Airkela Nubian guest house — Hotel in Elephantine Island

I was truly overwhelmed by the warmth and hospitality at this place. Mohammod, the owner, along with Rawia and her sons, went above and beyond to make my stay comfortable. They arranged a car from the airport, and the driver was in touch with me well in advance of my arrival. Despite my late arrival, Rawia prepared a delicious homemade dinner at a very reasonable price. She also organized a felucca ride on short notice, again at a fair rate.

During our conversations, I shared some stories about my family who couldn’t join me on the trip. In a beautiful and thoughtful gesture, Rawia gave a small gift for my wife and kids — a touching example of Nubian hospitality and culture that really stayed with me.

On my first day, her son kindly accompanied me on the ferry to help me get familiar with the area — another thoughtful gesture I really appreciated. Every request I had was taken care of promptly and with genuine care.

Do note that the place is located on an island, so you'll need to take a ferry to get in and out. The service is frequent, but it’s something to be aware of when planning. Overall, an exceptional stay with an incredibly kind and generous...

Our stay at Airkela Nubian Guest House was absolutely incredible! The guest house itself is warm, welcoming, and maintained to the same standard as the other lovely guesthouses on the island - but what truly makes it stand out is the hospitality.

Rawia in particular went above and beyond - she’s one of the best hosts we’ve ever met. We highly recommend speaking with her to organise your trips, whether it’s Abu Simbel, Philae Temple, anywhere around town, or even travel inwards to places like Luxor. From our experience, those who booked through their hosts had a far smoother time, and Rawia truly made everything effortless.

If you want a genuine, stress-free Nubian guesthouse experience with outstanding care, Airkela and Rawia are the perfect choice. We can’t...

Where to start…..

A huge thank you to the staff that ran the guest house, before we arrived to Aswan I picked up a bug and was very ill for a few days

The staff went above and beyond to get me back on my feet and did everything possible to help me recover, I am truly grateful for their kind and caring hospitality

The guest house itself is ideally located near the local ferry for the island and has spectacular views of the Nile

Breakfast is served on the rooftop and was a great way to start the day

The room was spotlessly clean, the AC worked well, the fridge was great for drinks needed for the heat and the WiFi signal was strong

Would highly recommend staying here, the most welcoming place we stayed in...