GUEST BOOK

We'd like to know what you think about Mara House, our tours and our web site.

Please send me your comments and I will add them to my guest book. I look forward to hearing from you.

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We are staying at Mara House for the fourth time and I am in trouble with Mara herself because every time I go home I promise to write a review, and I always forget. So this time I'm writing this while still in Luxor!

We are very happy to recommend Mara House to anyone wanting to stay in Luxor. The building is light and airy, very clean, and in a quiet, residential district. The owner organizes all the trips that we require so that we are able to see everything that Luxor has to offer (and there's a lot to see) with minimum effort.

Have no worries about finding the building---Mara sends a taxi to meet you at the airport. Bliss!

If you're coming to Luxor, Come to Mara House! - Merrycat on Trip Advisor October 2008

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Just back from a month-long holiday in Egypt. Mara House in Luxor was one of the best places we stayed on our trip!! The house itself was lovely; beautifully decorated with all authentic furniture. Our room was spacious and very comfortable. Its only a couple of minutes walk from the centre of Luxor so its a perfect base if you want to explore the sights by yourself. Alternatively Mara House runs organised tours to all the major sights; we took the Abydos-Dendera tour which, because it's a little off the beaten track turned out to be one of the highlights of our holiday! The restaurant adjoining the hotel is a little gem..its a banquet-style meal of all authentic Egyptian food.. it was really tasty and good value as well.
Mara herself is a lovely woman..she's extremely helpful & knows a lot about the area and its history. There's a really personal touch to Mara House that almost makes you feel that you're home away from home! All in all, I would definitely stay there again and would recommend it to anyone who's planning on visiting Luxor!

This was my third trip out to Mara House and I was bowled over again.

Mara house offers a unique chance of seeing Egyptian life outside of the tourist area!

The building is spotlessly clean and the apartments are luxurious and spacious, fitted either with air conditioning or fans. Each aparatment has a kitchenette and a lovely spacious living room as well as the bedrooms.

The Salahadeen restaurant and bar are on site, so food and drink are easily available.

The staff are very friendly and always willing to help you with anything. Mara in particular, willing to go to great lengths to help you with any plans you may have during your stay in Egypt.

I am already looking forward to my next trip out there.

NO COMMENTS FROM JAN 2008 - JULY 2008 because we were closed for re-decorating and setting up the Salahadeen Restaurant/Bar

We stayed in your Mara House in Luxor on 23-27 december and we enjoyed it very much especially for the taste you showed building and furnishing your wonderfull house.

We couldn't know you cause you were in Ireland, but your assistant Mr. Sayed is a special person, very intelligent and dinamic; he made our holiday an unforgettable holiday and a very pleasent experience.

Thank you for those magnificent days...

Giorgio e Federica (Dec 2007)

Dear Mara,

What can I say about our trip to Egypt? It has been a 2 weeks’ dream. What a great adventure it was and what a great organizer you are!
I thank you for having taken care of everyone and everything during the whole trip with such kindness and availability. You certainly can handle any situation, even the most unexpected!

Also thanks a lot for the “home-like” feeling during the few days at your house.

With love

Marie-Jo - Dec 2007,

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Hello Mara,
Thanks a lot for your welcome, your dynamisme, your disponibilité, the organisation who's perfect.
It was a very special moments and you realy do everything for this like Harmmed and Said.
Thanks a lot, you stay all day in my heart, love,

Anne (Nov. 2007)

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Dear Mara,
A big thank you to you and your team. Your house has been like a second home during our trip to Louxor. The organization was perfect and this is really a challenge in Egypt! For me, this Egyptian experience has created a link amongst all of us and you are part of it... You gave us more than a bed and food. You gave us your support, your time and presence. This has no price!

I wish you a full house, and a strong health.
Take care...!
Kind Regards,
Adrien (Nov. 2007)

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What a pleasant sensation to cross the door of Mara's House and to feel at home! A warm and welcoming house where one feels comfortable.

Mara was an outstanding organizer who prepared everything to perfection and was able to adapt herself to multiple and unforeseen changes on the journey. We were always accompanied in our movements and she enriched our stages with her knowledge.

Accompanied with Said, infatiguable and protecting who outstripped our demands.

A word still on Ahmed, extraordinary guide who allowed us to discover priviliégiés places and whose attentive personality particularly touched us.

Our thanks again to Mara, Said and Ahmed, David and Anouk - Nov. 2007

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Dear Mara,

It is with pleasure that I send you my feedback on your assistance and organization of our journey in Egypt. What a journey!

