Flats in Luxor Poolside Restaurant

Just to make you all jealous this was Luxor, Egypt a couple of days ago. We definitely have winter sunshine. We now have a nice poolside restaurant and we were enjoying a meal and a drink there.

Cheap flights to Luxor

Check out this site Charter Flights. I was emailed by a guest who has found loads of cheap flights in December and January. Get some cheap winter sunshine with a holiday in Luxor.

First review on our Trip Advisor listing

I love feedback like this, well who wouldn't Trip Advisor Flats in Luxor listing. This was a lovely family from Israel who stayed at the Flats and did some tours with us. I couldn't get them a guide, not many Hebrew speaking guides in Luxor! But we did help them as much as we could with their tours.

Cheap Flights to Egypt

I just had two people arrive tonight who booked at the last minute using the link on my website www.charterflights.co.uk. They got return flights for £175 GBP which made a trip to Egypt the best value holiday you can get. With winter weather hitting the UK and people looking for a bit of winter sunshine it seems booking at the last minute can get you some great bargains.

Abydos

The House of Companions Abydos

I have blogged this on my Luxor News blog when I read about it through Iris. she is a Dutch resident in Luxor and has a blog Hidden Egypt. She reported her visit there and it sounds wonderful.

So now you can actually stay the night there. There are 6 rooms including a triple. The price is 150LE for a single room and 250LE for a double and that includes meals. I have the contact details of the owner Amir and he speaks good English and seems quite friendly.

So now there are more options about visiting Abydos


Road convoy with 90 minutes in the temple

Train travel with half a day in the temple

Overnight with travel there being by road with the convoy or by train.

Isn't great to have some choices at last

Birkbeck Egyptologists recommend Flats in Luxor

Birkbeck Egyptologists Service 1 Comment from a Birbeck College student

REVIEW: Flats in Luxor - When I was in Luxor this March, I stayed in one of Jane Akshar's flats on the West Bank. We had a fabulous balcony with views of the Theban Hills and plenty of room - the flat sleeps 6 people. Having stayed in hotels in the past, I found that having your own space after a day of tombs and temples was wonderful! There are plenty of places to eat in the village, the ferry was a short walk away and there was no problem getting a taxi to pick us up each morning. Jane Akshar can also arrange trips, guides and taxis for you. Link to Flat's in Luxor website ( Jane, March 2007)

Swimming pool update - painting the wall

We are getting our painter Sherban to paint the walls of the swimming pool. I love what he is doing.

Donkey Ride over the Ridge

One of our most popular family tours isthe Donkey Ride over the Ridge. We have had everyone from 4 year olds to 80 year olds do this trip and everyone seems to enjoy it. The views are spctacular. Here is an old story of mine originally published on Tour Egypt giving my view of the experience.

I now know where the expression, "walk like an Egyptian", come from. Whoever first said it almost certainly had taken the donkey ride over the ridge on the West Bank at Luxor (ancient Thebes), Egypt. It is an amazing experience following in the steps of the workman that built the tombs on their daily commute from their homes at Deir El Medina on one side of the mountain to the Valley of the Kings on the other side.

We started really early as it is much cooler then and easier on both man and beast. I had asked for and been promised a nice quiet animal. It had to be very strong as well as I am no light weight. I went with my daughter and some friends and we started at my home on the West Bank of Luxor. The donkey man, Ashraf, managed to get us all on board which was an accomplishment in itself. My saddle seemed to be really insecure but off we went. This is an amazing way to travel with the soft clip clop of the donkey's little hooves plodding along. Exchanging greetings with locals on their way to work, we got to the cross roads where the big tours busses have right of way. Well actually they didn’t because our donkeys were determined to keep on going and we couldn’t stop them. The policeman was in fits of laughter as he stopped all the big coaches so this group of middle aged ladies on uncontrollable donkeys went across. Our guide was laughing too hard to be of use. Actually he told me afterwards he always lets that happen because the guests enjoy it.

We went passed the Colossus of Memnon and up to the workman’s village at Deir El Medina. One can appreciate the site of Amenhotep III's mortuary temple so much better from this vantage point and we were going slow enough to take note of all the current excavation work. It was very interesting.

At Deir El Medina we started ascending the mountain. The donkeys needed little guiding as they had done this route many, many times, which was just as well because hanging on required all my concentration. The path ascended quite quickly and within a few minutes one can see the village laid out beneath. It is truly an amazing way to view this site, looking almost like a plan drawing.

Just to the right looking back one could see the Valley of Queens and even in the distance the mortuary temple of Ramesses III at Medinet Habu. Only 10 minutes and already we had fantastic views. However, the ascent started getting steeper and my saddle more insecure. Whoops I started to slip and gracefully, I like to think, descended to the ground. I told the guide that saddle was wrong and we got it sorted out and were off again.

