Village Room in the Countryside

This is not an ordinary place to stay. It is an experience. If you are looking for a hotel, a clean bathroom and European standards — don’t come here. The conditions are very basic and definitely far from our usual standards. But if you want to see real life in an Egyptian village, this place is absolutely unique. Peter doesn’t simply rent out a room. He lets you into his world. He takes you for walks around the village, introduces you to the locals, shows you everyday village life, takes you to church for Mass, and introduces you to a woman making cheese and another baking bread in a traditional clay kitchen without a chimney. At times, it feels almost surreal. But the people are the most amazing part. You walk through the village and everyone smiles at you. Children ask, “What’s your name?”. Yesterday, when I sat down for tea on my own, the locals asked me, “Are you Peter’s guest?” — and immediately gave me a high five. And that is exactly why I will remember this stay for a long time. Peter, thank you for letting me into your world. If you are looking for luxury — choose a hotel. If you are looking for a real Egyptian experience — come to Peter.

La nostra esperienza in questa struttura è stata purtroppo molto negativa. Eravamo consapevoli di scegliere una sistemazione in campagna e non ci aspettavamo un hotel, ma ci aspettavamo comunque un livello minimo di pulizia e igiene. Purtroppo la realtà è stata molto diversa: abbiamo trovato ambienti molto sporchi, con insetti, la cucina in condizioni poco igieniche, il bagno con evidenti problemi di pulizia, oggetti lasciati ovunque e materiali per la pulizia presenti negli spazi della casa. Anche il ventilatore era molto sporco. La camera aggiuntiva dove alloggiava mia zia sembrava più un ripostiglio che una stanza pronta per un ospite, con scarpe e oggetti di altre persone presenti. Oltre alle condizioni della struttura, abbiamo avuto difficoltà anche nella gestione del nostro tempo: dopo una giornata molto lunga di visite, avevamo bisogno di riposare, ma ci siamo sentite molto pressate a partecipare ad attività organizzate dal proprietario, nonostante avessimo espresso la nostra necessità di riposo. Riconosciamo la gentilezza e la disponibilità della persona che ci ha accolto, ma purtroppo l’ospitalità non può compensare la mancanza di pulizia e di attenzione agli spazi destinati agli ospiti. Non ci siamo sentite a nostro agio e abbiamo fatto molta fatica a riposare.

세계 곳곳을 여행하면서도 깊숙한 각 나라 주민의 세계에 접근하고자 한다면 꼭 들러보세요 아무리 오래 이집트를 여행하더라도 그 곳에 사는 사람들의 생생한 삶을 경험하지 못했었습니다 하지만 이곳 피터의 집을 통해서 이집트 사람들의 일상과 삶을 조금이나마 이해하게되었습니다

The host is very good, serving also as a guide to help you see and understand the life in the village and it's people. The room is clean and comfortable. The food served tastes excellent.

Le village et ses habitants avaient l'air sympa mais je n'ai pas eu le temps d'en profiter

TOUT ! J’ai séjourné dans cet établissement une nuit sur les 2 réservées. J’ai quitté le logement dès le lendemain matin après une nuit blanche. La chambre et les espaces communs étaient insalubres : saleté incrustée, odeurs nauséabondes et présence de cafards. La cuisine était totalement inutilisable. Le matelas était très dur, donnant l’impression de dormir sur une planche de bois. De plus, le bruit provenant de la rue (principalement les voisins et le passage de motos) a été incessant toute la nuit, rendant le sommeil impossible. Cet hébergement ne respecte pas les standards minimaux d’hygiène et de confort.

Niets

Vies!!!

This is not your regular accomodation - this is a truly unique, yet intense experience. The host, Peter, is a lovely, genuine guy who has grown up in the village and thaught himself english and german, as the only one in the village. He and his family took very good care of us and showed us everything the village and its people had to offer. Rarely have we had such intense but rewarding days. Everyone we met was super welcoming and Peter was a great translator of both language and cultural norms.

