Eat Drink Stay Dubai Newsletter: Wk 47

Good afternoon.

Today’s digest is (only) a 4 min read, as I know you’re more interested in Black Friday sales:

• 🚶‍♀️2 tour guide companies to check out

• 📸 Nostalgic pics of Dubai over the years

• 🛫 Emirates 380 retrofit pics

• 🔔 Incoming: Entertainer 2024/promo codes

• 🆕 Section: “that’s so Dubai”

• 🤑 Black Friday, Cyber Monday & Travel Tuesday deals

• 🛒 Amazon Shopper? Check out the gear I use & recommend

Want to say hi, thanks for a great newsletter, ask a question, offer feedback or just say hi?

👉 [email protected] (or just reply to this email) to send me an 📧 

Shaun

INSIDER TIP

Two tour companies worth your attention (and money)

I’m often asked for recommendations, especially for tours. When it comes down to it, there are only two providers I’d recommend. It’s not that there aren’t great tour providers in Dubai - there are, and they are legion - but consistency counts above all in my book.

I would urge you to check out the ‘wanderful’ Wander with Nada and Frying Pan Adventures. Nada offers unique cultural experiences across Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah whilst Frying Pan Adventures focus on foodie-tasty tours around Old Dubai and ‘secret spots’ away from the tourists.

As it happens Frying Pan Adventures have a great promotion on at present for the upcoming UAE National Day, where Rove Hotels are subsidising a package to offer a healthy discount.

Both female-led companies are well worth your time - and money - and best of all, Nada and Arva are lovely. I’m blessed to consider them as friends (that’s a bonus and in no way why I recommend them!)

KNOWLEDGE

Historical pics of Dubai are ace

If you’re anything like me, you’ll appreciate looking back on these pics of Dubai over the years.

It’s changed faster and more than a Love Islander on a ‘Turkey Teeth’ collab hasn’t it?

If things like this float your boat/abra, and you like a bit more nostalgia than pining for Rattlesnakes, check out this great Instagram account, Dubai History

BOLO (BE ON THE LOOKOUT)

Entertainer 2024 is coming in 4 days. Promo Codes?

Hot off the press…. Entertainer 2024 will be relaunching on 27 November 2024. There’s a lot more I know, but I’m sworn to secrecy and can’t tell you at this stage. I will when I can, Pinky Promise.

Whilst there’s no announcements (yet) of promo/discount codes, as soon as I know I will publish on the site and in the newsletter.

What I will recommend, in the best tradition of teasers, is to keep your eye on the following two links. Especially if you’re after discounts, news, advice and promo codes or discounts.

Entertainer Promo Code page on Eat Drink Stay Dubai

Entertainer AMA thread on Trip Advisor

As soon as they’re out, they’ll be on there - rather than waiting for the next edition of the newsletter. Sooner you get them, sooner you’re saving.

AIRLINES

Emirates, and their A380 retrofit

Emirates are retrofitting their 380s and 777s, mainly to add Premium Economy and whilst so doing, sprucing up the bling a bit.

Here are some pics of one of the recent completions, and it all looks lovely and lighter.

However, who’s really bothered about all that? What we really want to know is whether we’re really paying for it all that refurb and redesign, and if that’s why they’ve not announced any Black Friday sales yet.

Especially when their owner has just announced a record profit of 28.3 billion dirhams - I’m sure they can spare a dirham or two…

“THAT’S SO DUBAI”

“He pays for everything, so I look pretty”

This week, in a new feature called “That’s So Dubai”, let’s start with something the rest of the world may think living in Dubai is like.

If it’s not some Russian lass flicking Bentley badges, then it’s gotta be a TikToker showing how hard they work for the money.

Hopefully, this section will only get better content in future newsletters given this is a bit too Lovin Dubai 🙂

PSA: Dubai isn’t all about things like this; perish the thought.

If you’ve missed an earlier issue, or just want to read again, here’s the link to the issues archive 👇

Also, if you know someone who’d love to subscribe to be kept in the loop, they can also sign up on that link.

DEALS

Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Travel Tuesday - all your deals are here.

It doesn’t matter what the marketers call it, if you’re looking for travel deals allow this page to ‘show me the money’.

It’s a one page list of all the best Black Friday travel deals that may come in handy for Dubai. It will keep being updated as long as the deals come in, be it Friday, Monday, Tuesday or whatever marketing guff they come out with next.

Emirates are yet to announce, but there’s already deals there from Etihad, Qatar Airways, Marriott, Hilton, Hyatt, Accor, Barcelo, Bookingcom, Fairmont, IHG, Radisson, Secret Escapes, Luxury Escapes, Expedia, Travel Republic, Tui and more.

Please take a look 👉 Black Friday Travel Deals for Dubai

PS. If you shop on Amazon, please check out this page for Amazon gear I use and recommend. This is a ‘work in progress’ and will continue to be updated even past all the hubub once Black Friday and its ilk has passed.

It’s a great way to support the newsletter and my art/effort also - and it doesn’t cost you any more to purchase through the links; they just give me a little commission if I’m lucky. Do feel free to do your next shop by clicking through the links on this page, even if you’re after buying something other than my recommendations - I still may get a (smaller) commission from it. Cheers!

FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION

Make this newsletter better - here’s how

This really is a quickie, but a biggie.

I’m always looking for feedback, good or bad, about how to shape this newsletter to serve you best.

Do drop me an email at any time with ideas, feedback or just grumbles - I do read every email.

What I’d really like to know is ideas, what you’d like to see in future editions.

Such as,

How about reader questions? Drop your question to me about Dubai, and I’ll do my best to answer it in the next edition.

Sounds a winner? Email me 👉 [email protected] (or just reply to this email)

Until next week, have a good ‘un.

Shaun, @ Eat Drink Stay Dubai

PS. I know it’s a only a short one this week. It’s because a) I’m energetically economic (i.e. lazy) and b) I’ve spent the last week ploughing the interweb to find the deals for that Black Friday page!