Flats in Luxor 2014 year in blogging

Thank you to everyone that looked at my website www.flatsinluxor.co.uk. It seems you all love Jude <3



Your 2014 year in blogging: The concert hall at the Sydney Opera House holds 2,700 people. This blog was viewed about 19,000 times in 2014. If it were a concert at Sydney Opera House, it would take about 7 sold-out performances for that many people to see it.

The busiest day of the year was October 2nd with 177 views. The most popular post that day was Jude goes shopping in Hidden Luxor.

Magical and perfect - Review of Flats in Luxor, Luxor, Egypt - TripAdvisor

Magical and perfect - Review of Flats in Luxor, Luxor, Egypt - TripAdvisor: My mother and I stayed at Jane's Nubian Village flats this past November on the West Bank. She has done an amazing job on her flats. I am so thrilled to have had the chance to stay there. Everything was ideal. We woke up every morning to the majestic Egyptian sunrise and a view of the Valley of the Kings and Hatshepsut's temple. The accommodation was quintessential and comfortable. The breakfast was amazing and delicious. Her staff is warm, caring, and extremely attentive. They provided the utmost in customer service. Jane herself is a great resource. She responded to all my email questions with speed, kindness, and efficiency. She is a wealth of knowledge and extremely helpful. I am so grateful for her generosity. The Nubian village was the perfect place to stay on the West Bank. It was central to all the main sites, clean, and quiet. There is even a pool, free wifi, and roof top dining. Everything is beyond affordable. It's perfect for couples or families. Her flats are safe and secure. You'll have a blast! I would recommend Jane to anyone. Her flats were recommended to me and I am so glad they were! Thank you Jane for helping make my trip to Egypt perfect! My mother and I are so thankful! I can't wait to come back and stay again! Thank you!

Holiday Deals in Luxor | Special Offers for Holidays in Luxor

Holiday Deals in Luxor | Special Offers for Holidays in Luxor: Earlybird discounts.

Book your 2015 holiday before 31st January and get 15% off OR two weeks for the price of one. Quote EARLYBIRD15



We have lots of special offers and these great deals are valid throughout the year except Christmas and Easter.

Ahmed HarfousH, Jazz Vocalist & Entertainer - YouTube

 Spotted on Facebook shared by Linda Van den Driessche "back in Luxor soon: the great Jazz Entertainer Ahmed Harfoush! Meeting place : Marsam Hotel - Westbank Luxor on 2 January 2015."



 Ahmed HarfousH, Jazz Vocalist & Entertainer - YouTube



Now last time this was a hugely enjoyable evening.

Hurghada transfers £50 including the license

Hurghada transfers £50 including the license: Flats in Luxor is delighted to offer transfers from Hurghada to Luxor for the price of £50.

Rules have changed yet again as you can read here This means for private transfers we must have a copy of the details page of the passport of all passengers in order to apply for a licence to transfer passengers.

Getting ready for new guests and tours of the west and east bank

When we offer tours of Luxor's west bank, as well as the 3-4 sites (your choice) we include lunch. We have upgrade our al fresco restaurant to have a roofed area to protect people from the sun.

.

Getting ready for new guests.



Our private tours are the same price the charter companies charge but we include more sites, shopping only if you want., a university educated guide, as long as you want at the sites and your choice from the following sites.



West Bank



Valley of Kings

Tomb of Ay

Valley of Queens

Temple of Hatshepsut at Deir El Bahri

Assasif Tombs

Tomb of Pabasa

Mortuary Temple of Merenptah,

Mortuary Temple of Seti I,

Mortuary Temple of Ramses II (Ramasseum)

Workman’s Village at Deir el Medina

Tomb of Pashedu

Tombs of Roy, Amenemopet and Shu Roy

Noble’s tombs of Neferronpet, Dhutmosis and Nefersekheru

Nobles Tombs of Ramose, Khaemhet, Userhet

Nobles Tombs of Benji, Userhet, Khonsu

Nobles Tombs of Sennefer and Rekhmire

Nobles Tombs of Meena, Nakht and Amenemopet

Mortuary Temple of Ramses III (Medinet Habu)

