city of Luxor.
Her staff, led by Amr, were always welcoming, helpful and very friendly. I would not hesitate to stay again and I would strongly encourage anyone to make a stay here as part of their Upper Nile experience.
The photos shown on the website for Mara House are accurate. There is no elevator, so you may want to consider that in terms of which floor you may be placed. But the staff will handle all your luggage. The roof top terrace is a lovey place to share a drink and conversation in the evening.
Traveled solo - reviewed on TripAdvisor 14 Feb 2020 - Booked Luxor Holidays 3 nights package plus extra tours/nights
I bought a full package of room and meals plus touring for 4 days. Mara House is great. My apartment was beautiful and the food served for all meals was excellent. The tours were well arranged with driver and guide. While some of the travel was long over land, it provided an opportunity to see real life in Egypt along the way, as did staying at Mara House in the city of Luxor.
Her staff, led by Amr, were always welcoming, helpful and very friendly. I would not hesitate to stay again and I would strongly encourage anyone to make a stay here as part of their Upper Nile experience.
The photos shown on the website for Mara House are accurate. There is no elevator, so you may want to consider that in terms of which floor you may be placed. But the staff will handle all your luggage. The roof top terrace is a lovey place to share a drink and conversation in the evening.
Traveled solo - reviewed on TripAdvisor 14 Feb 2020 - Booked Luxor Holidays 3 nights package plus extra tours/nights
Me and my son were in Egypt Jan 5th to 19th for a liveaboard diving trip in Red Sea on "Emperor Echo". On arrival to Cairo we were met by Ahmed tour guide, and spent 3 days doing tours with him. He was a great knowledgeable and intelligent guide. Flight to Luxor, and overnight stay in Mara House. In a morning 6 hours car ride to Marsa Alam. 7 days liveaboard diving. Met by Mara's driver and transferred back to Luxor. Spent 3 nights in amazing HOUSE ( one has to see it to understand and appreciate the beauty of it!). We lived in 2 bedroom apartment. Housekeeper Amr was the nicest person we met on our trip. His cooking skills were amazing. Tour guide Mohamed showed us all the best of Luxor Temples for 3 days. All above accomodations were done before via emails conversations with Mara personally. She gave us plenty of valuable tips on whatever to expect on during the whole trip. Mara's website is also very informative. I am and my son Martin are very happy we arranged all above activities with "Mara's House". Greatly recommended!
Reviewed on TripAdvisor 5 Feb 2020. Cairo package and Luxor Package
Reviewed on TripAdvisor 5 Feb 2020. Cairo package and Luxor Package
Comfortable and spotlessly clean guesthouse. Delicious Egyptian breakfast provided and an evening dinner of Egyptian food offered on one night - beautifully cooked by Amr. All arrangements were seamless for our airport collection by Ahmed and expert guiding by Mohammed visiting some of the area's outstanding sites - places that we just wouldn't have got to if we had been on our own. It was a relief not having to think about all the admin and hassle that could have been involved, allowing us to see so many wonderful treasures in a short period of time. Thank you!
See More
- Mara House Luxor – your home away from home
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Photos of Our Suites – Take a look at the rooms you’ll call home.
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Mara House Guest Gallery – Faces and memories from over the years.
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Salahadeen Restaurant & Feast – The story behind our restaurant and its exclusive menu.
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(Coming Soon: Photo Journal of Mara House – from the first brick to today.)