UAE: Dubai Shopping Festival

In our current situation of national cashlessness, even those with plastic are keeping it safely tucked inside their wallets. To counter this mood of thriftiness, perhaps you need a change of scene—such as one of the world’s centres of conspicuous consumption. To reacquaint yourself with the joys of retail therapy, pack all your credit cards and hop on the next flight to Dubai. The 22nd edition of the Dubai Shopping Festival (mydsf.ae) is already in full swing but will continue till January 28. And yes, everything’s on sale here—discounts go all the way up to 75%. Keep an eye out for the sporadic flash mob, the many celebrity performances and activities to keep you entertained—shopping is rarely so much fun (and value for money). If you like things all laid out neatly for you, try one of Cox & Kings’ 5D/4N packages designed around the shopping festival. The package tours include everything from flights to sightseeing around Dubai’s world-famous attractions. The more expensive of the two packages also includes a desert safari and dinner on a cruise. From ₹39,999; see coxandkings.com.