Thoth temple at Medinet Habu



on the east bank you can see

Luxor East Bank   

Karnak Temple and Open Air Museum   

Luxor Museum          

Luxor Temple and Mosque

Great for excavation missions - Review of Flats in Luxor, Luxor, Egypt - TripAdvisor

Great for excavation missions - Review of Flats in Luxor, Luxor, Egypt - TripAdvisor: I have stayed in the Al Gezera flats several times in the past, including 9 weeks this past Summer. The location is fantastic, particularly for those wishing to explore the historical sites of the West Bank or who may be part of an excavation team. Most of the sites are just 5 minutes away by local service car. The the flats are self-catering but their are several good restaurants nearby, in addition to some shops for groceries (Mr Atta's bakery shop being particularly worth visiting). One of the advantages of the flats is the wonderful view overlooking the Theban hillside. From your balcony you can sit and enjoy the beautiful sunsets. Looking forward to returning new season for a longer period of time!

Djehuty; Djehutyemheb; TT45; TT 45; Theban tomb; Luxor; Gurnah; tomb of Egypt (1)

From those lovely people at Osirisnet

 

The tomb TT45 was carved at Sheikh Abd el-Gurnah during the period of
Amenhotep II for Djehuty, an official of modest rank. Djehutyemheb
“recuperated” for his personal usage the funerary monument around two centuries
later. Since there were no family ties unifying these two individuals, one may
suppose that, besides their names being related to the god Thot, it is their
role as responsible of the linen in the temple of Amun that provides the reason
for the re-usage of the tomb. Djehutyemheb demonstrates great restraint and
respect towards the previous decorations featured in the tomb of Djehuty. The
result is a mixed style between the early 18th dynasty and the Ramesside
period.



Djehuty; Djehutyemheb; TT45; TT 45; Theban tomb; Luxor; Gurnah; tomb of Egypt (1)

Our new/old chef is back for the winter season

Our new/old chef is back for the winter season: I am so happy, just in time for our winter season this very nice young man called Mohammed (they are all called Mohammed) has finished his army service.

The great thing about him is that he understands tourists don’t always want 15 tagens of hot food, but they like lite food, salads, light lunches etc. Of course he can cook all the normal stuff as well.

Mahmoud has snapped him up and he will be working for us again. These are just some of his meals.

September Special Offer from Flats in Luxor | Jane Akshar

September Special Offer from Flats in Luxor | Jane Akshar



If you want to uncover gems from the past amid friendly people with guaranteed sunshine then visit Luxor Egypt…

Fed up with package holidays, want to get more out of your precious break from work minus rain and the cold then come to Luxor. Come to Flats in Luxor

Prices of Flats in Luxor Transfers

Our transfer rates have altered to reflect the changed petrol prices.

We have kept the Aswan one day transfer by mini bus the same price $150 USD stopping at sites on route.

Our special Hurghada transfer for people staying at Flats in Luxor is now £40 GBP

Our airport transfer is now £10 GBP or local equivalent

Hurghada pickup to Flats in Luxor

Today was a slightly different airport pick up, from Hurghada to Luxor. My lady guest was very pleased to get here after a long day. We pick up for $35 GBP from Hurghada when you are staying at Flats in Luxor. The drive takes about three and half hours door to door. My guest was very pleased with this cheap alternative using EasyJet to Hurghada and our pick up service to Luxor.

Thomson Flights - Flights to Egypt - Nile

Thomson are flying Manchester to Luxor again

Thomson Flights - Flights to Egypt - Nile

Single ladies in Luxor

I have just had a string of single ladies staying at the flats. I like to put them in the same building as me so they have someone to ask questions of if required or just had a natter. When I say single some are just travelling alone as their partner is not interested in Egyptology.