There were a couple of places where we had to get off and lead the donkeys but we were able to ride most of the way. There were some people doing the same route by foot, which if one is young and active is a great alternative, but I am neither, so I was sticking to my donkey. Well at least I was trying to. It was interesting to think about treading in the footsteps of the tomb builders who traveled the same route so many thousands of years ago. One wondered if those steps cut in the rock were from ancient times. The views were spectacular, the landscape and in the distance a hazy glimpse of cultivation. But it was the sites that I couldn’t get over. We had already seen Medinet Habu, Deir El Medina and the Valley of Queens, and wasn’t that the Ramasseum in the distance. Down below us there was the temple of Hatshepsut and to the side the Valley of the Kings.

Actually at the top one realizes the relationship between the Valley of the Kings and Deir El Bahri much more clearly. It is only a short distance between the two. It made it much easier to understand the relationship between Hatshepsut’s tomb and her temple. The Valley lay beneath our feet and we could see what looked like small ants scurrying around going into tombs, the entrances of which we could see clearly. On the other side we could look straight down on the top terrace of Hatshepsut's temple and the ramps of the lower levels.

At the top my daughter amused herself looking for fossils and we found loads. At this point the donkeys left us as it is very steep. They descended by themselves in no time but we took ages as we walked down by the side of Hatshepsut's temple getting the most fantastic views. Stumbling across rock cut tombs and small burial pits, we found even more fossils and came back with bulging pockets.

I guess one could call this trip the poor man’s balloon ride as the views we got were similar but the price was a lot cheaper. Of course, the tour took a little longer than the balloon rides as well, which themselves take only a little more than an hour.

But we hadn’t finished, we now went back through the villages and roads with the donkeys picking up pace as they sensed their stable lay ahead. Our feeble cries of “hush hush” had no affect and actually we were a lot more confident by this time and rather enjoyed racing along in our donkey derby, though I can't say now who won..

But I know I am going to regret it tomorrow, my poor muscles, yes I shall definitely be walking like an ancient Egyptian.

Flats in Luxor has listing on Trip Advisor

At last Trip Advisor has responded to my requests for an inclusion on their listings page. I am wanted to get on totally legitimately and not get round things by pretending I was a hotel and not flats. So after a lot of lobbying by myself and you my guests I have a listing.

Flats in Luxor Trip Advisor Listing


Now it is just about my flats so if you had a fantastic felucca holiday then if you want to add a review you must do an honest appraisal of the flats even if you were only there for a cup of tea after a tour (no harm in adding a btw we also did xyz with Jane and Mahmoud). Loads of you have done great reviews on the forums and if you added then to our listing I would be so grateful.

And thank you, all of you for all the lovely things you have said and please know it makes a terrific difference to our business.

Ramadan in Luxor

We are in the middle of the Holy month of Ramadan and it is such a special time to visit Egypt. Try if you can to get invited by a family to break the fast at sunset. They do not mind at all that you are not fasting and love to share this special time with you.

I love being in a country so united in a religious festival, the nearest thing I have experienced before is Easter in Cyprus.

How does it affect the tourist, well hardly at all. Hotels etc try and use Christian staff where ever possible to serve alcohol but don't be surprised in small hotels to find no alcohol or the staff asking you to help yourself. They prefer not to even touch it during Ramadan. It is not a good idea to be on the road around sunset as road regulations tend to be tossed aside in the rush to get home for Iftar. Certain government and official places like passport offices and banks close early and some of the sites have special Ramadan openings.

If you are on a full day trip be considerate to your driver or guide and insist that they stop and break their fast. They do not mind you eating or drinking in front of them but I prefer to be discreet but woe betide you if you lit a cigarette.

This is not the time of year to disagree with an Egyptian man during the day!!! Wait until he has broken his fast before nagging him about chores not done.

Soon it will be Eid and everyone gets new clothes and the children get money. Egyptians try and pay all their debts and make sure everything is up to date Mon wise so that everyone can have a good Eid. I you give someone a good tip so they can enjoy a good Eid your kind gesture will be much appreciated.

Egypt Is Attracting A Growing Number Of Overseas Property Investors | A Blog About Personal Finance

Egypt Is Attracting A Growing Number Of Overseas Property Investors | A Blog About Personal Finance

Credit Crunch Holidays

With money so tight at the moment and the collapse of one of the UK budget charter airlines holidays need to be good value, inexpensive but interesting and use a scheduled carrier. What about Egypt? What about EgyptAir?

Egypt is not the first destination to come to mind but with internal costs extremely low even when you add on a flight the holiday becomes affordable. I have flown EgyptAir to the UK on numerous occasions and once to Japan, I prefer getting the greater leg room and luggage allowance. With charter airlines you seem to pay extra for everything which a scheduled flight provides automatically. EgyptAir is competitive on price and flies into all Egyptian cities like Cairo and Luxor. For non British tourists scheduled is your only choice and many other airlines fly here from all the European destinations as well.

