Nubian Holiday House Aswan

This is an excellent choice for anyone who likes to stay apart from the hustle and bustle of the city itself. The village is calm and friendly, although of course rather dilapidated and trash-strewn outside the walls of the guest house (which is neat and well-maintained). Meals are served, including a boxed breakfast when I had to be gone very early for a tour, and transport arrangements are made on your behalf when requested. The family is calm, respectful, and attentive to any needs, and even the dogs are friendly despite their thick coats and lethargy in the heat.

The remoteness is a mixed blessing. On the one hand, the ferry is just a short walk away, and at 10 LE per ride is a great bargain in addition to offering chances to interact with local people and occasional other tourists. On the other hand, it starts running at 6:00am while most Abu Simbel tours leave from the city earlier than that. The guesthouse arranged a private boat for me (300LE), but this was a bit stressful. Similarly, taxis to and from the airport or train station are an added complexity (and reasonable expense) if you, like I, are not able to maneuver full luggage on and off the ferry. On the other hand, I did not find it terribly inconvenient to pop over to the other side to buy train tickets or make other purchases. The village does have a few little shops selling basics, but Ramadan has made it difficult to tell just how much would normally be available. Local villagers are generally quite welcoming and not manipulative, but of course there are bits of “I am doing this just for friendship but oh dear my feelings will be very hurt if you don’t tip me.”

Peaceful location in a typical Nubian village … away from the buzz of Aswan

Towels were so dirty and yellowish There are no transportation means. We had to use the boat if the adjacent guest house everyday.

My sister and I stayed at this hostel in Aswan, bahar was friendly, Nubian aunt cooked local food was delicious, there was a music bar nearby, small shop, big dog jaxi and her son haha. Compared to Aswan across the street, it's quiet and comfortable, and the dining bar on the second floor looks out over the Nile.

Tranquil, beautiful, family run accommodation. Habibi and his nephews did everything to make the most relaxing, comfortable, wonderful stay. Authentic, fresh cooked, meals and daily cleaning service. Airport pick up was there waiting with sign to find easily, thank you Sammy! Habibi also organised a sun' set sail on the Nile and took me for a motor boat trip another day. Boat to East Bank 5-10 minute walk and only 10 EGP, runs regularly. Definitely picked the right side of the Nile to stay on, extremely relaxing, staying there was a great addition to my trip!

Perfect place to stay in Aswan. Beautiful views across the Nile to Aswan. You can see the chaos but not be part of it. Although it’s a quick & cheap ferry ride (E£10) to get there. Everything is very clean and tidy. The room was lovely with a beautiful dome ceiling (room 7). Showers were good. They had aircon if needed. WiFi is a bit patchy but works. Breakfast is included and very filling. The Tomb of Mekhu and Sabni is just a 7mins walk. They charge tourists E£75 students, E£150 for Adults. From there you walk up to the Dome of Abu Al-Hawa, which has great views.

Transport from the airport. If you don’t want to have to negotiate for ages and be driven all over, instead of directly to your hotel, better to arrange with the hotel for E£400 beforehand. If you download ’indrive’ app you can order the taxi for E£160-200 but you will need WiFi. You can buy a Sim from Vodafone in Aswan for 20GB data for E£485. They charge E£300 for dinner. It’s a nice meal but prepared in their own time, so you might be pretty hungry by the time it arrives. Hint - ensure what you communicate is understood. Dinners in restaurants outside can range from E£50-300 without alcohol.

A really great find... This traditional house was such a treat... The location was also really quiet (on the west side) but only 5 mins walk from the public ferry... The views were stunning... the staff were really warm and friendly... Overall, a great experience and great value for money... Will definitely return...

Nothing... everything was great!

Considering the number of great reviews, I was expecting a fantastic place, but was badly let down except by the staff, who were indeed fantastic, especially Baher. It is essentially a house that has been converted to a guest house. On the plus side, it is cheap and has very large bed rooms and bathrooms. The food is made in house and reflects the local cuisine, and felt very authentic. I loved the two large, friendly dogs who treated everyone as friends.

If you are planning to book here, there are a number of things you should be aware of. First, it is on the opposite bank of the Nile from the rest of the city, and you have to take a ferry to get to the place, or go on a long, round about route if you take a car. Getting to the ferry involves some climbing stairs. From the ferry you have to either walk 500 meters or take an auto rickshaw to the hotel. Both are ordeals during the summer, when temperatures can hit 47 degree Celsius. The room had not been cleaned properly after the last visitor and there was rubbish in the dustbins. The soap used by the previous occupant had not been replaced. The knob controlling the water flowing between the tap and the shower was broken. The property does not have a generator and we were without air conditioning during a 30 minute "power cut" when it was 45 degrees Celsius outside. There was no water in the bathroom during the night.