That was my first lady, Australian, she had been attending a conference down in Cairo and wanted to tag a few days holiday at the end. I was happy to offer her single rates in my three bedroom flat and also to include breakfast. But I had a condition, she had to tell me about the conference. A nice bonus for me. She wanted to do a lot of sightseeing and went out every day. She enjoyed the freedom an apartment gave her and the protection I offer single ladies, no Romeos allowed. She ate at the apartment and out in restaurants.

My second lady, British, was newly single and was looking for a spiritual retreat to catch her breath. Whilst wanting independence she did not want to feel lonely either. So I was available when she wanted to chat. Gosh we had some wonderful chats about the world and life. She had booked for breakfast but also had some dinners, we can do all meals. My husband also introduced her to the Sufi traditions in Luxor which she found fascinating. She meant to do a lot of sight visiting but in the end only visited a couple of places and spent a lot of time relaxing, painting and writing. It was her first time on the west bank and she has fallen in love.

My third lady, American, we do get a lot of nationalities, came for sites and horse riding. Our flats are located in exactly the same place as the stables that belong to Nobi. So massively convenient for riding. I have had some happy guests but she is ecstatic. I love making guests happy but this is special. She had never spent time in Luxor but had lived in Cairo. She thought that was her favourite place in Egypt but is now a Luxor convert. She has gone riding every day, doing hardly any sites but thoroughly enjoying herself. She is already talking about coming back and bringing her father.

So if you are single lady for any reason and want to come to Egypt you can relax staying at Flats in Luxor.

The perfect retreat - Review of Flats in Luxor, Luxor, Egypt - TripAdvisor

Our 117th review.

The perfect retreat - Review of Flats in Luxor, Luxor, Egypt - TripAdvisor: As a newly single woman on her 7th trip to Luxor, but the first staying alone on the West Bank, I couldn't have been more welcomed and looked after. Jane, Mahmoud and Little Mohammed make your stay safe, exciting and comfortable - anywhere you want to visit, your wish is their command; anything you need, just ask and it appears!........................see more

Chowbent Unitarian Chapel, Bolton Old Road, ATHERTON.: “Tutankhamen” at Chapel

If you are near Atherton,
Lancashire a unique opportunity to hear my old tutor Dr Joyce Tyldesley.



Chowbent Unitarian Chapel, Bolton Old Road, ATHERTON.: “Tutankhamen” at Chapel: Atherton, Lancashire

New Egyptian cotton bedlinen at Flats in Luxor

We had been putting it off but eventual money or no money we had to get some new sheets. We went to the government shop where everything is fixed price and the best quality. It is still not the best best quality as that is made abroad, from cotton exported from Egypt but it is the best you can get in the country.

We asked for double and single sheets and I had the dimensions 220 x 260 and 180 x 260 but interestingly enough they only sold 220 x 240 and 180 x 240. Which explains why the sheets never tuck in properly top and bottom. But at least they are wide enough.

We also got some tea towels. I then was flummoxed, why on earth do we call them tea towels. Why not dish towels? Well Christine, my friend from Facebook knew the answer ( tea towels originated in the early 19th century in well to do Victorian homes and were only used at tea time to dry or clean the good china, they were also used to cover food). Mahmoud was a bit bemused by that one. The whole lot cost 1800LE for 12 double 12 single 28 pillow cases 18 tea towels and 4 towels.

