Want to know more about us

Flats in Luxor was founded in 2003 when I moved to Egypt. I first got interested in Egypt when I was 9 years old, my grandmother gave me a book to read on Tutankhamun and I was hooked. When I received some book tokens for my 10th birthday I got the book and never looked back. I first visited Egypt in 1979. having read every book in the library I thought I knew it all. I found I knew nothing, in fact as time has gone by and I realise just how much there is to know I realise my percentage goes down and down :)

I did evening classes with the University of London, 3 year, 2 year and 5 year courses and grew to love it even more. I did more visits and found the modern Egypt just as interesting and fascinating.

Through various times in my life Egypt has been the thread holding it together and frankly it is no surprise that I have ended up moving here. After all I started talking about that when I was in my teens. My husband Mahmoud Jahlan was the catalyst to making me move here and I am forever grateful to him for this.

If you want to know more about me search on the web for Jane Akshar and my Linked In profile details my business career.

Want to know more about the Flats, again search but beware of imitators. Lots of people have used the 'flats in Luxor' name but nobody else is in the Lonely Planet, Rough Guide, Trip Advisor, Daily Telegraph, Responsible Travel, All the Experts, Echo, Tour Egypt, Luxor News, Egyptology News, Egypt Mad. We are the original Flats in Luxor, the first tourist standard in Luxor, the first to go Green and the first to make the guide books

Flats in Luxor is on Facebook

I have added a Flats in Luxor company page to Facebook http://www.facebook.com/pages/Flats-in-Luxor/23829117620 so if you use Facebook you might want to become a fan.

Story about us

Really nice article about our Flats in Luxor. http://www.asap.co.uk/news/a-green-vacation-in-egypt-5633201.html. The first Flats in Luxor to offer tourist standard accommodation the first Flats in Luxor with a swimming pool, the first Flats in Luxor o go Green.

We have also been in contact with another member of Responsible Travel in Egypt. They offer horse riding trips near Cairo. It is a really exciting new aspect to our business.

We are now recommended by Lonely Planet, Rough Guide, Tour Egypt, Responsible Travel, Trip Advisor.

Excited, you betcha

Flats in Luxor goes Green

Ever since I went on holiday to Japan in 2007 and booked through Responsible Travel I have been looking at turning our business GREEN. After months working with Responsible Travel who have been most helpful we have been officially recognised as the first and only GREEN tourism business in Luxor.

We had to do a number things in order to met the criteria but many of the conditions we were already doing. Ever since the beginning of our business 5 years ago I have recommended that tourists keep the money in the local economy.

I am so excited about this new aspect to our business

Our page on Responsible Travel

Tiling Finished at the Swimming Pool

We had a big delay with this next to last stage for two reasons. One we had problems getting the tiles. But the more serious one was that when they did the test fill there was a leak. This meant that the pool had to be dug out all the way round to find where the concrete was leaking. An absolute nightmare. After doing all this they found no leak and it appears that the excess water had come from the irrigation next door. So all that effort and time was wasted.

The two photos show the pool and the boys standing on the bar stools give you an idea of scale.

The big round pool is for kids and the large pool has three levels which you can see by the different floor decoration. Behind the boys they have just dug out where the kitchen/bar is going to be. BTW the boys are Garden Mohammed, Hajaj and Ahmed.

Swimming Pool at Goubli nearly finished

It is so exciting, the pool has not turned out like I expected but never mind. The middle circle which I expected to be a jacuzzi is a kids pool, the jacuzzi is going to be separate. The pool is much bigger and see the bar stools. Tiling next week :)

New One Bedroom Flats on the East Bank

We have just developed the ground floor of our East Bank property into 2 one bedroom flats. Our East Bank property is down a cul de sac in the heart of the tourist area, just opposite the Isis hotel.
The two flats consist of a bedroom with a/c, shower room and kitchen/ lounge.

Flats in Luxor - Goubli Swimming Pool

Yes good news we have started digging the swimming pool at Goubli, it will be a while before it is finished but the bulldozer is on site now. We had to wait until the crops on the land around us had been harvested so we could go across their land to get to the back of the property. The plan is to have a kidney shaped pool with jacuzzi.

These apartments are available for both holiday and long term rental as well as sale. We can also provide management services should you wish to buy as a holiday flat investment.

