Basmatic nubian guest house — Hotel in Elephantine Island

Let me just say right off the bat that of all the places I've ever stayed in 29 countries - many of which were run by truly wonderful people - I would have to recommend Basmatic Nubian Guest House above all others. While it is not a five-star hotel, it is a perfectly adequate guest house with large rooms and industrial air conditioning units that are able to cool better than the normal ones we have in the US. It's extremely clean, has a great location on Elephantine Island with its own boat and great boat crew, and excellent food made by the wife of the manager, Mohammed.

All of that is basic. Let me explain the magic of Basmatic Nubian Guest House. On the way to Egypt from the US, I had two different major problems with my flight. One of them I knew about in advance and Mohammed texted me every day, multiple times a day to check on me and see if it had been resolved yet. I have never felt like a hotel manager cared about me that much. Btw, he already had my credit card on file so he could've charged me anyway if I didn't show up. Ultimately I got to Aswan a day late, and although he could've charged me for the night I missed on Booking, he didn't. I honestly felt that Mohammed treated me as one of his own family members. Mohammed also arranged all my tours for me in both Aswan and Luxor, definitely at a better price than I saw online. He put a lot of time and thought in my schedule and honored my request to skip the high dam and unfinished obelisk in Aswan, no questions asked. The tours in Aswan were kind of complicated, involving multiple cars and boats, but they all worked flawlessly. All told, Mohammed probably spent at least two hours texting me about my Luxor tours in detail as well. He was very busy so I really appreciated it.

But wait.. that's just the beginning. One of the other people helping to run the hotel, Marwan, is the sweetest person on Earth. My first night he stopped what he was doing to take me on a little tour and took some great photos of me around Elephantine Island. Later, we went on an all-day tour, and he was the nicest person in the world and responsible for some of my best Instagram photos, lol. Such a gentle, yet strong person.

I'm actually a happier person because of the time and experience I got to have with Mohammed and Marwan. They restored some of my faith in humanity. You can stay in a five-star hotel anywhere in the world but you will absolutely not find the level of hospitality and friendliness as with the staff at Basmatic Nubian Guest House - a very special experience highly recommended...

Stayed 16 - 20 October 2022.

$230 AUD ( $154 USD ) Studio Apartment with River View

Arrived is Aswan on the overnight train from Cairo and immediately went to the High Dam and Philae. After our visit to these sites we were met on the East Bank by the boat to reach our accommodation.

The Basmatic Nubian Guest House is located on the western side of Elephantine Island and has commanding views of the Aga Khan Mausoleum on the west bank. Mohammed the owner made our stay very pleasant and the apartment itself was immaculate with a kitchen and fridge which came in very handy for chilling the Stella beer we would have on the balcony each afternoon following our days sightseeing. We had the ground floor apartment with balcony.

Being on the western side of the island gives this area a much quieter and peaceful setting without the noise of the city behind. It is conveniently located within walking distance ( about five minutes ) of the Aswan Museum and the ruins of Abu. Also close to the southern ferry crossing again about a five minute walk.

One funny incident that did occur was one morning our guide came to gather us for our day ahead. We attempted to leave but the front door was locked and we couldn't get out. After a few frantic phone calls from our guide, who lived a couple of alleys away, Mohammed arrived and opened the door for us.

There was only one incident that caused us to have some disappointment. On our last night there we had arranged to meet a friend from the East Bank in our apartment for drinks and some pre dinner snacks before going out. When we arrived with our guest, the night staff housekeeper would not allow our guest into the apartment. Whilst this was inconvenient it was the only issue that arose on our stay.

I would definitely recommend choosing the Basmatic as your accommodation whilst in Aswan. The ferry to the east bank is five EGP each way and Elephantine has more than enough eateries to keep you satisfied. There are a number of convenience stores located...

Basmatic is a beautiful Nubian style guest house, located on the Elephantine island and run by some of the kindest and most helpful people you will meet!

One of the owners, Mohamed Hegazy was very helpful in guiding us pre-arrival and post arrival too!

Before we arrived we had multiple phone calls to arrange where we will park our car, he then sent a boat with someone to help us with the bags once we arrived. Afterwards he sat with us and gave us a long list of suggestions and helped us plan according. We were pleasantly surprised to find that we had actually booked a whole 2 bedrooms apartment with a full kitchen and living room not just a double room. The apartment was very clean and the air conditioners were working perfectly which was very important given we visited at the end of May.

Our booking included breakfast which they served us at the roof with stunning views and full flexibility of when we want to have it. Mohamed Abdallah and his son Abdallah always received us with huge smiles and welcoming words whenever we went up to have our breakfast, they couldn’t have been more helpful in fulfilling our every wish.

The elephantine island itself has a very nice temple/museum that doesn’t get so much attention, we also had a great meal (camel meat) in Bob Marley restaurant in the island, a restaurant that Abdallah recommended and guided us to. The island doesn’t have any cars so it’s an authentic and peaceful experience but requires a bit of walking around to get to places. Mohamed sent us a boat on the first day to pick us up with our bags and to send us off on our last day, the rest of the days we walked and took the local ferry for 5 EGP (for 2 people). We also did a whole day by boat to see the monastery, the tombs of the nobles and the Nubian village ( Gharib Suhail). Mohamed helped us plan the whole thing!

I absolutely...