Flats in Luxor (Egypt) - Condominium Reviews - TripAdvisor: The flats are owned by British expat Jane Akshar. We stayed in Isis on
the third floor with a great view of the hills of Sheikh Abd el-Qurna to
the west (the Valley of the Kings is on the opposite sides). It is a 3
bedroom, 2 bathroom flat with a very large and open room as you walk in
with living room and dining furniture. There is a door on the west wall
and twin doors on the north wall that open onto a nice L-shaped balcony
with wicker-type furniture for lounging around. My wife's favorite early
morning activity was to sit on the balcony with a cup of coffee
watching the hot sir balloons float by. We usually had one open all
night and never had to use the AC. You have a nice sized kitchen with
stove, sink, refrigerator, and cabinet with dishes. The bedrooms are
nicely sized with a queen sized bed in the master bedroom and two twin
beds in the other bedroom. Our bed was extremely comfortable. The master
bath had an open shower and the second bathroom which is the largest
had a good sized bathtub with a shower. One thing that people need to
know is that toilet paper can't be flushed and needs to be put in the
trash receptacle that is emptied each day. Rooms have ceiling fans and
A/C. The rooms are nicely decorated with tile floors. There is a nice
outside pool for the guests.
As far as food, you have a wide
choice of items to choose from for breakfast, lunch and dinner. They
have a restaurant at their Goubli building but no worry, your meals will
be brought to you and their cook is outstanding. All food is bought
locally each day so it is always fresh. Portions for two people at
dinner can be a little large (our first was enough for 4 people or for
lunch the next day) Typically we had soup, entree, a salad, and dessert.
Plus bread. Lunch and breakfast are obviously more manageable. The most
expensive dinner (Egyptian, chef's choice) was 55 Egyptian pounds or
about $7. If you are vegetarian, no problem, the vegetables are great
and local (tomatoes, cucumbers, aubergines, squash, carrots, okra,
etc.). Egyptian tomatoes are far superior in taste to American versions
as they ripen naturally and grown locally. To order meals just let the
server or chef at times know what you want and what time when he comes
to clear your dishes off.
Payment is due up front after you
arrive in hard cash (Dollars, British Pounds or Euros). Cash gets a much
better exchange rate and is especially critical these days with the
lack of tourists in Egypt. If you want to go on a tour or strike out by
yourself Jane can arrange it the evening before. My wife are frequent
Egypt travelers so all we needed was basic transportation. I bought a
cheap unlocked phone and got a SIM card for use in Egypt. Everyone has a
cell phone out of necessity. We used ours to call our taxi driver to
pick us up at the end of our touring day on the west bank and to have
our boat pick us up while on the east bank. I certainly suggest that you
get an Egypt guide before you travel so you have an idea of what you
want to see. Also Jane has a book "Hidden Luxor" that has great
information.
All of Jane's Egyptian staff are extremely friendly
and helpful and treat you as family. Jane has a wonderful sense of
humor and is eminently knowledgeable of Luxor. You do not need to pay
for meals or trips until you are ready to depart so be sure to plan
ahead to bring extra funds. It is expected to tip "baksheesh" for
services rendered and Egypt (plus the Middle East) is no exception so be
prepared. Americans are used to it but not so many other foreign
travelers. Overall, I highly recommend staying at the Flats in Luxor and
we will hopefully return in 2016. It is a unique experience.