There are 3 types of holidays 5*, 3* and backpacker. Do remember these stars are Egyptian ones so paying through the nose for a 5* hotel is not going to give you a Tiffanies experience. So why bother. Backpacker accommodation is great for the young and young at heart and is certainly cheap out here. But the real bargains are in 3* hotels or self catering apartments like mine. Flats in Luxor www.flatsinluxor.com BTW flat is British for apartment :) We offer 3 bedroom apartments that sleep 6 with fully fitted kitchens, Western bathrooms AND a swimming pool, free Wi-Fi, in-house restaurant. All for $50 USD low season $70 USD high season. Divided by 6 now where could you get such great accommodation for the price. Now that is a bargain.

Similarly food experiences like falafel, foul and koshery are ridiculously cheap and very nourishing. Koshery a mixture of lentils, pasta, rice and a sauce is under 20 cents. But if you want the Egyptian experience try Felfela in Cairo or Sofra in Luxor. Real Egyptian food at real Egyptian prices. A great meal for under $10 but don’t worry it is not spicy like Indian food but really tasty. And also don’t worry about a dickey tummy. Actually fresh food cooked locally is safer than many a buffet left out for hours.

Add to that the most stunning array of historical sites like the pyramids and sphinx, Tutankhamen‘s tomb, the temple of Hatshepsut, the most famous female Pharaoh, the sound and light at Karnak temple, camel rides in the desert, sailing boats at sunset on the Nile. Now that is a holiday.

A word about safety. There are some odd areas of Cairo I would not fancy walking around at 2 am, that is the same in any country. Think about downtown New York or the East End of London however the tourist areas are safe and mugger free. In fact we (Although I am British I live here in Luxor, Egypt) are not quite sure what muggers are? Refreshing isn’t it?

Any troubles you have read about are likewise miles away from the tourist areas. Would you let a problem in Mexico stop you holidaying in Canada, exactly? Giza and Gaza are not the same place. The only problems you will get round the pyramids at Giza are camel drivers trying to get you to take a ride. That is a monetary one as well as a flea ridden one.

Sail the Nile : the review Trip Advisor would not publish

From a satisfied cutomer who experienced one of our felucca sailing holidays.

Well what can I say? Should I tell you all how fantastic my experience sailing down the Nile in a Felucca was? Should I try and portray everything we saw in great detail? Should I tell you that we have just enjoyed the best few short days of our lives?


In short; no.

The memories are mine and my family's, they are precious and I could not possibly put into words how we all feel since we have got home. I could not do justice to all we have seen and experienced.


What I can say is this; if you are thinking of creating some incredible memories for yourselves then please think about taking a trip down the Nile on a Felucca. I have a 14 yr old son and I really wanted to do something this year that would have a lasting impact on him, something not to wild or dangerous but just enough to give a young man the travel bug that leans slightly toward the independent traveler and away from those horrid package tours that take you to a place that has all the food and entertainment found at home with just more sunshine.
I figured that with Egypt being so close to Europe with a culture and history so diverse to ours and a river running through it that holds the whole history of its nation on its banks then here was the perfect solution: Sail it.

And with the look in his eyes and face every morning I am quite sure I hit a perfect 10.

I have opened a young mans eyes to the world outside his own. For a father that is the best that you can hope to do.

I may be pretty well travelled and quite used to being in a strange land with a problem of where to go next and how to get there. That is perfectly fine if as an adult you have decided to be there, however when you have taken a child into that arena then you do need to have as much under control as possible. And that is where I have to give thanks to Jane Akshar. The English lady that runs www.sailthenile.com who is not only a voice at the end of the phone when I booked the trip with her, she was like a friend who would help if I needed it.
Jane arranged the boat and its crew, and when the train to Aswan from Cairo was 4 hrs late she made several phone calls and within minutes of my telling her, Jane had arranged for someone to meet us and get our plans back on track. On more than one occasion I had to get in touch with Jane and ask for help and on each occasion the solution was given within minutes.

Edfu: The experience of sailing down the Nile is one that none of us will ever forget and is something so special that I don't want to tell you about because I want you to discover it for yourselves.


My only recommendation is that you get a guide for the Valley of the Kings and then go back to Jane's Flats in Luxor for a shower and a swim. We sailed from aswan to Esna where we met up with Jane's friend/guide who took us around the Valley of the Kings and believe me it made all the difference. Then after 5 days sailing we could have a shower and a meal, I can't tell you how good it felt.

We organize sailing holidays www.sailthenile.com for people and one of our very satisfied guests sent the above review to Trip Advisor. They refused to publish it saying

We received your review; thank you for taking the time to write it. Since we don't list this type of cruise right now, we're holding onto your review until we do. We'll be able to post your review then, and we'll let you know when it's up.

Isn't that bizarre I would have though Trip Advisor would publish anything about trips!

Some great photos aren't they, he sent me so many I didn't know which to chose

Virtual Tourist recommends Flats in Luxor

A lovely recommendation in Virtual Tourist for a change Just returned from my first visit to Egypt, and stayed in the beautiful apartments owned by Jane and Mahmoud of "Flats in Luxor". In the heart of the rural West Bank at Luxor, the experience was like a magical trip back in time, but with all modern comforts! Stunning views over lush farmland, as far as the Theban Hills and Hatshepsut's temple, hot air balloons floating aloft at dawn - yes, we'll definitely return! A fabulous experience!!

