AboutJane Akshar Expertise I have extensive knowledge of tourism in Egypt, specifically Luxor, and Egyptology in general. I can answer questions on travel, hotels, restaurants as well as about the sites and dealing with the locals. I can tell recommend deserted sites where you are the only tourist, local guides who will take you walking over the hills, reliable drivers, taxis, donkey and camel men, sailing and motor boat captains.
I can answer questions on Egyptology(up to the end of the New Kingdom) as I have been involved with Egyptology for over 40 years and have contacts in the Antiquities department and with many of the Archaeological teams in Luxor.
Experience I have been coming to Egypt as a tourist since 1979 and moved to live in Luxor in 2003. I love to help people fall in love with Egypt. I guide guests around the sites in Luxor and run a small tourism business renting flats (apartments) to tourists. I am married to an Egyptian and have a bilingual teenage daughter. I write regular feature articles for Tour Egypt and run a News Blog on Luxor.
Organizations AEITB "Association of Egyptian Travel Businesses on the Internet"
Publications www.touregypt.net
www.luxornews.net
wikipedia.org/wiki/KV63
www.kv-63.com (photos)
Archaeological Diggings Magazine
The Cultured Traveller
Egyptian Cultural Heritage Organisation (ECHO)
The Undoctored Past
Education/Credentials 8 O levels, OND in Science, City and Guilds in Computing, 10 years Egyptology with the University of London Extra Mural Dept
Question I am about to book a holiday to Taba and we plan to stay during Ramadan. I am aware that Taba is mainly large hotels/resorts catering toward tourists.
I am interested to know if Ramadan will effect the service we will recieve from our hotel, as we are paying a lot for the trip and are expecting an all inclusive service, I assume staff will provide the same service and cater for guests as they would do at any other time of year - can you confirm this?
I would not want to offend locals by eatting and drinking in public but as that is such a part of any holiday I would also not wish to be consious/uneasy in doing so.
Answer Any tourist resort is not going to be affected. Some of the staff are Christin as well so cover anything a Muslim might not like to do in Ramadan.
I am always discreet about eating and drinking during the day out in the community but find that Egyptians that catch me love being macho about it and proving they can do without. But woe betide you if you light up a cigarette and then they are really suffering. So basically I do not think your holiday will be affected.