“We hebben het echte Egypte ontdekt .” from our lovely guests from Belgium

Deze Nubian villa ligt op de West Bank in Luxor , ver weg van de drukte
en het lawaai van Luxor . Het huis is gebouwd volgens de nubische
traditie , het heeft een koepel om het koel te houden ( en het blijft
ook echt koel ! ) Het is niet alleen functioneel , maar ook adembenemend
mooi ! De inrichting is sprookjesachtig en heel oosters . Er is een
keukentje , dus je kan zelf koken , maar doe dat vooral niet ! Op
simpele vraag wordt er een heerlijke traditionele maaltijd voor je
gemaakt waar je s avonds onder de sterrenhemel kan van genieten .Bij
zonsopgang kan je de schitterende bergen bewonderen , je bent vlak bij
de vallei van de koningen en de tempel van Hatsjepsoet . Het sprookje
van duizend en een nachten ? Zeker en vast ! En voor wie het zich zou
afvragen : Luxor is heel heel veilig !

For a great time in Luxor, Call Jane! - Review of Flats in Luxor, Luxor, Egypt - TripAdvisor

For a great time in Luxor, Call Jane! - Review of Flats in Luxor, Luxor, Egypt - TripAdvisor:

“For a great time in Luxor, Call Jane!”

Reviewed 2 days ago
NEW

Enjoyed our visit to Luxor in late March 2014. I was very glad to have
found Jane on trip advisor after some recommendations fell through last
minute. She responded very promptly and professionally and it was nice
to not have a language barrier, all within 24 hours. The PDF she sent of
proposed outings was very professional and just what I was looking for.

We
used her for two days of guided tours. A driver and guide we made
available to us and we had a very nice lunch at Jane’s home on the first
day.

We did have to pay in full mid-day through the first day, in
cash, but I felt comfortable doing so, and everything that was promised
to us came through with no issue. We had a little issue with the driver
on our first day, but Jane remedied this quickly, when we addressed it
with her and her husband, no problem. While my co-traveler felt we
overpaid, per some of the other comments, I would say as a very frequent
traveler in the third/developing world, you get what you pay for and I
was very pleased with this experience. I don’t mind paying more for a
very professional guide who knows a lot of the history of Egypt, and a
well appointed car.

One of the highlights of our trip was the
private felucca ride we took. Jane arranged to have the boat pick us up
from the Sheraton’s dock and we enjoyed a glorious ride at sunset, this
is a must do! We thought the food on the Nile River cruise that night
was some of the best we had on our trip to Egypt. Would highly recommend
Jane and her tour service. We did not stay in the flats, but they
looked nice.

Flats in Luxor (Egypt) - Condominium Reviews - TripAdvisor

Our 115 review from the lovely Isis and Skouse



Flats in Luxor (Egypt) - Condominium Reviews - TripAdvisor:



We had arranged a 12 night holiday to hurghada but wanted to spend 2 night in luxor to visit friends and see some temples, so I asked Jane if she could arrange this for us....... And Jane didn't let us down. A mini bus was arranged to pick us up from our hotel at 8am, drove us across the dessert and drop us on the West Bank luxor, only 3 hours ish later we arrived, welcomed by Jane and settled into our superb 3 bed apartment, with a huge balcony views to die for, swimming pool if we wanted it.

Asked what time we would like breakfast 8am. 7.45 the chef knocked on the door came in and cooked our breakfast in the apartment, yogurt, fruits, cheese, bread, omelette, jams tea and coffee..... Spoilt or what, same again the next day.

The mini bus was arranged for pick up at 8am for our return, we stopped at the ramesseum he left us for about an hour to have a wonder then back on the road to hurghada in time for lunch.

This trip worked out about half the price of the usual tour guide prices you will pay at hotels etc. luxor is a very safe place to visit, and janes apartments are lovely.


Well done Jane. Thank you

Flats in Luxor (Egypt) - Condominium Reviews - TripAdvisor

Our 114 review from the lovely Val and Jen. 

Flats in Luxor (Egypt) - Condominium Reviews - TripAdvisor: For anyone that is reluctant to travel to Egypt - don't be! On a whim, my friend and I (both 20 something females) picked a place on a map to travel to around January - February 2014. With a recommendation from my friend's parents, we were given advice to go with Jane if we went to Egypt.....................

