... Arriving at night (As I first did) you round the dark shadows of Elephatine Isle to be presented with the magnificent sight that is the Isis Island Hotel.
Ok, I might be exagerating slightly, but not much! After a long journey (4 hours from Luxor, or a short drive from Aswan Airport) ... Read review
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Advantages: Peaceful, Fantastic Scenery, Unique Disadvantages: 15 Minute ferry journey from the river bank, Cool winds from the river
...magnificent sight that is the Isis Island Hotel.
Ok, I might be exagerating slightly, but not much! After a long journey (4 hours from Luxor, or a short drive from Aswan Airport) you are greeted in the hotel foyer with a glass of cold karkadeh (a drink taken from the hibiscus flower) and comfortable seats while the tour rep introduces him/herself. The rooms are spacious and comfortable, all having a minibar/fridge, television, bath/shower ... ...and depending on which side of the hotel you stay on, a sunset view over the sand dunes on the West bank.
As the name suggests, the hotel is on a free standing island in the middle of the River Nile, and the hotel grounds are surprisingly spacious, including tennis courts, 5-a-side football pitch, two swimming pools (one heated, one not) with bars, a petting zoo and the hotels own agricutural gardens. This is by no means an extensive ... more
The first impressions of this five star hotel can be gained from the short ferry journey from a dedicated pier on the East bank of the River Nile. Arriving at night (As I first did) you round the dark shadows of Elephatine Isle to be presented with the magnificent sight that is the Isis Island Hotel.
Ok, I might be exagerating slightly, but not much! After a long journey (4 hours from Luxor, or a short drive from Aswan Airport) you are greeted in the hotel foyer with a glass of cold karkadeh (a drink taken from the hibiscus flower) and comfortable seats while the tour rep introduces him/herself. The rooms are spacious and comfortable, all having a minibar/fridge, television, bath/shower and a balcony with a stunning view of the Nile and depending on which side of the hotel you stay on, a sunset view over the sand dunes on the West bank.
As the name suggests, the hotel is on a free standing island in the middle of the River Nile, and the hotel grounds are surprisingly spacious, including tennis courts, 5-a-side football pitch, two swimming pools (one heated, one not) with bars, a petting zoo and the hotels own agricutural gardens. This is by no means an extensive list.
According to the hotel's website there are a total of 450 rooms available, including two luxury villas which have private swimming pools and are not far from the main hotel complex.
The breakfast within the hotel is superb, being a large self service buffet with a mixture of local food and the odd nod to European cuisine (well if you count sausages and scrambled eggs as cuisine!!)
From the hotel it is possible to easily get to any of the nearby tourist attractions, with Philae Temple and the High Dam being short drives, Elephantine Isle and the Tombs of the Nobles being accessable by ferry and for those who want to trek further afield the magnificent temple at Abu Simbel is about a 3 hour drive which we managed to arrange for £65 (650 Egyptian pounds). Edfu and Esna are also within easy driving distance for a day trip.
All in all this is a very good place to act as a base for those wanting to explore the Upper Nile region, and somewhere that I would definately want to revisit!