As we talked about during the stay: This is not for everyone. The village is remote, and the village life is definately different from the cities and tourist places. For a western tourist, you will recieve lots of attention and invitations for tea and photos. The house of Peters family is not a five star hotel by any means, but this is the charm and authenticity of this stay.

Pokud chcete poznat skutečný život na egyptské vesnici bez příkras, takový jaký je, je tohle přesně místo pro vás. Ubytování není jen o přespání, dostanete jídlo a Peter vás provede po vesnici. Uvidíte místní život, lidi, zvířata, zvyky. Rozhodně je to velký autentický zážitek. Doporučuji přijet včas, abyste toho stihli co nejvíc. Po cestě jsme řešili nějaké problémy a Peter nám pomohl po telefonu je řešit a byl s námi stále v kontaktu. Při procházce vesnicí nesl naše dítě a i pro dítě to byl velký zážitek. Mluví anglicky a německy a i jeho rodiče byli moc milí. Naše miminko v noci zvracelo z dlouhé cesty autem a Peterova maminka mi pomohla všechny naše věci vyprat. Rádi na tohle místo budeme vzpomínat!

Na místní poměry velmi čisto, ale v Evropě jsme zkrátka jinde.

A really interesting impression of the countryside and village-life - authentic pure without any fakes ort artificial beauty. Special thanks to peter who took us for a village-walk and explained everything we wanted to know. And this in a great english ang german!

I have found this review difficult to write as we did enjoy our stay with Peter. It is clear he puts in a lot of effort for his guests to organise their time and coordinate with local police etc on our behalf. He acts as a translator and village tour guide which is truly valuable and I don't think it would be possible to stay in rural Egypt without someone like Peter to facilitate it. He can be a bit difficult, chaotic and overbearing at times and there were definitely some cultural clashes but that is what traveling is about. I wonder if he might be better suited as a local tour guide and organiser who outsources the hosting aspect of the stay to someone else.

Unfortunately the accommodation itself is what lets down this experience - if I was reviewing solely based on this I would say it would be a 2 or 3. The flat was incredibly dirty; dust, flaking mouldy paintwork in the bedroom, buckets of stagnant filthy water in the kitchen and even cockroaches crawling on the stovetop. I am by no means a clean freak and we went into other houses in the village that were beautiful and well kept so I do not accept that this is just part of village life or squeamish western standards. I tried to explain this to Peter but I really do not feel that he grasped the difference between basic living and dirtiness most people simply would not accept. His response was that most people do not use the kitchen as much as we did as his mother was away and she normally does the cooking, therefore guests don't normally see how bad it is or have to come into contact with the cockroaches - I'm afraid to say that really isn't the point. The room allocated for guests is very small for a family, we were lucky that Peter's parents were not at home so we were able to use their room as well. Otherwise it would have been very cramped for four people especially with any luggage so worth bearing in mind if booking for a larger group. The paint was was flaking and seemed to have a powdery white mould so we also didn't want to sleep too close to the walls which reduced the space further. It is definitely more run down than the photos suggest. I really hope Peter is able to sort out the flat and get it properly cleaned and maintained as of this was done this would truly be an amazing place to stay. It was definitely a unique experience regardless and I would say worth doing but as long as you have the nerve for it.

Peter made our stay at his Village Room in the Countryside the best experience in all of Egypt. It was much more than we expected. We booked and then extended our stay longer. If you’re looking for a resort on the beach then this might not be for you but If your looking to see rural village life, eat wholesome home cooked food, have a calming atmosphere visit with the villagers and see real Egyptian life….Peter’s home is the place to stay.

لا شيء

كل شيء

La experiencia en casa de Peter fue única, la atención que te brinda es increible. En la casa tienes lo necesario para estar cómodo, además Peter te prepara una experiencia inmersiva en la vida local, que hace de tu estancia algo aún más especial, estoy agradecido!

Петер большой молодец! Организует экскурс в деревенскую жизнь. Рекомендую тем, кто желает аутентичного погружения в быт труженников села!