Memorial Service 26th February | Luxor Committee

Memorial Service 26th February | Luxor Committee



The Governor of Luxor wishes to announce that on the 26th  February
there will be a memorial service for the 19 victims of the balloon
accident which occurred 1 year ago. The service will be held at the
crash site on the west bank at 10 am.





There will be transport provided from the east bank. The bus will depart at 9am from the Novotel

The Best Place in Luxor - Review of Flats in Luxor, Luxor, Egypt - TripAdvisor

Our latest review :- 

The Best Place in Luxor - Review of Flats in Luxor, Luxor, Egypt - TripAdvisor: Luxor is an amazing place in Egypt, and the west bank is without a doubt, the better place than the east bank. We stayed at the Al gezira flats for 2 times, first for 5 days, and another 6 days after returning from Aswan. The top level flat is as good as it gets, great sun, great panorama; the ground floor flat during our returning visit gets a little cold but. Jane doubles as a great host in Luxor, where she advised on Luxor and promoted my works to others. We would not have stayed in Luxor for all these days without the great accommodation and the great people from Luxor.

A typical Flats in Luxor guest

Abu Simbel on Vimeo



This video was created by Kim Lau who has the Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/Crosroadz.



Kim is a recent guest at Flats in Luxor and he typifies the Flats in Luxor guest, they are not typical! Because Flats in Luxor is not typical hotel accommodation we don't get typical guests. We get people who want a real hands on experience of Egypt with plenty of culture and history thrown in. They actually tend to be quite interesting themselves and I have made a lot of good friends over the years.



Kim is a travel photographer from Singapore, he actually initially contacted me on the afternoon of his arrival! Had I got room for tonight, luckily I did. He is travelling for several months building a portfolio and he is sponsored by Olympus. Not an Egyptologist at all, he actually described my beloved temples as a heap of old stones, but Egypt has attractions for all sorts of people. As a result he wanted advice about good places to go for great photos, space to work and an internet connection. He stayed for 5 nights and then went to Aswan and Abu Simble for 5 nights. As he needed to catch up on his work he then came back again and is staying for another 5 nights. Taking time out to consolidate and cook, the smells last night were mouth watering. The advantage of self catering.



At the same time we have two young ladies staying who are doing a tour of Egypt with us. They flew in from Canada to Cairo and we arranged their stay, all accommodation, transfers and tours. They spent 2 days in Cairo, then went to the Red Sea to do open water dives. Mahmoud met them at the airport and supervised the start of their holiday, now they are in Luxor for 4 nights and go to Aswan, Abu Simble and finally back to Cairo. All this through Flats in Luxor.



So whether your need is for a traditional tour of Egypt or something more quirky, we can help you have a great holiday in Egypt

The Al Bairat Family Clinic Bring and Buy

Lesley Hulme and a group of other ex-pat held a Bring and Buy in Al Gezera village to support the work of 

The Al Bairat Family Clinic There was obviously a lot of hard work that went on behind the scenes as everything ran like clockwork. Some of the kids that use the centre were there together with their parents which was really nice. I hope a lot of money was raised, I really enjoyed myself, although the climb to the roof was hard work lol. The food was scrummy, the company wonderful and I won a box of Thorntons chocs in the raffle.

Flats in Luxor guestbook

Before Facebook and Trip Advisor we had a guest book, it is lovely reading these old reviews. Hope to have lots more in the future.  



Flats in Luxor Guestbook: I just wanted to thank you for a fabulous time in Luxor. Your
arrangement of our flat, transportation, locations and tour guides was
top-notch. Kicker and I were completely satisfied and very happy with
our trip in Luxor/Aswan. You can tell you run a great travel agency and
that your staff really respect you because I heard from many they have
worked with you for years...You are clearly good to them and having good
employees will help your business continue to flourish! So, just wanted
to thank you. Everyone was great, both meals superb, absolutely the
best! and Hussein, wow, he is just the sweetest man, friendly,
incredibly bright but at that same time very professional. He is the
perfect tour guide, my favorite of any tour both trips. And I forget the
name of our guide for the Donkey overthe ridge, (aswah? or something
like that?) well, he too was fabulous and so bubbly and entertaining!
And Saber and Ali for falluca again, was great! Everthing was so
organized and perfectly planned and I thank you for that ! If (i hope) i
go back to Egypt again I will seek your services again for sure!!! (but
i'll try not to drive you too crazy with planning again :-)

