BenBen

the distinct feeling of being on an island in Greece

BenBen is a relatively upmarket guesthouse, set on an island in the lake above the Old Dam on the River Nile at Aswan.

The city of Aswan, with a population of over half a million, is a hectic place these days. Unless you are prepared to pay a premium for the sanctuary that is The Old Cataract Hotel, it’s usually best to head for an out-of-town option.

The lake that lies above the Old Dam contains several rocky islands, one of which is home to the famous Temple of Philae.

A little further south, lies a larger island which is home to a people of Nubian descent. BenBen is located on top of a pile of huge granite boulders, within sight of the temple.

From the small jetty, the lodge is approached via an extremely steep path. A remarkably capable golf-cart is on hand to provide rides up and down, if necessary.

Once up at the lodge, you are immediately struck at how much this place feels like a Greek Island. Given that the nearby Temple of Philae dates from the Greek period, maybe this is more appropriate that one might at first think. The place feels extremely relaxing, like you have suddenly arrived at the relaxation part of your trip.

The main area has a nice bar and restaurant, both inside and out. There is also a decent spa.

The thirty or so rooms are ranged across the top of the hill, accessed via further steep pathways, very much like a Mediterranean village. Almost all the rooms have a jacuzzi or plunge pool on their private veranda, as well as big views out over the lake.

We have genuinely mixed feelings about BenBen. We love the location and admire the design concept. However, we are less confident about the atmosphere, both amongst staff and guests. Not that we picked up anything substantial, just that it is certainly a whole lot less approachable than the simple guesthouses on this island. But then it’s also a much higher quality property, so maybe that is inevitable and even desirable.

Perhaps our biggest reservation is that this place is quite pricey, which means it faces off against the Old Cataract Hotel. In our experience, the latter usually wins.

The more we visit Egypt, the more we have grown to love Aswan. It feels like the Gateway to Africa, with the Nubian influence ensuring a lovely relaxed and easy-going atmosphere.

Two nights here gives you a full day to visit the Temple of Philae, stroll around the local village, maybe head out in the kayaks and generally relax. You can visit the sites of Aswan on the way in and out. We like to pop in for lunch at the Old Cataract Hotel on the way in, then visit the archaeological sites of Elephantine Island and the botanical gardens of Kitchener Island on the way out. Three nights lets you do everything at an even more relaxed pace.

Seasonality

The best time to visit Aswan is widely considered to be the winter months of Nov-Mar, but we sometimes favour other times of year, when temperatures may be higher, but visitor numbers are often much lower.

Aswan experiences a conventional northern hemisphere climate, with a hot dry summer centred on May-Sep and a warm dry winter Nov-Mar …

May-Sep : Summer

During the May-Sep summer the daytime temperatures typically reach 41C, with night-time temperatures holding up around 23C. Although these temperatures may seem concerning, the relative humidity drops considerably, meaning that comfort temperatures are not so bad, at least during the day. This season can also be advantaged by light summer breezes out on the river. However, given the warm nights, we do recommend that you stay somewhere with air-conditioning.

Despite being ‘out of season’, visitor numbers do increase during the European vacation season, centred on Jul/Aug, so best to head for May, June or late September if you can.

Some hotel prices can also be considerably lower during some of these months.

Oct : Autumn

The month of October represents a transition between summer and winter conditions and, in many ways, offers the best of both worlds, with visitor traffic also being relatively low.

Nov-Mar : Winter

During the Nov-Mar winter the daytime temperatures typically reach 25C, with nighttime temperatures plunging to 8C. Relatively humidities rise considerably, meaning that the middle of the day can be surprisingly uncomfortable, given the relatively low absolute temperatures.

These warm (rather than hot) conditions have led to winter being the most popular time to visit, meaning that visitor numbers reach their peak, especially around Dec-Jan. We therefore recommend November to mid-December and mid-January to March (excluding a week either side of Easter), although even then you probably need to deploy traffic avoidance measures when visiting the key sites.

Some hotel prices can also be considerably higher during some of these months.

Apr : Spring

The month of April represents a transition between winter and summer conditions and, in many ways, offers the best of both worlds, with visitor traffic also being relatively low (except for a week either side of Easter).

Getting there

We normally recommend spending 2-3 nights in Aswan, or 2 nights here and one further south at Abu Simbel, before flying back north to Cairo.

Aswan is usually reached by cruise boat from Luxor, a journey of 3-5 nights.

It is also possible to do the journey by train in 3 hours, or to do it by road if you want to visit any of the historic sites along the way.

The majority of travellers then fly out of the local airport, back to Cairo.

We also organise trips which arrive into Egypt from Sudan, travelling down the River Nile to Lake Nasser and on down to Aswan, in which case the next stop would most likely be Luxor.

Once in Aswan, the usual way to get around is by private vehicle transfer, with private boat taxis to get between the various islands.

usually preceded by nights in Giza and Luxor