Guest Book
Despite the best efforts of the help desk at Bravenet I cannot get my guest book to display in Internet Explorer. Is anyone else having the same problems it is fine in Firefox. The helpdesk think it because of my add-ons Anyway please do have a look at the guest book and see what past guests have written and add your own comments. Also Trip Advisor is a good source of reviews on both the flats and the tours we do.
Flats in Luxor Guest Book

And still the Trip Advisor reports keep coming in

We have just returned from Egypt after staying at one of Jane & Mahmoods properties and I can give nothing but praise. We have been to Luxor many times and decided to have a change and wanted to stay on the west bank. We contacted Jane and arranged to stay at their Goubli property. The flats were great and very spacious, the pool is finished however the pool bar is yet to be furnished but the whole area is very private and there is a kitchen area on the ground floor with a fridge to put your water etc in whilst at the pool area.


The staff at the flats are brilliant and there is a member of staff at the flats 24/7, big Mohammed is a true gentleman and cannot do enough for you, Akhmed has a taxi and is very reliable and more than fair with his prices, also when you ask him to take you somewhere he takes you there and fetches you right back without stopping at every alabasta shop on the way(the luxor savvies will know what i mean!!!!)


We only booked one trip with Jane and it went like clockwork so I would have no problem recommending her trip service.


Having now spent time on the westbank I would find it hard to stay on the eastbank, the people are so much more friendly and we walked from the flat to the local shops(about 10 mins) a few times and didnt have a scrap of hassle. It was great going to the local shops and buying fruit and veg etc and you really see the difference in price for everything on the westbank, it was so much cheaper.


We fully intend to go back and stay with Jane and cannot wait for our next holiday

Xmas and New Year 2009 at Flats in Luxor

Remember last year where we had a Christmas Day traditional turkey dinner. Xmas Menu Cooked by the wonderful chef Ben Wilson of Benz, for all the guests at the flats. That was held at the Goubli flats. Every one had a great time and it was lovely the have all the generations enjoying themselves and even Mahmoud put on a paper hat.
We followed that with a party on New Year’s Eve with a whole roast sheep. Most of the guests had never seen a whole animal being roasted before. It was cooked by an Egyptian chef with the faithful Mohammed Garden and Little Mohammed helping out big time. Bit of a mistake there as we did not think to have a vegetarian option. Sorry won't do that again


Mahmoud and I are going to do even more this year. We have a lot of bookings over the period so now we have our chef on board we can do more food. Especially some vegetarian options. We are also going to have traditional Egyptian entertainment Arabic music, whirling dervish, belly dancer all are planned. I know it is only September but our bookings over Christmas are coming in already so we have decided to make sure those guests have a wonderful holiday.

Vacancies Xmas 2008

Well Christmas and New Year are getting pretty booked up but we still have vacancies and of course we can always find other landlords in the area

East Bank after a long let of three years our three bedroom flat Geb becomes free this November. Perfect for Luxor’s nightlife yet located down a quiet cul-de-sac. Photos are on the website. This is our only 3 bedroom flat on the East Bank as the other 2 flats are sold but also on the East Bank we have 2 one bedroom flats Seth and Anubis.

Al Gezera still has a couple of vacancies and if push comes to shove I will move out of my flat. Goubli is nearly full with just one vacancy now.

But the ace up our sleeve is the Arabesque House, located near Goubli, just a couple of minutes walk. The building has finished and the flats are being furnished, there is a one bedroom, two bedroom and three bedroom. Anyone staying at the Arabesque House has access to the Goubli swimming pool and other communal facilities.

2008/2009 Tour Prices

We can offer private guided tours in Luxor of up to three sites for $80 USD per person (minimum 2 adults). The price includes qualified guide, tickets and transport. Choose from the following sites

East Bank
Karnak Temple
Luxor Temple

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)
Mortuary Temple of Ramses III (Medinet Habu)
Workman’s Village at Deir el Medina
Tomb of Pashedu
Tombs of Roy and Shu Roy
Noble’s tombs of Neferronpet, Dhutmosi and Nefersekheru
Nobles Tombs of Ramose, Khaemhet, Userhet
Nobles Tombs of Benji, Userhet, Khonsu
Nobles Tombs of Sennefer and Rekhmire
Nobles Tombs of Meena and Nakht


Don’t forget our specialist tours:-
• Quiet Tour – where Inshallah you are the only tourist
• Grandfather, Father Son – Comparison of Mortuary Temples
• Kids Tour – dressing up or homework!
• Egyptian Housing from Pharaonic to today incl.Hassan Fathy

Non historical tours in Luxor at $20 USD per person
• Donkey Ride over the Ridge.
• Felucca Sunset Dinner Cruise,
• Camel Ride to the Christian Village.


We can also provide day trips to Cairo, Desert Trips, Middle Egypt, Aswan and Abu Simbel, Red Sea in fact anything in Egypt. Price on application.

