On the move

Dubai Visas Online
Good news for those planning a holiday in Dubai this summer. Not only do you now get your visa online if you fly Emirates, you also get to take two children under 16 years free. Happy holidays!

Travelling to Dubai is now smoother than ever. The UAE government has made the purchase of visas extremely easy. If you're booking a flight to Dubai or any other location in the UAE through the Emirates Airlines website, you can procure 30-day and 96-hour visit visas right there. Valid Emirates ticket-holders from a select list of 35 countries can use this facility.

The visas will be delivered to you via email within four working days. The 96-hour visa costs $44 and the 30-day visa costs $57. If you fly to Dubai between May 14 and September 30, and you have two children, then you can avail of a unique package where the kids can fly for free as well as enjoy free meals, entry to amusement parks, and other freebies. The package is valid in Economy and Business class. Contact: www.emirates. com

Climb a peak
Book yourself on a trek to Stok Tangri for an experience of a lifetime

In summertime, when the weather's fine—go trek. India's highest trekking peak is Stok Kangri, a strenuous climb to a staggering height of 6,137 m. Situated on the trans-Himalayan Stok range overlooking Eastern Karakoram, it lies within the Hemis National Park in Ladakh.

Adventure company Rimo Expeditions organises a 20-day ex-Delhi trek, in which you fly to Leh, then set off across the Markha Valley to the base of the peak. From here, it's a two-day climb with high camps on the way. Even if you never climb a peak again, this will be worth it, if only for the mountain views including a sight of K2, the second-highest peak in the world. Expeditions take place between June-end and August-end for a maximum of 12 persons. Costs depend on the size of the trekking team. Contact: www.rimoexpeditions.com

Charter flights to Leh
It's one of the most spectacular Himalayan flights, making its way from the dust bowl of north India, over the ramparts of the world's mightiest mountain range and into the barren beauty of trans-Himalaya. In a first of its kind initiative, leading travel portal MakeMyTrip has introduced charter flights to Ladakh this summer.

These flights leave every Sunday and you can take them through all of June. You can either take the flight as part of a Ladakh tour package which takes in valleys and high altitude passes like Nubra Valley, Pangong Tso Lake and the Khardungla Pass. Or, as an alternative to the existing early morning passenger flights to Leh.

Details: The one way fare is Rs 10,858 for Air India and Rs 11,988 for Kingfisher Red per person, although these fares might change. The Ladakh package costs between Rs 25,000 and Rs 30,000 per person. Clearly, dream holidays don't get better than this. Contact: www.makemytrip.com.