Recommended by Trip Advisor

A couple of terriifc threads recommending the Flats and me

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g294205-i9426-k1908316-Jane_Akshar_flatsinluxor-Luxor_Nile_River_Valley.html

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g294205-i9426-k1834840-Jane_Akshar_Best_Guide_in_Luxor_IMO-Luxor_Nile_River_Valley.html

2008/2009 Prices

We are pleased to announce we are going to hold our 2007/2008 prices for the flats at £165 GBP ($330 USD) per week low season and £220 GBP ($440 USD) high season. Low season is 1st May 2008 until 30th November 2008 and High season is 1st December 2008 until 30th April 2009.

Our minimum booking period remains 3 days however we will take a shorter booking period as long as you are prepared to pay for the full three days :)

Tours will also be held at £30 GBP ($60 USD per person until November. We have heard that ticket prices are going up then by 25% so will be reviewing tour prices as soon as we know.

Feedback about kids tours

Lovely comments about my tours

http://scotsabroad.wordpress.com/2008/03/29/the-original-king-tuts-place/

We also seemed to be very lucky being in the right place at the right time, as we were often alone at major sites, and we met a wonderful family, the Bishops, who were prepared to take the risk and come with us on a tour Shona had cleverly arranged with a rather eccentric (but brilliant) Englishwoman called Jane Akshar living in Luxor.

This is Jane Akshar who offers accommodation, tours and cruises in Luxor. Shona found her website while in Cairo and contacted her before leaving for Luxor. Jane said she would provide a tour that included a serial killer and some dressing up! We encouraged another family staying at our hotel to join us. John and Melanie have three lovely boys who were brilliant with Cairo and Lucas. Thank you Joe, Luke and Daniel Bishop. John seems to be quite famous back home. Click on his name in the Blogroll to find out for yourself (he is touring his comedy show in Scotland next month). Great fella, great family and great company. Cairo made us laugh the day before, having been told about the tour and the content, by asking us if we were finding out about the ‘breakfast killer’ that day. The serial killer turned out to be Ay, who bumped off a few on his way to the throne including, according to Jane, Tut, and we visited his tomb (#23) in a secluded part of the Western Valley. We were the only people inside - we even had to get the key holder to come up and open it for us. Incredible. We visited another couple of tombs (Roy and Shuroy) and the boys got to go into some catacombs carved in the rocks, disturbing bats and getting a glimpse of ancient mummified bodies lying side by side. Then it was on to the Temple of Seti the 1st and a bizarre enactment of something silly. Great fun. I think the school will be using Jane’s services in the future when we send groups down to Luxor. She certainly brought things to life and was full-on for the whole morning.

Stay connected at Flats in Luxor free WiFi

At both the original Flats in Luxor block Al Gezera and the new block Goubli we offer free access to the internet.

Apartments and Property for Sale from Flats in Luxor

Investors will have noticed the rash of developments in Luxor and this will give you an idea of how advantageous it is to buy a holiday property in Luxor. Both national and regional government are positively encouraging development of the area and it is a very exciting place to invest your money. Capital growth is assured. Land prices are sky rocketing and those buying property in Luxor now will be able to sit back and watch their investment grow.

We aim to provide small intimate developments but with all the facilities of a major complex. Peace and quiet and away from the crowds. None of our buildings have more than 7 units and rather than buying off plan our properties are already completed and available for inspection. Dealing with our registered Egyptian company Flats in Luxor Group you can be assured that investment is safe. All our property is built on private land so no problems about land ownership. You can buy with confidence from Flats in Luxor.

We have property in Luxor on both the East and West Bank and every apartment has the same loving attention to detail, Mahmoud has very high standards and nothing is skimped and shoddily finished. We offer you a quality flat in Luxor in a small development direct from us, Jane Akshar and Mahmoud Jahlan. No big anonymous companies to deal with when you buy from us. We are always available personally to advise you and to look after the property should you not be in residence. Our trusted and reliable staff can help you with errands and improvements. One of our owners wanted an unusual painting job done on his flat so we got our painter to give him a star studded ceiling. Different but that is our specialisation, individual attention for our owners.

Apartments are for sale at: East Bank, Al Gezera, Goubli and the Arabesque house. We also have plots of land where we could build you a dream villa in Luxor. Let us show you around and you can see for yourself a property in Luxor should come from Flats in Luxor, the original and best apartments in Luxor.

Flats in Luxor Map

Trying to make up your mind which Flats in Luxor to choose, this map will help.