“We spent two weeks in the company of Mara who was a fantastic organizator for all the visits we made around Luxor, Karnac and Cairo and on the Nile. But Mara is more than that. She welcomed us at her place truly from the heart and we felt her constant attention upon us to make sure all our wishes and whims would be taken care of. Her house is particularly well cleaned and decorated and it was a good relief to be back there after a busy day. However the best part of Mara is her personality and unique intuition. She imparted many times the appropriate information based on her intuition and she was truly inspired to guide me or other persons of our group by giving bits and pieces of information at the right time…to the point!

So she might give you more information on yourself that you might think… as such she is was an inspiring guide in many respect. Be prepared to experience many synchronicities in her company as the journey in her company happen both outside as inside each of us…

Mara has retained a wonderful local guide in the person of Ahmed who was extremely well versed and literate on all the different places we visited. Not only did he bring us to many extraordinary places, but he was able to conduct late and tedious negotiations alongside Mara to bring us where we wanted.

So I can truly recommend you to discover Egypt under the guidance of Mara, away from the touristic-commercial-herd-like tours, and get a fantastic opportunity to discover many of the sacred places and treasures of Egypt…

Alexis K., November 16, 2007”

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Hello Mara,

It’s kind of difficult to put into words all that has been lived and experienced throughout these 15 days. Thanks for having significantly contributed to this unique experience, by welcoming us so wholeheartedly, by making us feel so comfortable. I have appreciated every efforts you have been put in making our trip smooth, in solving out all the little problems, in taking care of us like a mother.
All the love and hope to see you soon. Manuela Oct 2007

When I first arrived at Mara's House in Luxor, I was amazed to see such a beautiful house, clean and so nicely furnished. I felt this was " Home " right away. The welcome was so friendly, with so much desire to please you and help you, that after all the trip, I felt I could relax at last. From there Mara had organized all the visits to the sights we wanted to see, the lunches and dinners, the transportations, the shopping,...... what else could you ask for ? No worries, no headaches, just relax and enjoy what that beautiful country could give you. This is the most pleasant way to visit an unknown country, and feel home, when you come back to spend peaceful nights at Mara's House. Heliane - Oct 2007

I would like to thank you sincerely for making the holiday so brilliant for us while we were in Luxor. Thank you for doing all the hard work for me, like recommending and taking us to sites and places and for your knowledge on all of these. My 8 year old was particularly taken by our trip to Cairo to see the Pyramids and the Cairo Museum and the fact that you took us there personally and organised it all took the hard work out of it for me and I was simply able to enjoy the experience without having to worry about tickets, time or the language barrier.

I was also extremely impressed by Mara House. It was so clean and inviting and of course the personal welcome by you made all the difference. We plan on going back to Luxor again within the next couple of years and now that I know the difference you can make to a trip I will be asking for your assistance and help for all the other things we didn't get to do in the short time we were there.

Again, a sincere thanks and kind regards, Clare, Ireland (May 2007)

Thank you so much for helping to make my time in Luxor so amazing! From the moment I arrived at the airport and received the warm and friendly greeting from Sayed & Mohammed I felt welcomed and safe and completely looked after. You have created the most beautiful space in your apartments and I instantly found it easy to relax and feel at home. It was so nice to be in a place that was spacious, clean and comfortable. I really appreciated that anything I required was provided by yourself and Sayed and nothing seemed too much trouble. The day tours you arranged were the perfect pace for me and I felt totally looked after by yourself and Mohamed (the Egyptologist) when and wherever we went. I really appreciate that you and your team have a deep respect for all belief systems and cultures and I felt free to be myself in this regard also (for me this is a very important aspect to a journey through a land like Egypt). I consider it a privilege to have met you and stay at Mara House and I will certainly be coming back! My love and thanks Lois Aberle, Perth, Western Australia (April 2007)

Mohamed was able to offer very good insights, answer many questions, readily interpret inscriptions/themes for us and is clearly a
connoisseur of Egyptian art, artifacts and culture. Also while we're no experts, we do read up on what we visit. Mohamed was able to offer us a much greater level of detail and insight than guides we've had in the past. I particularly appreciated his fluency and level of comfort with us. Occasionally I run into some Egyptian men who have difficulty relating to western women. They can appear a little frustrated or challenged. Obviously this was not the case with Mohamed. I wish we'd stayed longer to use him for more locations. Thanks for your help and coordination. Hollie (USA) April 2007