Well, thank you. I will miss you. Wish I had more time to just sit and
drink beers and chat about life. You are very fun to chat with... Keep
in touch and let me know if you need anything from me! Its 1230 am,
which a few days ago I was leaving right about now to ride a donkey, but
instead Im half a world apart, deliriously tired writing on facebook
after working all day from 9 to 8 pm. I better go to bed! LOL. Take care
of you and thanks for everything!!!

Love Teresa and Kicker

Howard Carter's watercolours

I had a discussion on Facebook about Carter's watercolours and wondered if there was a collection of them. This post is the results of that discussion. Do you know of any more, or a published collection?

Carter started his working life in Egypt as an artist and only later became an archaeologist. His father was also an artist and Carter inherited his talent. Carter; having originally painted an image for the purposes of scientific recording, subsequently  sold images like this to tourists.

1) Griffiths

The Griffiths Institute in Oxford has a big collection of his bird pictures.This is an example of one of them but there are lots more on the website. Howard Carter's watercolours of bird and animals

2) Highclere Castle
They have a fabulous picture he painted of the temple of Hatshepsut, this is a poor quality scan of the back of their guide book.

 

3) The Egypt Exploration Society 

EES have a number published on this link  http://www.ees.ac.uk/userfiles/file/Images%20in%20Word.pdf .

 

4) From the excavation manuals of E. Neville's exploration of the Deir al Ba'hri.Here is one example.

 

Holidays in Egypt: Taking a baby to the Valley of the Kings is child's play | Mail Online

Holidays in Egypt: Taking a baby to the Valley of the Kings is child's play | Mail Online



What a great way of getting rid of hassle, I had a guest once who used her native Welsh, this is even better.

Having been to North Africa before, I expected hassle from hawkers on the street, but it has been considerably clamped down on. Most offenders are either carriage drivers or, at the places of historical interest, people selling information booklets.



We posed as famous Icelandic archaeologists, which foxed the pamphlet sellers, at least. They have materials in a plethora of languages, but not Icelandic.



Besides, if one is an archaeologist of international standing, who needs a rudimentary pamphlet? 'Haven't you heard of us?' we'd say, leaving the hawkers uncharacteristically lost for words.

If you want more info about taking a child to Luxor, try my book "Hidden Luxor for Kids"

State Information Services Antiquities Minister opens new archeological sites in Luxor Saturday

State Information Services Antiquities Minister opens new archeological sites in Luxor Saturday: Antiquities Minister opens new archeological sites in Luxor Saturday.



With the Mut temple reopening you may be wondering exactly what there is to see. If you have bought my book Hidden Luxor you know as I included it. The temple has been scheduled for reopening for some time and I have been lucky enough to visit there several times thanks to Mansour Boraik. That is why I included it.

If you want to know even more the following links will be of interest

http://www.jhu.edu/egypttoday/ Dr. Betsy Bryan of the John Hopkins University excavated there

http://www.brooklynmuseum.org/features/mut/ The work of Brooklyn Museum at the site

http://www.osirisnet.net/monument/temple_mout/e_temple_mout.htm Excellent description by the guys at Osirisnet; maps (copied above), photos and description

http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/templemut.htm Tour Egypt page on the temple

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Precinct_of_Mut Wikipedia entry

 

Thomson Flights – Manchester to Luxor ressumes

Green shoots of recovery on the flights :) 
Thomson Flights – all the assurances and service you’ve come to expect from Thomson - Flight timetable