Children under 6 are free and under 12 half price, students over 12 must in possession of an INTERNATIONAL Student Card

Communal Areas at Goubli

On the ground floor we have created a large communal area. There is a lounge where you can escape the rest of the family and relax. We have a library, please free free to leave any books and if you are in the middle of one we don't mind you taking it as long as you have left one in its place.

This is also where we have free WiFi available and we have even provided a desk for you to work at. Our staff will be delighted to serve you traditional Egyptian drinks of tea and coffee. Or you could smoke a shisha.

Lastly we have a wide screen satellite TV area for those important events and programs.


And who is sitting looking important, yes it is the Boss

Goubli the swimming pool photos at last

Yes at last I have got photos of the new pool at Goubli. I wanted to wait until we had all the pool furniture. We got really lucky with that and got a lot of stuff from the New Winter Palace hotel which is being demolished. We had it recovered and that took time. But I am really pleased with the material. The pool area covers all the the back of the property with a shower area and toilet block as well as snack bar and poolside bar.
We are planning to have cold drinks, sandwiches, chips, salads available. As well as crisps, sweets and ice cream. We have planted some shrubs, I asked them to get smelly ones like Jasmine so when they get established it will be really fragrant. But mainly it is an area for sun bathing. In the afternoon you do get shade but I think we will get some umbrellas to complete the picture.

This is the view from the balcony of Out, which is the first balcony floor. Brits would call it the 1st floor but Americans and Egyptians call it the 2nd floor. As you can see the balcony is a gorgeous place to relax on overlooking both the pool and the Nile in the distance. Surrounded by sugar cane fields and farm land yet conveniently close to the ferry and the Valley of Kings and other pharaonic sites. In fact you can see the temple of Hatshepsut from the flats.

Our first guests

Someone wrote on Trip Advisor about being one of first guests and I was looking back at some of those early people. A surprising number are still with us. I say surprising because in those early days we were just a little bit less organised than we are now. I can remember driving to the airport to meet a guest and telling the driver to come back really slowly as when I left the flat there were no windows in it!!!! Bedrooms had beds but that was all. Still Mahmoud fixed it, he always does.

Neil Berry from the UK was the first actual guest to stay at the flats. I am on LinkedIn and very recently we reconnected he wrote such a nice recommendation for the Flats

“Stayed in Flats owned and run by Jane in Luxor. Wonderful place to stay and hosts were very hospitable. My whole family had a wonderful time there and Jane is a helpful and caring host. A holiday with a difference and great value for money - my four year old had more fun in Luxor than EuroDisney!!”

Mike Williams from New Orleans was the 6th guest, I still use the fantastic recommendation he wrote on the Lonely Planet forums in my auto response to Tour Egypt enquiries

“The flat was beyond my expectations !!!!! This place was the best deal in all of Luxor for independent travellers.

You get 3 large bedrooms, large kitchen, large bath with hot water, large living room, and a balcony with the most beautiful view of the lush farms lands and the barren mountains of the "Valley of the Kings".
In the early morning you can watch the balloon flights over the "Valley of the Kings". From the roof top you can get a view of the Nile River. Also, it was just a short walk to the village and the ferry to the east side.
This place is definitely worth staying at. I highly recommend that any independent travellers going to Luxor check out this place.
Jane is very knowledgeable about Egypt, and her husband Mahmoud and his brother Ahmed are available for tours of the area and felucca rides.
The best thing is that it is located in a small village and there are no large hotels as on the East bank.”

Not only that but he was also a customer of Waleed Mohammed in Cairo and was instrumental in get us together. Waleed has been my man in Cairo since then, when Mike came here. Mike was affected by Hurricane Katrina and it was never racking when Waleed and I could not get hold of him for several months. I actually got an American friend to track him down at the hospital he worked in for me. Thank God he was OK but substantial damage was done to his home

My first Japanese guest Rina wrote a fantastic reference some 3 years later to another Japanese lady nervous of coming being independent. Can’t tell you what it said as it was in Japanese :)

Maggie Bowen, Ireland, also came in 2004 and she is another of my LinkedIn recommendation. As a marketing person she gave us some terrific ideas and was also a customer of Waleed.

“If like me you want to get off the beaten track and meet local people but enjoy a little luxury then stay with Jane and her family in Luxor. On the same bank as all the sites you can escape the madness that is Luxor and enjoy five star hospitality. I would recommend them to anyone!”

Next on the list has to come Michael Campbell-Smith who in the words of the Remington advert ‘like the place so much he bought one’ yes Michael is our man on the roof. An adopted member of the family now, he spends his winters in Luxor and was the first person to buy a flat from us.

Ann E is next, she stayed with us for several weeks and recently revisited with her entire family, Keith Jones came on his honeymoon and became such a good friend he supported Mahmoud application for a visitor’s visa to the UK, we stayed with them one night on our trip to the UK in 2006.

