We - me, my husband and our fifteen-year-old son - just got back from a fantastic week at Mara House. Full disclosure first: this is not a 5-star luxe hotel with a view of the Nile. If you want that, don't come here. If, however, you want to experience a little of what living in Luxor might actually be like, email Mara right now. She'll answer all your questions quickly and carefully and once you arrive make sure you have a hassle-free trip - no mean feat in a city where hassle is a given. We were met at the airport and shown our comfortable and spacious triple suite (three bedrooms, sitting room, bathroom, kitchenette) and felt immediately at home. The house is on a residential street the 'wrong' side of the railway tracks, but a swift 15-minute caleche ride or 20-30 minute walk to Luxor Temple. Mara organizes tours of all the main sites and we had pre-booked three of them. Our guide Mohammed escorted us to Luxor and Karnak Temples, to Dendera and Abydos and to the West Bank, taking in the Valley of the Kings, the Tombs of the Noble and of the Workers and the Medinet Habu. They were long days, but good ones. We learned a vast amount and it was all smooth and straightforward. We were met at the hotel, taken to good restaurants for lunch and returned to the Mara House at the end, where we could relax and absorb all that we had seen, whether in the cool of our room or on the roof terrace. Going out in the evening was a breeze, too. Mara's team (Zahry and Amr, who doubles up as chef at Mara's restaurant, Salahadeen) call one of the caleche drivers they use (we were lucky enough to have Ramadan, who was great) to pick you up, take you where you want to go and take you back to the hotel afterwards. This is a huge plus as it means you don't get ripped off and you don't get overly hassled by the dozens of taxi drivers and other caleche drivers looking for business. And you can understand why they might be. Tourist numbers are massively down since the revolution, and Luxor is very, very quiet. But don't let the political situation put you off. Cairo is 300 hundred miles away and Port Said even further. And most of the people you will come across are polite, funny, kind and if you treat them civilly, even when haggling, will do the same to you.

We're so glad we went - and so glad we stayed with Mara. We could have stayed in a posh hotel and spent our week in a protected bubble, but this way we got to see a little bit of the real city and to do it in a very easy and pain-free way.

My friend and I stayed at Mara House for five nights in February 2013. We chose Mara House because of Mara being english- spoken and because of her expertise and vast knowledge of Egypt. Right from the off, when we were emailing Mara back and forth with our ever-changing itinerary, we knew that we were making the right decision to stay with Mara. Mara's prompt replies (always within 24 hours) reassured us that we would always be in good hands. That was so true, from the moment our plane touched down in Egypt. Mara had one of her drivers meet us and take care of our visas before taking us to Mara House. It was lovely to be greeted by Mara at the door of the residence. Right away she made us a very welcome cup of tea and had our luggage taken to our room. We felt straight away that we had been friends with Mara for years! She was so welcoming and her Irish hospitality was second to none. Nothing was too much trouble for Mara. She organised all our tours to Tombs and Temples and even packed a breakfast and/or lunch for us. At very short notice, she helped organise (through her many contacts) a hot air balloon ride over Luxor. Our suite was spotlessly clean. We couldn't fault it in any way. The fridge was well stocked with water, soft drinks, wine, beer, chocolate bars and crisps, all of which were replenished each day. Staying with Mara made our trip so enjoyable and took all the hassle away. She's a remarkable lady! Thank you Mara for making or trip so exciting.

Our 3 generation extended family spent two nights at Mara House in January and the only problem we had was that we couldn't stay longer! Mara communicated well with us as we were making our arrangements prior to our visit, and everything came together as we hoped. Her staff, namely Amr and Sahry, were exceptionally attentive and helpful. They were always ready with a cup of tea and good advice. All the arrangements they made for us, from the hot air balloon ride to the tours to the calesh ride through Luxor, worked perfectly. Our tour guide, Mohammad, was interesting, patient and knowledgeable. The apartments were spacious, comfortable and clean and the rooftop terrace was lovely and relaxing. All nine of us would highly recommend Mara House.

Stayed at Mara House 11-16 Feb 2013. Chosen because we felt we would be happier staying with a woman who spoke English! On arrival at the airport we were met by one of Mara's drivers who took care of our visas etc and guided us through the airport to the waiting car and driver. On arrival at Mara House the lady herself was on the steps to greet us in person. A member of her team took our luggage while another made us a very welcome cup of tea. Within minutes we felt completely at home. Our apartment was spotlessly clean and well appointed. We'd pre-booked some of Mara's trips but late one night we wondered, rather hopelessly, if we could also squeeze in a hot air balloon flight for the following morning. A quick call from Mara to one of her contacts and it was done. Egypt could have been a chaotic and daunting experience, especially when one doesn't speak the language. Mara's expertise and knowledge of Egypt took all the hassle away - leaving us to have an amazing, carefree, wonderful holiday. Thank you so much Mara.