Now Flats in Luxor has 3 blocks on the West Bank. the original Flats in Luxor are on the edge of Al Gezera village and and the new Flats in luxor are on the Goubli road. Two styles of building Arabesque, traditional Islamic style 2/3 bedroom flats with a garden and roof terrace. Goubli is super luxury and will have swimming pool, jacuzzi, roof top resturant, lift, shop, library, WiFi internet and many more.

Kid's Tours

We just had a load of fun with a big kids tour. I had to make up some new roles so we had

Mr and Mrs pharaoh
Hittite Princess
Royal Scribe
Keeper of the Royal Zoo & Leopard
General
300 handmaidens
Priest of Anubis

what I try and do is act out scenes from tombs and temples and if I get enough time with a family we will see everything we have acted out over a few days.

This time it was two families and as you can see even Dads join in and make lovely Royal Handmaiden!


But sometimes the blushing bride or Hittite princess can hide her/his beauty lol however we always seem to have fun

WiFi at Flats in Luxor

Flats in Luxor Group are happy to announce the installation of WiFi at their new building on Luxor's West Bank.

Yes that's right our Goubli flats now have WiFi and our chef is installed and cooking. Next on the agenda is the swimming pool which we expect to start really soon.

BTW Quad Bikes can now be hired for a unique desert trip

Flats in Luxor recommended in the Daily Telegraph

Nice mention by one of guests Drusilla Beyfus http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/main.jhtml?xml=/travel/2008/02/07/sm_activitynile.xml&DCMP=ILC-traffdrv07053100

A subsequent visit with Jane Akshar, an independent tour guide, took me into the smaller, off-the-beaten-track but none the less fascinating tombs of Ay in the western Valley of the Kings followed by the tombs of the nobles Roy and Shu Roy. They were wonderfully free of people like us.

Flats in Luxor Safe from Development

The government has decided to do a lot of development in my village of Al Gezera as part of the big project of making Luxor into an Open Air Museum. Unfortunately exactly what these changes meant is kept under wraps and rumour and gossip fly around. As we sell as well as rent flats we wanted to be confident that all our property was unaffected. I used my main blog www.luxornews.net to express my concerns and made sure news of this blog entry got to the governor. This resulted in an appointment with the man in charge of the West Bank development to explain what was going on.

General Mohammed Metwally is dapper and urbane and utterly charming and was happy to explain phase 1 of the development and for me to take photos of the proposed plan.

I went along with Michael who owns my Ra flat as obviously he was concerned as well. I explained that it was important for ex pat residents to know if the building they were buying or renting long term what the plans were so they could invest with confidence. The general assured us that none of my apartment blocks was affected by this or any other phase of the development. This was a great reassurance and means I can carry on selling with certainty. It is a great time to invest in the West Bank with these ambitious plans to development the West Bank will mean property prices will rise. There will also be less stock as many buildings in the Ramla area with Nile views are going. So our flats should be in even more demand as they are on private land well away from the edge of the Nile yet with great views.

You can buy with confidence form Flats in Luxor Group

Nicholas Sarkozy views our Goubli flats, Luxor, Egypt

Yes he did, really. Well he jogged past them and must have seen them and if you had been on this balcony you would have seen him.

Tony Blair is in Luxor now, perhaps he will visit as well. :)

Christmas Dinner Menu 2007

Every year I have been here I have invited the guests that were staying to Christmas Dinner. Although not everyone came numbers were on the rise, last year it was 12 and what with that and it being our busiest time of year it was gettign a bit much. So this year I have gone for something different.

There is a new Italian restaurant opened in Luxor called Benz and the chef Ben Wilson makes wonderful food. I challenged him to do us Christmas Dinner and so this what is on offer to my guests this year, pretty cool

Flats in Luxor
Christmas Dinner

Tomato Consommé
clear tomato & basil soup with vodka
or
Melon Midari fans
fans of melon soaked in melon liquor
or
Prawn Cocktail
The classic prawn cocktail prawns on a bed of lettuce with a home made Marie Rose sauce

-0-
Traditional Roast Turkey
Accompanied by
Buttered Savoy Cabbage
Garlic and Rosemary Roast potatoes
Duchess Potatoes
Roast Herb Parsnips
Honey Glazed carrots
Sautéed Brussel Sprouts with Toasted Almonds
Sage & onion stuffing balls, Home made gravy and Cranberry sauce

-0-

White Chocolate Pannacotta with a Champagne Granita
or
Christmas Pudding & Mince pies with Brandy Butter
or
Lemon Posset

-0-
A selection of Cheese & Biscuits

New Goubli Flats open for guests

We have just had our first guest in our new flats at Goubli and they loved it. As you can see from the photos the flat is to the normal high standards of the Flats in Luxor Group. Well appointed and tastefully decorated these are the best we have built yet, a mixture of owner occupier and tourist rentals. Two units have already been sold and the owners will be living there part time until retirement then full time. In the meantime we act as their agents for tourist rentals. So if you are looking to buy or just want a unique holiday apartment look no further.