Paul T who just recently rebooked, Antonia who did a desert tour with us and recommended us to all in sundry, Richard S who introduced us to Mohammed Ismail and another one who is coming back this autumn. Bob E from Australia who spends at least a month here every spring. Prof Dee Wymer, USA, who came here after a dig in the delta and is a firm Facebook friend. Shareen my big buddy who has moved here. Jackie C who let us do a house swap 2 years later in 2006 and has rebooked yet again this year

All these from our first year of trading 2003/4, thanks to them and from others from subsequent years who have become special friends like my 1000th guests Heidi and group from Finland.

Another Recommendation on Trip Advisor

This new post on Trip Advisor deserves a bit of a plug as Mahmoud gets a mention. He organised the cruise, hot air balloon and trip to Abu Simbel for them. Flats in Luxor is not just about apartments and flats but tours as well. I know he is a bit elusive at times so here is a photo.

We were talking by the pool and they said they had a quote from one of the agents on the Corniche and could we match it. So Mahmoud made a few phone calls and low and behold we had an offer they could not refuse. They were most impressed how easy it was for us to organise this. As I always say if Mahmoud can't fix it, it can't be fixed. Anyway here is what they said, BTW my name is spelt wrong Ashkar lol

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g294205-i9426-k2185548-Trip_report_staying_on_West_Bank-Luxor_Nile_River_Valley.html

Having been a lurker for over a year and just returned home; I wanted to write of our fab time in Egypt. I may go on a bit.


For those of you considering staying on the West Bank, do so. Like all villages they soon know who you are and you are left alone, apart from the offering of taxis to VOK when we were walking back to the flat.


We stayed at Flats in Luxor run by Jane Ashkar and her husband Mahmoud. Our choice of flat was the fourth floor of the original flats and the view from the balcony was to die for. Believe me, drinking a Pimms looking out at the Theban Hills morning or evening was something else. By the way Jane told us that in addition to your duty frees from England as long as you do not exit the airport building, you can buy a further 4 bottles per person upon arrival. Back to the balcony - watching the hot air balloons was fun particularly when my husband watched the balloon of myself and son. Following on from the discussion a while back about various balloon companies, we were booked through one company but ended up making up numbers in another companies balloon so I think they are all much of a muchness.


Apart from having booked a flight to Cairo to spend the day with a cousin and visiting the Giza and Sakkara pyramids plus the museum; we had arranged nothing else before we left. We are fairly independent types. Most of the tombs and temples we had an a/c car and the Kent Weeks book on Luxor treasures that I highly recommend but physically too heavy to take on the day.


We did pick up a boat and travelled up the river to visit Karnak picking up a caleche for the return journey and ending up that days sightseeing with breakfast at the Old Winter Palace.


We also had a lovely evening when Jane's husband Mahmoud (what a fixer) arranged for a service car (They must have known I wanted to have a ride) to take us down to the Nile where a launch took us across to our felucca and ending up with a wonderful Egyptian meal on board.


Let me see what else did we get up to. Oh yes, Jane and Mahmoud arranged for us to experience a three day cruise...request of son...and we had a relaxing!! time travelling down to Aswan on the Solaris. No complaints there, great boat, food hot,service friendly and courteous, rooms clean and a mini balcony. Joined the convoy down to Abu Simbel and the time flew by and didn't take long. AS is a wondrous place.


Our first day we took a donkey ride up into the hills behind Hatshepsut's temple. The views were superb and the chance of looking down on the temple scary but wonderful.


Baksheesh and hassle. You don't get it in the village but what we did experience...at sites and the Corniche...my advice is to don't get uptight about it. We smiled but we were firm and there were no hard feelings on either side with the exchanges ending in an enjoy your holiday message.


We didn't experience any stomach problems, thank goodness and took basic precautions ie antisceptic handwash.


I took along the suggested pencils, pens, sweets and notebooks and once I overcame my reticence of physically handing them out; they were much appreciated from helpful temple guardians when I had no small notes to security guards, from the smiley woman in our local, small room supermarket to the village children. I wished I'd started handing them out earlier.


I had arrived with a list of recommended restaurants but we ended up going across to the East Bank twice in two weeks...we found there was no need. There is a burgeoning of small hotels with restaurants on the West Bank. We laughed our way through an evening at Tutankhamun. We ended up with a table groaning under the weight of the food the owner wanted us to try. The view is gorgeous too. The Nile Valley has a great roof top restaurant where the views are astounding - over the shoulder there was Luxor Temple lit up. There is a lane about half way up the village that leads to El Nakhil..again a great rooftop restaurant where the waiter hurried to set up the fan behind me...I don't do heat particularly well. El Fayrouz is fairly new and they were serving meals in their luscious garden. We found this place the cheapest. A copious breakfast for two came to £3 sterling total. And a two course meal with drinks for three came to £14.80.


I did say this may be a long report but I hope it is of some help to someone as all of your contributions have been to me.


Signing off with many thanks to all.


Maclean family

Actually changing the subject for a second the photo was taken by my mate D and she played about with it in photo shop as a birthday present for me. Do you know who's tomb this really is?

