So let me start with the hotel. It is the Maritim Jollie King's Island, sat on its own island in the Nile. It has a lot going for it. Being on an island it is isolated from the hawkers etc outside (more about that later). The accommodation is based on chalets. Imagine hexagonal chalets with 6 rooms in each which are obviously wider at the front and narrow towards the bathroom at the back.
It has three beautiful pools. Two are infinity pools which have a kids area at the back of them. The other is adults only, which sounds slightly dodgy but just means no kids. As it happens none of this mattered as while I was there there were hardly any kids anyway, certainly not enough to cause any annoyance to grown ups. And here was the problem (which may be largely a matter of the time of year), but although clearly established as a family hotel, this was like the Exotic Marigold Hotel. The residents were at the very elderly end of the scale. There is a huge fitness centre too, but what need is there for state of the art treadmills when your guests can barely walk without a stick?
The grounds are well maintained and so it is just a very nice place to be and wile away one's days.
Views across the Nile are spectacular.
And it is never long before a Nile cruise ship passes by.
This is the "Horizon Pool"
Below is the adults only pool, called the "Relaxing Pool."
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| Outside reception as you drive into the hotel. |
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| Am not a chess player, but if one had to play anywhere.... |
And this is the Infinity Pool - my favourite of the three
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| Yes my feet |
A hooded crow popped in for a drink. There are hundreds of hooded crows about the place (and thousands of sparrows)
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| The West Bank, where the Valley of the Kings is, in the distance across the Nile |