We had a packed three days with Mohammed. He was extremely knowledgeable and charming. He was passionate about the artifacts, and truly proud of his country. What we saw in three days, many of the other tourists did not see in a week. The day spent in the West Bank was an absolute jewel. I felt the number of sites, the order in which they were presented and the depth of explanation was very good. (The children found it heavy going at times, but even they enjoyed it.) The restaurants for lunch worked well -- the one on the first day was a great experience. Thanks for a first class service. Cheers, Steve from Oxford (April 2007)

We arrived back in Cork last Wednesday after the holiday of a lifetime. Thank you Mara for helping to make our trip so enjoyable. I have photos and memories which will last forever. Good luck with all your endeavours in the future. It was lovely to have met you and I hope we will keep in contact. Thank you again Mara for everything. Noel (Ireland) March 2007

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Next year I am taking my two daughters and I'm thinking of staying at Mara House where we visited last year which is flats owned by an amazing Irish woman who now lives there. The flats are beautiful and the welcome you get in the neighbourhood dare I say is even warmer than the St Joseph. So you see I think that the luxury is in the welcome and the culture and the surroundings. Jim - England (xbrjim on Virtual Tourist) Nov. 2006.

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Our stay was fantastic! Mara is a very gracious host who was helpful in planning daily outings. The combination of very reasonable rates and friendly service makes Mara house a great choice. The room was comfortable and very clean. I would enthusiastically recommend Mara house to anyone staying in Luxor! R. F. USA May 5, 2006

Just a quick email to thank you again for all the help you gave me when I was at your place I had a ball! Tell Sayed many thanks as well .He is an amazing guy, so helpful and well just an all round good person. Also say hi and thanks to Mohammed (don't think that's the right spelling) you know who I mean anyway. (Mohammed Anthar....taxi driver). Thanks again for making my holiday in Luxor brilliant. John Chasser (Edinburgh, Scotland) April 24, 2006.

Mara House in Luxor is extremely clean and comfortable. I would recommend it to anyone. Prices were excellent. There was a laundry service (same day!) and a lovely coffee shop -although we were there pre-season so not much activity. It is run by a lovely Irish lady with local knowledge and contacts and she speaks Arabic so her help was invaluable in arranging several day trips outside of Luxor. The location is very convenient, about 10/15 mins walk from the train station. Away from the tourist trap, we saw more of the local aspects of life which was a great experience and also I have to say, slept better, away from noise and traffic! I had absolutely no complaints. Go to Mara House, it will really make your stay in Luxor! Ronan Kenny. - Dublin, Ireland April 14th 2006

Travelling with my teenaged daughter and niece, we spent 4 glorious days last December (2005) at Mara's. The flat was spacious, sparkling clean and very comfortable. It was so nice to be in an actual home in a residential area after days and days of hotels, away from the tourist ghetto. Mara was extemely helpful with her tips and insights, which helped us tremendously in our navigations in and around Luxor. She graciously greeted us at the train station for our 5 a.m. arrival. . I want to go back, next time for an extended period. Of course I will stay at Mara's. I could not imagine Luxor, a fantastic place, without her. Charlotte (America)

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We have been staying at Mara House for some time now and absolutely love it! Irish owned and run, it is in a peaceful neighborhood of Luxor, away from the busy downtown but within easy walking distance. The flats are beautiful and spotless, and the rooftop garden is a perfect place for watching the sun set over the city. Mara is incredibly knowledgeable about Luxor and Egypt and can help with any travel plans, as well as providing a friendly, home-like atmosphere. The flats include their own kitchen and small living room, as well as 1-3 bedrooms. All are fully furnished. A coffee/meeting room is downstairs as well. Mara's flats in Luxor are a perfect base for getting to know the real Egypt while living in a comfortable setting..... Holly & Ryan (America) - December 2005

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The 4 links underneath are Kim & Dave's travel blog of their time with us in Luxor...a humorous account!!

http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/doodlebugs/world-2005/1131568740/tpod.html

http://www.travelpod.com/travelblogphotoalbums/doodlebugs/world-2005/1131568740/0/12/YES/tpod.html these are photos

http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/doodlebugs/world-2005/1133791500/tpod.html

http://www.travelpod.com/travelblogphotoalbums/doodlebugs/world-2005/1133791500/0/12/YES/tpod.html these are photos

Revised: 11/19/08 05:50:47 -0000