Flats in Luxor announces its 1000th tour booking, Finland to Egypt for the 4th year running

Welcome back to Heidi, Arja, Hans, Tuija and Miia from Finland. our 1000th booking at Flats in Luxor, Egypt. Established in 2003 Flats in Luxor now has 1000 satisfied clients from all over the world who have used its accommodation or gone on its tours.

Luxor, Egypt (PRWEB) August 5, 2008 -- Flats in Luxor welcomes its 1000th tourist since its formation in 2003

The 1000th guests are Heidi, Arja, Hans, Tuija and Miia from Finland, who have booked tours of Luxor for the 4th year running. As members of the Finish Egyptology Society their requirements for tours are not run of the mill.

They said 'We found Jane through the blog she writes in Tour Egypt. It was very easy to contact her on her website www.flatsinluxor.co.uk and book trips by internet.

The beauty of her, that you can choose yourself the sites you want to see and a schedule it as well. And there are a lot of sites from which to choose from.

Jane makes you feel welcome and her humour is over the top! But she´s also a true professional in what she do. You get tours so intensive and individual, and no one explains the sites like her.

We respect and rely on her and when we get home to Finland, we miss her a lot every time. But we can always comfort ourselves, that we will see her again next year.'

They are typical of the kind of guests that use the services of Flats in Luxor for either tours, accommodation or both, they want to get away from the standard offering, be more independent, have a more in depth look at the history and get underneath the surface of the Egyptian culture. Jane Akshar of Flats in Luxor was delighted to oblige and looks forward to welcoming her favourite Finns back to Luxor.

Flats in Luxor was founded in 2003 by Jane Akshar and Mahmoud Jahlan, their mission to provide high quality flats or apartments for the tourist market and to enable them to enjoy a unique and individual tour of this fascinating and historic country.

Having rented a flat in Luxor, Egypt themselves and been disappointed by the standards of cleanliness and lack of facilities they perceived a demand for Western standard flats in Luxor. For both those guests and those staying in hotels they also provide guided tours and all aspects of holidaying in Egypt.

Jane was a computer specialist by background and an Egyptologist of 40 years. She utilised her IT contacts to set up a professional website with availability calendar and booking database. Jane says 'I was over the moon when I found the domain name FlatsinLuxor was available. However I wished I had realised that Americans have no idea what a flat is. They would call it an apartment and being as our market is international this often leads to confusion.'

Although Jane has plenty of IT, sales and marketing experience she had never worked in tourism before. That was Mahmoud's side of the business, as a local he had worked with tourists in Luxor since he was young, knew everything there was to know and had all the contacts. The internet was an ideal medium for their business and utilising her Egyptology expertise Jane built up a dedicated following in the online Egyptology community which she used to publicise their business.

Jane goes on 'Mahmoud taught me everything about tourist, tourism and renting flats. We made a few mistakes at the beginning, the flats today are not the same as those early days and the swimming pool came later but everyone was supportive of the business. We still have repeat bookings from those early guests and we are in touch with many of them.

Heidi and her party are typical of our guests, coming back year after year and recommending friends. We have a Belgium group who come with their friends and family and rent several flats, a retired Australian couple who come every spring for month, a British man, keen Egyptologiust, who spends his winters here and finally an American working in Cairo who has sent dozens of his colleagues here as well as staying three times himself. They are all like family.'

The first business success was becoming part of Tour Egypt which is the premier tourism website about Egypt. That relationship is as strong as ever and Jane writes a blog www.luxornews.net on the Tour Egypt website with over 3,500 unique visitors a day.

Then after petitioning by many of their satisfied guests the Lonely Planet inspected the flats and included it in their guide book, the Rough Guide followed and most recently Responsible Travel approved them as Luxor's only 'Green' accommodation. They feature regularly in Trip Advisor both for accommodation and tours.

Now some 5 years later their company Flats in Luxor Group, which is registered in Egypt, have 4 apartment blocks with 21 flats some in development, some sold but the majority are available for holiday rentals. Their tours which include the more remote places in Egypt like Amarna, safaris in the Western desert, are exciting and unusual. They even offer sailing holidays on traditional feluccas. www.sailthenile.com

Mahmoud says 'To have reached 1000 guests is an important stage in our business. But we have even more plans for the future; especially green and eco friendly offerings, it is an exciting time for us.'

Property in Luxor Egypt

Uncertain about buying Egypt, see the two articles below. I think that first article is really fair but it fails to take account of the motivation behind a lot of sales. Retirement properties. The second article should reassure those looking at these.

With pension values falling, Westerners are facing an increasingly dubious future. Their pensions, if they have one, are minuscule and certainly not enough to maintain a decent standard of living or any living at all in some case. But because of the low cost of living in Egypt even the most cash strapped pensioner can live like a Pharaoh on a very modest pension. Buy your apartment or flat and never have to worry about rent again and live off your UK pension, yes it is possible here. After all there are no heating costs, it is sunny all year round. Food costs are approx 1/10 those of the UK. Also you can pass on your property with no tax, tempted, you should be.

