Friendo's House & Hot Spring

Great stay!

Friendo has a great character, I love his hot spring sooooo much!

Khaled (Friendo) the host was the most caring, generous and wonderful host, going out of his way to cater to my dietary needs and taking me on amazing adventures. A true gentleman with a good heart, he will take you on a medicinal walk (with his guitar) throughout the most stunning and sacred locations in and around Siwa Oasis, from salt lakes, hot springs, desert sand dunes, mystical mountains and so much more.

We loved the welcome from Friendo, who welcomed us as true friends! He took us aboard his tuktuk to see the wonders of the oasis, and to many delicious little restaurants, and it's very close to a purebred Arabian horse center! His little house is almost at the edge of the desert, a bit outside the hustle and bustle of the city. Thank you Friendo for your extraordinary welcome!

Had an amazing experience staying with Friendo in Siwa. He’s an incredibly kind and welcoming host, always making sure you're comfortable and enjoying your stay.

The comfortable stay and the vibe

A one-off: exceptional hub of warmth, hospitality, inspiration - a deep dive into the magic of Siwa

Omg, how to express our appreciation for such an extraordinary week with Friendo?! It is impossible to quantify his generosity, his fulsomely fun and informative nature...above all his deep love of Siwa, the stylish and comfortable sanctuary he's created, the flourishing friends and neighbours he enabled us to meet, his brilliant guitar playing, round-the-clock tuk-tuk rides - and passion as Siwa Guide. We struggled to leave. Only he'll live on in our hearts always. My tenth trip to Egypt, Friendo is one of the truest and most gracious souls I've ever met. Thank you for such DEEP and heart-opening medicine 🌟

Friendo offers a uniquely authentic experience of Siwa. He is so generous with his time and energy. Nothing was too much

Friendo House is a gem of a place. The bedrooms are well designed, it has a great roof terrace with a fabulous west-facing view of the nearby mountain. But best of all are the circular fire pit where we spent a delightful evening around the fire with Friendo playing guitar, and the hot spring tub! Yes this property actually has its own hot tub sourced directly from the hot spring!!

The boss is very thoughtful, with pick-up and drop-off

It's a good place to relax, if you want to sleep well. Good beds. Super good breakfast! 👌

Exceptional

Friendo was a very good guy who helped us throughout our stay in Siwa. He took us to all the places around Siwa and made our stay feel like home! Also, he cooks the best bread and beans in the entire Egypt 😉 He has a great travel companion who accompanies us all through the trip. Get Nefertiti some treats when you visit the property, she's such a cutie!! ❤️

Constantly waiting...

I’m honestly at a loss for words about this accommodation. The experience was deeply frustrating, and I wouldn’t want anyone else to go through what I did. First and foremost, you are not given a key, meaning you must coordinate with the owner to enter the house. That would have been fine—if he were responsive. But he wasn’t. I was left waiting alone on the streets (it was during Ramadan, so all the shops were closed) in the dark for over an hour, desperately trying to get a reply. When he finally responded, after an hour he told me to pick up the key downtown but wouldn’t give me the exact location. Another 30 minutes passed before he finally told me where to go. In total, I was stranded outside for more than an hour and a half—tired, completely helpless and harassed by the locals. When I finally got the key, I told him how frustrating the experience was. He apologized and offered to pay for my meal, but honestly, the damage was done, so I rejected. Then came the breakfast situation. We had agreed on 11 AM, which was already quite late, but I tried to be understanding since they were fasting. Still, I politely suggested 10-11 AM as a compromise. Even though I was starving by 9 AM, I kept my word and waited. And waited. At 11:10 AM, the owner had just woken up. By the time breakfast was actually ready, it was noon. On the second morning, Friendo did wake up earlier to prepare my breakfast at 9:30 AM. Throughout the stay, he kept saying things like, “You’re a guest, now you’re family.” But honestly, staying at Friendo’s place just meant constant waiting. I wonder if he actually respects others' time. To top it off, there was no hot water on the first night, the heater was on (though it worked on the second), and the location is quite far from downtown, costing 100 EGP (US$2) per trip to downtown. Now, to be fair, the house was generally clean, though no top cover was provided—so I have no idea how often the blankets are washed.