The host Peter offers a unique experience to see the everyday life on the countryside of Egypt that you normally don't get to see as a tourist. Peter is passionate in showing you around and bringing you in contact with the village people. He does everything to make your stay as authentic as possible. We, as two young women, always felt safe which was due to Peter's warchfulness. Also, there was always a police man accompanying us when walking around the village, which is due to regulatory action. We didn't found this disturbing, though it was new to us. Peter has very good language skills.

You should not expect a very comfortable and tidy environment, as others have mentioned already. Also privacy was limited, as you share the bathroom, etc with the whole family and we spent the whole day with Peter showing us around.

Peaceful and quiet, a real family home. Having seen one bustling Egyptian city after the other, I was so glad to arrive in this welcoming village. Peter is a wonderful, tireless guide and a great improvisator, making the experience unforgettable. He became a friend.

Der Gastgeber Peter kümmert sich intensiv um seine Gäste, er spricht perfekt Englisch und sehr gut Deutsch. Bereits im Voraus plant er die gemeinsame Zeit mit viel Kontakt zum Dorfleben. Er ist bereits im Vorfeld gut erreichbar und sehr kommunikativ. Es ist jedenfalls keine gewöhnliche Unterkunft.

Auch wenn schon sechs Personen im Zimmer übernachtet haben, war es für uns vier zu eng. Für zwei Personen denke ich eher passend. Das Gemeinschaftsbad ist im Vergleich mit anderen Unterkünften gewöhnungsbedürtig.

Before booking the room in Peter's house I have carefully read the description and reviews, so I knew what to expect in terms of facilities etc. I was warm welcomed by Peter and his lovely parents. They provided parking space for my scooter in the hallway, showed the house and my private room. Although I stayed for just one night it was a nice possibility to see how Egyptian families live their daily life. The neighborhood is safe, Peter gave me a tour around and showed several churches. Also, he helped to find the place for oil change and his mom cooked yummy kunafa for breakfast. Overall, it was very nice cultural exchange, and I am happy that I decided to stay in Idmu.

As a seasoned solo traveler, I am always prepared for some inconveniences when staying in guest houses, so I take all I need with me, including sleeping bag (just in case). My stay in Peter's house was smooth because of that but I recommend asking Peter for bed lining and other small things which you expect in advance. He is very responsive and always ready to help.

You do not book this offering for the room, you book it for the host. Peter is a wonderful person who loves to host people. We had an amazing time exploring his village, an Underground church and the bigger city of Al Mina. When staying there, you live with Peters family who are all lovely people. Peter is the only one who speaks English and German and is happy to translate between you and people in his family and village. Or when peter isn't available google translate is also a good option. It might not be for everyone, but for us it was an amazing opportunity to see the real authentic life in an Egyptian village. Thank you Peter!

As some other comments already said the house isn't particularly clean. And when peter is not available, your options to do something are limited. But in our case peter was always available for us and helped us with everything.

Peter is a great host, he is really good at explaining and translating what is happening. I really enjoyed being able to interact with the locals on a deeper level through Peter translating. I also enjoyed following him around while he did some errands and interacting with the local people of the village. The people of the village are all super friendly and welcoming, they are super excited to interact with you. The whole family is also super friendly and nice. Peter has some interesting opinions on different topics but I found it very interesting to understand his mindset. The food is basic but it is what they eat themselves, which adds to the experience for me. Overall, the experience is an authentic look into village life and I recommend it to anyone. If Peter is available to give you a tour, then the value for money is fantastic.

The house is really cluttered and unclean. I didn't like this because it does not add anything to the experience of having an authentic village stay. In order to enjoy the visit you really have to be comfortable in a place that is super basic and lacks cleanliness. I think the main point to stay here is to spend time with Peter. However, Peter also works and isn't always available. I planned to visit on a weekend when he wasn't working much but Peter still needed to work when he had a chance and also ran errands such as shopping and visiting the tailor. Overall the experience was very chaotic and time management wasn't great. This could also be a positive to get a real insight into his daily life. However, if Peter wasn't available as much, I feel like I wouldn't have found much to do on my own. If you don't want this type of experience, you should be able to find any hotel in Minya that is cheaper (go to the hotels without online prices).