Communal areas which are still ongoing include courtesy car, heated swimming and Jacuzzi, bar, restaurant, roof terrace, laundry facilities, pool table, satellite TV, Internet, designer garden and lift.

There are three bedrooms which all open out onto a large balcony. As there are two flats on each floor one balcony has views of the Theban Hills (my favourite)and of the River Nile the other way. These have air conditioning and fans and all linen including swimming pool towels is provided. There is a large family bathroom.
The master bedroom is furnished with a double bed, the other rooms have twin beds.
It has an ensuite shower room shown in this picture with granite sink surrounds.
The lounge has satellite TV, comfortable seating and dinning table for 6 people. As well it's own balcony with a view to the north and Hatshepsut's temple.
The kitchen is full equipped even down to the granite work surface. However we find most guests prefer to use it merely for keep beer cold and provisions for breakfast. Eating out in Egypt is so cheap. However everything is there should you want to cook.

What impressed our guests the most was the 360 degree view, here are views ,north west
north east
south east
and south west. The Nile, Luxor temple, Hatshepsut’s temple all visible from roof and higher flats. Ground floor overlooks the pool and garden.

If you want to book any of these flats please go to our main website and check out the availability or book direct here. Until the communal areas are totally finished we are holding the price at the same as our Al Gezira flats. £165 GBP per week or $330 USD.

If you have already made a booking at the Al Gezira flats and want to swap please email me quoting your booking reference.

Four flats face the Nile and these are from the ground up Maat, Mut, Hathor and Bast. There are only 3 facing the hills and I have one of them, so from the top down they are Sekhmet and Selket. The ground floor facing the hills is a pleasant reception/lounge/communal area, nice for evening entertainment

My best recommendation yet

I can't resist posting this picture. I just had this little girl stay at my flats and took her on one of my kids tours. I think she might have liked staying here lol

Rough Guide Gives Ringing Endorsement for Flats in Luxor

I had been told by Rough Guide that we would appear in the next edition and finally had sight of a copy of our entry today.

Reputable local agencies are Flats in Luxor which owns several fully equipped flats near the Pyramisa Isis and deluxe flats with pool and Jacuzzi on the West Bank

Hurrah for us

We still have Christmas 2007 Vacancies

With only a relatively short time until Christmas now is the chance to get in quick with a booking for flats to rent in Luxor Egypt. Our Al Gezira flats are full booked with the exception of my flat which I shall be vacating soon to move to the new flats at Goubli. These new flats also have vacancies but that is all. So if you want to celebrate Christmas or the New Year at Flats in Luxor book now.

Flats in Luxor, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery

Well after 4 years of trading I guess it was inevitable that people would start copying us and using our name. Flats in Luxor was set up in 2003 by Jane Akshar and Mahmoud Jahlan. Starting originally with 4 flats built in the village of Al Gezira, West Bank Luxor it now has blocks all over Luxor but they all reside on the same website.

Other people have started using the phrase Flats in Luxor on their websites but unless it is our website it is not us. The original Flats in Luxor as recommended by the Lonely Planet and Rough Guide only has one address on the world wide web http://www.flatsinluxor.co.uk/ so don't be misled. Other domain registrations http://www.flatsinluxor.com/ and http://www.flatsinluxor.net/ both belong to us and redirect to the http://www.flatsinluxor.co.uk/ So unless it is one of those it is not the original and best Flats in Luxor.

This blog is the official blog of Flats in Luxor http://www.flatsinluxor.co.uk/ and Jane Akshar runs another blog http://www.luxornews.net/ that deals with events, happenings, history and places in Luxor. These are the only blogs associated with Flats in Luxor.

We wish other flat owners in Luxor the best but wish they would not steal our image but create their own.

A flat is a British word and Americans would be more familiar with the word apartment.

My profile on LinkedIn

I have recently had a contact from LinkedIn which I didn't expect but actually thinking about it, it is a good way of giving people my background and some references, as any.

This person wanted to buy a flat in Luxor and when you are making an important decision like that then you definitely want to know who you are dealing with. But even renting a flat when you are paying in advance or handing over credit card details it is useful. LinkedIn is the professional networking website.

