Airwander: Should You Try This Platform For Booking Your Travel?

Jul 12, 2023

Last Updated on: Sep 7, 2026

Travel Guides

Are you an Airwanderer? Do you think this platform is quite effective for making bookings? Read the article to learn more. 

A flight meta-search engine, Airwander combines travel with cheap stopovers and automated suggestions for flights. 

The company’s founders, Ela Bader and Douglas Deming, live a digitally nomadic lifestyle, which has helped the startup expand across Hawaii, Honolulu, Malaga, and Spain. 

The search engine, or Airwander’s website, is also available as an app, developed in 2014 and released in 2015 as QuestOrganizer. 

Later, with significant enhancements and rebranding, it was launched in 2016 at TechCrunch Disrupt London. 

According to Airwander’s official website, www.airwander.com, Airwander V2 went live in 2018, while V3 is still under development. 

The app provides a detailed layout of a city or region for a potential passenger to book.

Airwander: Should You Try This Platform For Booking Your Travel?

Booking Your Travel Airwander

Airwander is mainly an integration of automated systems and stopovers that lead to the recommendations or suggestions the website makes to customers. 

A stopover differs from a layover, and it is the unique feature of Airwander. 

A stopover allows a passenger to explore a city for 24 hours or more, while a layover is simply a connection through a specific country or regional airport. 

Many passengers want to reach their destination as fast as possible; however, with a stopover, passengers who like exploring new places can find the perfect booking. 

Therefore, passengers can add stopovers to their central booking instead of booking separate tickets for different locations. 

What Is Airwander?

What Is Airwander

Ela Bader and Douglas Deming created Airwander, inspired by their 8-month backpacking trip across South America. 

They added other countries to their journey to save up money. 

Airwander is a flight metasearch engine that creates itineraries by adding multi-day stopovers, making the flying experience more elaborate and diverse. 

With it, you can hop in many cities before reaching your destination. 

Airwanderis’ website integrates advanced algorithms that suggest stopovers to add to your flight booking. 

It considers all routes as soon as you enter your departure and arrival dates, location, and other details. 

According to the reviews on Producthunt.com, it rates 4 out of 5 based on 606 votes. Many studies have supported the benefits of stopovers and recommended the website. 

What Benefits Of Airwander?

What Benefits Of Airwander

Air Wander helps you visit and explore new places before focusing on your final destination. 

If you have a travel buddy, you both might like to explore new cities before reaching the final town or region you visit.

Savings

You can save money, especially if you add stopovers to direct travel between two locations. For example, you can save up to $101 by booking a 3-day stay in Los Angeles. 

Additional information is available during booking, including recommendations and suggestions.

Most Affordable Flights

Airwander flights are more affordable than those on other booking sites and travel search engines. 

You will find that Airwander’s services are comparatively cheap because it partners with other brands. 

With increasing competition and more options from other travel and accommodation booking websites, Airwander remains considerably affordable for flights.

Personalized Layovers

Users can customize the layovers. If you book flights on Airwander, you can personalize the layover. 

You can adjust them to manage takeoff and landing times. The layover is determined by the trip.

Customized Destination

The destination is customized based on the flight directions and how you manage the trip. When flying to a specific location or region of the country, you can add more stops to the trip.

What Are The Disadvantages Of Airwander? 

What Disadvantages Of Airwander?

There are limited disadvantages, as it is most effective for users who like exploring different cities before going to a specific location.

The Website Could Be Faster

At times, Airwander’s website is slow, which can frustrate users. Sometimes, the website needs to catch up, making it more difficult.

Expensive On Certain Occasions

On certain occasions, Airwander flight charges are pretty high. This can be difficult, especially when adding extra stopovers.

Should You Use The Airwander Platform For Making Bookings To Travel?

Airwander Platform For Making Bookings To Travel

You can use Airwander because it is effective for making cheap bookings while creating a diverse itinerary. The service is designed to let users book through flight-hacking features.

Stopovers help individuals take advantage of this service because the website’s AI effectively integrates cost-effectiveness.

You can get travel insurance when you book flights at Airwander, covering injury, theft, and illness.

You will receive both Visitors Coverage and Safety Wing with the insurance, including travel management. The service effectively helps users to find the best and exclusive deals.

The website could be improved by increasing load speed and improving how it presents services.

You can add up to 3 stops or more for each trip; the landing and takeoff times are correct.

Alternatives For Airwander

Alternatives For Airwander

Other alternatives to Airwander are verified and can be used instead of this service. These alternatives are significantly more cost-effective and support integration with cutting-edge services.

1. ComplyCube 

The site verifies customers within 15 seconds, which helps integrate cutting-edge services such as API and SaaS platforms for identity verification. 

2. Skyscanner 

You can also use Skyscanner to choose cheaper flights, helping people get the best deals. The website lets customers compare more than 1000 airlines worldwide and their most reasonable offers. 

3. KAYAK 

A travel search engine, KAYAK connects several major travel sites to help you book cheap flights and affordable deals. 

You will get compelling features and tools to check rental cars, hotels, vacation packages, and flights. 

4. Google Flights 

You can find the cheapest flights on Google Flights by putting the destination on the map. You can sign up with your Google account to receive alerts on your booking

How Is A Stopover Different From A Layover?

To help you better understand the features of the service, you’ll need to familiarize yourself with a few flight terms before continuing with our Airwander review.

To begin with, what is a stopover and how is it different from a layover?

A layover is when you spend less than a day in a connecting city before reaching your final destination.