With that stay you're also getting a great experience of seeing lives of Egyptians in a small town, their friends and neighbors. It is not just an accomodation, so do not expect much in this regard 🙂 Valuable visit, recommend to anyone who has this location on their way, if they have too much of tombs, desert or big cities. PS it's not that much "the countryside", rather a small urban area.

Descriptions could be provided more accurate. Place and town also is not from the cleanliest league

This place is perfect for people who want an authentic experience in the Egyptian country side. I really enjoyed getting away from the tourist cities and seeing the real Egyptian country life. Peter and his family are very welcoming and hospitable. People in the village are very friendly and welcoming as well. They will be very curious about you, just as everything in the village will be new and interesting for you, you will be new and interesting to the people in the village.

frankly speaking disatisfied about anything.

firstly, I think the room is not qualified for hotel. secondly, when I arrived, it collected extra 5 USD. the village is so in remote place I have no other choice but to pay 5 USD. thirdly, google location can not be accuratedly found. we must ask many local village to find it obviously I am not satisfied with it, Peter (the young guy) asked better remark and review. but I can not promise that. lastly, it said meals are included, but it is so simple. in general I really do not recommend this place to visit.

I was looking for a plce in or near Minya to see the 'City of the Dead', when I suddenly stumbled upon this opportunity to see the Egyptian countryside. Peter and his family offered me a lot more than I expected. He really made time for me and the other guests, guided us in the village, got everything we needed, called friends to drive us to the the 'City of the Dead', a wonderful place I recommend to everyone going to Minya. He joined and tried to fix everything we could wish for. In the village, he showed the places we needed and translated (because the people only speak Arabic). He even translated what was said in the church. His mother cooks all meals for you, included in the price. Peter truly did everything he could to make guests feel comfortable. You are living in his house, with his family, which is a very special opportunity to get to know Egyptian villages in the Nile Valley. It is an experience I'll never forget, full of hospitality and warmth.

It is special to see the countryside, but you will be the center of attention, with kids asking 'what's your name?' and people asking for photos. I don't mind this, but it could be annoying. You shouldn't expect luxury, or an anonymous hotel. Peter will help you with anything, but you are living in a simple house in the countryside. Peter sometimes is a little bit overcaring and is busy with different things, which can make it a chaotic stay. I personally liked that, but if you expect a relaxing getaway, with Peters chaos, the busy village life and all the kids this is not the best place for that. For discovering Egyptian everyday life, it certainly is the best place.

Given a tour of the amazing local community. Perfect if you want to experience how Egyptians live in rural areas.

You should visit ONLY if you have enough time in your trip, otherwise you be made to feel guilty leaving early.

It is about the experience. The real Egyptian village life, away from big cities. The host really wants you to experience everything and wants you to meet many local people.

The house is not too clean and the host asked for more money than the confirmed price on Booking.com at the end. He does put a lot of extra effort in the experience but still not good to try to make us pay extra at the end.

Peter was great host, he made us a warm welcome and was very keen to show us around in his village and the field around, he also made us meet everybody there, and his family was charming ! The village and surroundings are a very beautiful piece of countryside, on the other side Peter also took care of everything for us to visit archeological sites as to help us find ways to continue our journey, thanks to him going to Al Minyah was a great expérience, thanks Peter !

Peter's family were all very kind and helpful. I was also very happy that all the children and adults from the town welcomed me His father also made me an Egyptian dress, Jalabeiyah, which made me really happy I think you can understand the real Egypt by going here. You should definitely come here when you come to Egypt

Great experience! Very recommendable. It's an opportunity to discover the countryside and culture of Egypt, off the beaten track. It helps you understand the different religions coexisting together, specifically the Christian religion. You can visit lots of churches that show you another way of singing and praying. Peter speaks good English and does the possible for the guest to have an incredible experience. We saw lots of animals (cows, ducks, donkeys, sheep...) and a very nice market. The people in the village are incredible and kind to all foreigners.