The public profile of Jane Akshar is here http://www.linkedin.com/pub/4/9a4/4a4

Desert Safaris

Our great friend and regular driver Rageeb has just acquired a flashy new jeep for desert tours, with air conditioning. He has been doing desert tours for us for some time but having only a minibus has had to keep to the regular roads. Now with this, the latest model in land cruisers, he can go any where. So if you want a trip in the Western Deserts please contact us and we can arrange Rageeb for you.

Oasis, Great Sand Sea, Uwaynat Desert, Gilf el Keber, Kharga, Dakhla, Farafra, Bahariya, Siwa, Areg, Qara, Baris, Dush, Darb al Arbain Desert, Forty Days Road, Wadiryyan (Fayoum) are all places you can visit by desert safari. You can experience everything from a one day tour to 2 weeks or more depending on your desires. Below is an example of a 1 day and 5 day tour. Trips can be arranged from Alexandria to Abu Simbel through the desert.

One Day Luxor – Baris - Dush – Kharga - Luxor

The tour starts in the early morning from the new road and takes the ancient caravan tracks. This is a short cut between Luxor and Kharga where you are free to wander in desert, see a real oasis, met local people and see places of beauty. The route takes you via the Black Valley, Crystal Quarry, Deers Valley, Alabaster Valley, sand dunes and the Temple of Isis at Duch.

Visit one of the oldest Christian necropolises in the world at Bagawat home of the oldest Basilisk church, the Exodus Chapel and Peace Chapel. Then onto the Temple of Hibis built by the Persian king Darius in the 26th Dynasty. The best preserved temple in the Western Desert built for the God Amun Ra.

You will see many different types of sand and rock formations with plenty of wild life birds and reptiles together with a hit spring swim.

Five Day Tour Kharga, Dakhla, Qasir, Sand Sea, Farafra, White Desert, Bahariya, Black Desert, Valley of the Golden Mummies

Day 1 Depart Luxor for Kharga, Visit Bagawat the oldest Christian necropolis and Ptolemaic temple of Hibis. Camp beyond the Roman fortress under the desert sky

Day 2 Drive to Dakhla where you will experience traditional Bedouin hospitality and have a hot spring swim.

Day 3 Experience the beauty of Qasir, the oldest inhabited Islamic town, just outside Dakhla. Visit the old city of Mut and Balalt, one of the earliest Pharaonic sites. Our drive takes us deep into the Western Desert and close to the great Sand Sea. Visit Farafra Oasis for lunch and head into the magical White Desert to look for fossils and black pyrites. . The White Desert is the largest I the world, there are beautiful formations such as mushrooms and ice cream cones!!! The to the chalk and limestone formations in the desert for dinner and an overnight camp sleeping under the stars.

Day 4 – On to Bahariya oasis via the Crystal Mountain where you can hunt for quartz. Take a hot spring swim close to the black desert and its pyramid shaped mountain of Visit the Valley of the golden mummies

Day 5 Leave for Cairo, se the pyramids, sphinx and Egyptian museum

Camels

When you think desert you think camels and what better way to see the West Bank villages and desert than by the ship of the desert. There are plenty of camels around so you can always get a ride. Here they are relaxing in the fields just by our Al Gezera flats.

Progress on the new flats

Our rural West Bank flats are coming along nicely, building has finished and now the interiors are being completed. The ceramic floor tiles have been laid in two floors. This shot of the outside of the building show the side of the building, there are 2 flats on each floor and it goes balcony, bedroom, lounge, lounge, bedroom, balcony. Along the front and back the bedrooms look out Nile view one side and Theban Hill view the other.

The interior is roomy and spacious this shot of the lounge shows the spectacular views that will be available. The rounded windows give character to the room and the entrance hall is open to the lounge giving more space and a cool feel. Essential in the summer months.



There are three bedrooms and one has an ensuite shower room and toilet. The family bathroom is shared by the other 2 bedrooms. They will all be fitted with air conditioning, you can see the hole in readiness, and fans.

Cruise the Nile on a Traditional Sailing Boat www.sailthenile.com

Want to cruise the Nile on a Traditional Sailing Boat. From backpackers to luxury romantic cruises, from sailing to photography via bird watching you have it all. Peace, quiet and total absence of stress. Time to pursue your favourite side of Egypt be it sites like Gebel Silsila that can only be visited by sailing boats or capturing that rare bird on camera at last. Sailing the Nile just got affordable.

www.sailthenile.com