If your are planning a staycation for this Eid, you might want to check out the new Outlet Village just a short 30 kilometer drive from JVT.  You might even feel as if you’ve escaped to the Tuscan countryside for a few hours. I went to experience it first hand during opening week and was suprised by the volume of visitors. But then again, we live in a land of opportunity (and shopping!). Despite being quite far from town, it is clear that many people simply cannot resist a good deal. Here is my take on a trip to bargain heaven.

When you arrive in the outdoor car park, you’ll be greeted by cheery music surely planned to get you in the mood to loosen your purse strings a bit.

A little skeptical that about the range of deals to be found, I was pleasantly surprised to note that every shop I visited declared between 35 – 50 % off, and sometimes more. A stop at Ecco (where I just bought school sandals for my daughter in their Marina Mall outlet) gave me proof that the price was indeed half off for a very similar style. I also found a very wide selection in all the shops not to mention that you’ll find only high-end brands. It’s always a pleasure to nab a new handbag from Patrizia Pepe and spend a fraction of the list price. One of the kindest clerk’s I came across was the lovely lady managing the Antonio Marras outlet. This shop is deserving of a special mention as it’s the only one of its kind in Dubai. For now, aside from going direct to the source in Italy, your nearest option requires a trip to Kuwait.

Over 80% of the fashion and shoe stores are ready for business. Sports afficionados will have to wait a bit longer for their favourite brands to be open. Restaurants, also, are in short supply for the moment. I had lunch at Urban Seafood. The decor was appealing and the menu even more so for a native New Englander who knows her lobster. In fact, I will give you all a great tip – make sure you ask Sharif if they are serving American lobster or are ‘making due’ with local supply of the crustacean. The latter is definately something you might want to skip if they are out of their regular US source, trust me!  Otherwise the roll was delicious and the tangy sauce would surely complement well the native Maine varietal when it is back in stock. On the other hand, it surely shows they are doing a roaring business already and I’ll definately give them another try.

I will also try one of the many gelato trucks on my next visit to see how their cold delight stacks up against the original. 

In the meantime, I’d recommend The Outlet Village as a great excursion during the week long Eid holiday. You can always grab a shuttle bus if you don’t fancy the long drive. Here is the posted schedule.

Shop til you drop this Eid Al Adha !

Open 7 days a week from 10am – 10pm. On Thursday, Friday and Saturday they even stay open til midnight.