Some cleaning would help the experience to become even better. And also if you don't like being the centre of attention it is an experience difficult to enjoy, somehow everybody will wanna talk to you.

This is probably your best shot to get to see how life goes in an Egyptian village away from the touristic areas. The host is very enthusiastic and will be very happy to show you around and meet local people, acting as an interpreter to overcome the language barrier (most of the village's inhabitants speak Arabic only). It is definitely a once in a lifetime experience.

On the other hand, we had a few issues regarding some ambiguity on the payment (you should discuss this clearly with the host beforehand to avoid awkward situations upon checking out) and with Arabic-only-speaking police constantly following us as we were walking around. The latter seems just to be a precautionary measure enacted by the local government to protect foreign tourist (and it happens in other areas of Egypt as well), but it can be quite intimidating at times, and neither it was mentioned before our stay, nor explained clearly during it.

It is a precious place where you can get to know Egyptian countryside life that you cannot experience anywhere else. It is a beautiful place and the people of this village are very kind and welcoming. Tell Peter what you want and he will make it happen.

If you are looking for a genuine authentic Egyptian Village experience ful of warmth and hospitality this is the perfect oportunity. Peter and his family were so accommoding and gave us a taste of a rustic countryside life style. We also really appreciated Peters help in helping us with onward transportation which would have been quite challenging otherwise.

With out the help of Peter navigating the new train ticketing system for foreigners it would have been quite tricky to leave Minya as there was no other transport options.

I'm traveling the world, which means I've been to so many places in the world and experienced so many things, but the stay in this village was outstanding. Since you're traveling in Egypt, I think you've heard that you have to be careful about some Egyptians who try to cheat you and some more things about safety. I'm sure this village is the exception. Peter, the host of this accommodation, is a super nice and trustworthy guy. He did almost everything to make our stay memorable. He speaks multiple languages very well, and has a respect for guests at the same time. When I left there, I felt like he was my good friend. And he's also trusted by almost everyone in the village, which allows him to show the guest real lifestyles of the locals. I love all the views of this village because they are so peaceful and natural unlike other touristic cities. But more than that, I think the best attraction of this village is people living there. They are so friendly that literally everyone smiles to you and wants to communicate with you regardless of their English ability. I will be a repeater for sure.

This is not a bad thing, but if you're thinking of staying at this place, please understand that this is not like typical hotels where private and clean environment is the priority. It's very important to appreciate the authenticity of the lifestyle of this village when you stay here.

The host was willing and eager to show us around the village and engage with the locals, a nice experience.

This is definitely an experience that everyone who wants to know more about the life in the Egyptian countryside should experience. Peter, his family and friends are super welcoming, and they will be glad to show you around the village, their traditions and culture.

I enjoyed a lot my time there, I wouldn’t criticize anything. But I would emphasize that this is an experience like no other, more natural and without that feeling of being a tourist. The house is a family house and not a hotel.

Peter is super friendly and a super nice person. a really good host. He waited for my arrival at the Al Minya train station with his friends to pick me up and go to his place. It was 9-10pm. During my stay he always asked if I needed something and he was very helpful. He took me on a tour of the village, we visited Churches and we met several families and people, all of them were so friendly and nice. The day I left he came with me to the bus station. As I had a problem with the bus, he stayed in contact with my next stay and they arranged to find another way for me to reach the Desert. He helped me a lot for everything and he wrote me during the day to know if I was ok.

This doesn’t want to be a negative comment. Of course you cannot find the same comfort and cleanness you are used to at home or at the hostel/hotel. People in the village live very simply. But the smiles and the hospitality worth it! Is a must experience if you want to immerse yourself in authenticity and real village life!