The two article do reassure people looking to invest in Egypt that their capital value is set to rise. Which when you are facing an increasingly uncertain old age is very reassuring. The clincher is that you can pass everything on to your children, no tax!!!!

As you know we have property for sale and all is on private land where we can give you freehold and proper contracts and papers. Flats in Luxor has an international reputation for honesty and we can give you references from satisfied customers. We have a variety of properties some with swimming pools, so please get in touch and have a secure retirement.

Another article on why you should buy in Egypt

Why buy real estate in Egypt

Egypt may seem like an exceptionally unusual choice as a location in which to invest in real estate sure, its a great vacation location with its 7,000 years of history, its near perfect year round climate, stunning beaches and beautiful divingbut what does it have to offer someone wanting to invest in real estate as a commodity?

The answer is Egypt is actually fast moving from being an emerging real estate market place to a well established one because the levels of foreign direct investment into the real estate sector have increased based on some excellent fundamentals.

For example, Egypt is now considered to be a politically stable country and one that is absolutely pro-western, meaning that an investor can be confident in the political stability, will and vision of the nation. Next up, the economy in Egypt is going from strength to strength. According to The Economist magazine GDP grew by 5% in 2005, almost 7% in 2006 and is on target for over 7% growth in 2007.

A strong economy gives confidence to investors as well but it also means local people have more buying power which creates the perfect environment for house prices to rise in value and an investors real estate assets to appreciate.

Aside from these excellent foundations on which an investor can build confidence there are some travel and tourism angles you might like to consider when thinking about whether Egypt is worth a closer look as a place to invest your hard earned dollars into immovable property.

First up theres excellent statistical news and data from the World Travel and Tourism Council, they say Egypt is on track for enjoying 21.4 billion US dollars worth of economic activity from the tourism market in 2007 and that the nations travel and tourism growth rate is expected to hit almost 8% this year before averaging around 5 and a half % per annum until 2017.

Clearly there will be massive rental demand for accommodation that a property investor who buys well located real estate can benefit from. Boosting this demand is Egypts exceptional climate and the fact the nation is now cheaply and swiftly accessible from Europe and the UK thanks to cheap flight operators.

Finally, if you want more reasons why to buy real estate in Egypt think about the fact there are no capital gains or death/inheritance taxes in Egypt and the government has now made it easy and safe for foreign buyers to own a home or multiple real estate assets in Egypt and surely you have enough evidence to support taking a closer look at the Egyptian property market.

Rhiannon Williamson writes about property investment worldwide,

Now is the time to buy property in Egypt according to analysts

Egyptian Property: Too Good to be True or Too Good to Miss?

The recent media reports relating to the real estate market in Egypt paint a picture that would make anyone think twice about buying property anywhere else. Even the Prime Minister of Egypt believes that the construction industry has just witnessed a 15% expansion. But are all these tall tales about the success of the Egyptian property market too good to be true, or do they illustrate a picture of an investment asset that really is too good to miss?

The thing with Egypt is that it is an undeniably amazing country in terms of its travel and tourism appeal. It’s not like the authorities, tour operators or property professionals have got to flog a semi-decent location like Bulgaria is it?! Egypt has year round sunshine, it has the Red Sea, it has incredible beaches, it has the pyramids, Cairo, Alexandria, Tutankhamen – I mean, it has it all in abundance! And what’s more, the tourism industry is truly thriving…up 20% in 2007 on 2006 levels, set to increase by about 7% on average a year for the next ten years, and being targeting for inward investment by the government seeking to stabilise and diversify its economy.

So, the fact that the entire fledgling real estate industry is built on tourism makes property in Egypt initially seem like a no lose commodity. Surely as tourism numbers rise and rise and rise and all these amazing developments in all these amazing resorts are built and sold, so those who buy will be able to let to the tourists coming in and profit right? Well, yes…and no. What about all the hotels in Egypt? And all the hotels that are being built in Egypt? And the fact that tourists still prefer hotels with all their facilities and conveniences to self-catering? Aye, there’s the rub, not every tourist visiting Egypt is going to want to rent a fly-to-let investment property belonging to someone from the UK who has invested their life savings into what is being oversold as an amazing investment asset ‘guaranteed to double your money, honest.’

Sigh…

Sorry, we got carried away – it’s just that we despair when we see developers advertising properties for sale in untried and untested emerging markets with ludicrous promises about guaranteed rental yields, guaranteed capital appreciation and guaranteed returns. Yes Egypt is potentially a great place to invest, yes there are amazing fundamentals supporting the development of the nation economically speaking…but come on, it’s not a sure bet. Please, proceed with caution and look at any investment opportunity with just a little suspicion if you want to do the best for your money.

Kids Tours and Another Recommendation

Spotted this very nice recommendation from some past guests. They work at a school down in Cairo and are talking about using me for school trips which should be fun.

Here, we recommend Jane Akshar, whose teenage daughter often accompanies the tour when there are kids involved. She also explains that, "With kids on a tour, we sometimes act out, dressing up in galabeyas and some cheap beads, and pretend to be priests and pharaohs".

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