Conversely, stopovers are defined as stays of one day or longer. What does this signify, then, for a tourist?

Some travelers prefer to take a slower route, visiting a few different nations or cities along the way, while others want to reach their destination as quickly as possible.

A stopover gives you more flexibility to explore connecting cities than a layover because it lasts longer than 24 hours.

Stopovers are the best way to accomplish goals such as visiting a landmark, going on a tour, or spending time with friends or family in another country. However, why?

Why are stopovers preferable to purchasing individual tickets for each destination? To learn more, read our review of Airwander.

Who Is Airwander For?

Anyone who enjoys traveling should use Airwander. However, it’s particularly appealing for two kinds of travelers: those who love adding layovers to explore new places, and those who are constantly searching for flight deals.

Airwander is ideal if your travel schedule lets you sneak in a few extra days to explore a place.

Airwander’s search engine aims to give travelers the most affordable stopover options, rather than forcing them to search for a specific destination.

This is not to say you cannot intentionally choose a stopover at a particular location; however, if your destination isn’t listed in the first set of results, you will likely have to pay a higher fare.

In light of this, the service is designed for more impulsive travelers who won’t hesitate to visit an unknown location.

Recall that while traveling allows for spontaneity, going without travel insurance does not. Verify that you are protected! Having without needing is preferable to needing and not having!

Planning Your First Stopover Trip With Airwander: A Practical Approach

Airwander: Should You Try This Platform For Booking Your Travel?

If the idea of building stopovers into a single booking sounds appealing but a bit abstract, breaking it into a few concrete steps makes the process far less daunting for a first-time user. 

1. Start With Your Fixed Points, Not Your Stops 

Before opening Airwander, decide on your true origin and final destination — the two points that aren’t negotiable.  

Everything in between is where the platform’s flexibility comes into play. 

So resist the urge to lock in a specific stopover city before seeing what the algorithm suggests. Often the cheapest stopover options are not the ones travelers would think to search for manually. 

2. Let The Algorithm Surprise You First 

On your first search, leave the stopover city field open rather than specifying one, and let Airwander’s suggestions populate based on cost savings.  

The platform surfaces affordable stopover combinations rather than matching a specific request. So, this first pass often reveals options. 

A city you had not considered, at a fare reduction that outweighs the detour and that a conventional flight search would never surface! 

3. Decide How Much Time You Actually Want On The Ground 

Remember that anything under 24 hours is a layover rather than a stopover in practical terms, even if Airwander’s system books it as an extended stop.  

If exploring the stopover city is the point of using Airwander, build in enough time to leave the airport comfortably. 

Also, factor in immigration, transport, and jet lag, rather than the bare minimum the system allows. 

4. Check Visa Requirements For Every Stop 

Airwander encourages multi-city routes. It is worth independently verifying visa and transit requirements for each stopover city before booking. 

A flight search tool has no way of knowing your passport’s specific entry requirements.  

This is arguably the single most important manual check in the entire process, and skipping it can turn an exciting layover into a serious logistical problem. 

5. Buy The Travel Insurance 

Airwander’s own booking flow offers Visitors Coverage and Safety Wing as add-ons. 

Also, multi-city itineraries inherently carry more points of failure than a direct flight. 

So, treat travel insurance as a default inclusion rather than an optional extra when booking a stopover trip. 

Compare The Final Itinerary Against A Direct Booking 

Before confirming payment, it is worth pricing out the same origin-destination pair as a direct or connecting flight on a conventional search engine.  

Suppose the stopover itinerary costs meaningfully more once you weigh the novelty against the extra travel days involved. Then, it is useful information. 

Airwander’s own advantage is strongest when the stopover pays for itself. 

Approached this way, Airwander stops being just a booking site and becomes closer to a trip-planning tool. 

This tool rewards travelers willing to let the itinerary shape itself around savings rather than a fixed route.

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Sibashree is a travel, culture, and leisure writer who has been writing since the age of 12 and professionally since 2014. With more than a decade of travel writing experience and journeys across India and several parts of the world, she brings a deeply personal and thoughtful perspective to her work. A student of English Literature and Mass Communication, Sibashree has always viewed travel as more than movement — for her, it has been a way of understanding people, cultures, and herself. Her passion for spiritual exploration has also led her to many unusual and meaningful destinations over the years. Outside of writing, Sibashree enjoys watching European cinema, reading about global politics, and reflecting on the stories hidden within everyday places.

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READ MORE universal pass

What Is Universal Pass? – Registration, Application, And Login

BY  Arnab Feb 22, 2023

You might be familiar with the term universal pass. It was quite popular during the covid-19 pandemic. People, especially the front workers of society, were allowed to have these passes, which helped them travel without restrictions during the covid lockdown. It is necessary to follow the covid 19 lockdown rules and regulations. However, living takes work, and work takes us outside our safe zone. That is why introducing the Universal Travel pass was a great decision. So, what is this travel pass, and how does it work? This article should give you a clean and complete overview of the same. What Is A Universal Travel Pass? 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READ MORE is savannah georgia safe

Is Savannah Safe? What You Need to Know Before Visiting!

BY  Ankita Mar 12, 2024

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The answer is not so simple, as it depends on many factors, such as the location, the time, the activity, and the personal perception. Savannah is a large and diverse city, and like any other city, it has its share of crime and violence. However, it is not fair to label the whole city as unsafe or dangerous, as many areas are very safe and peaceful and many people are friendly and helpful. According to the latest data from the FBI, Savannah had a total of 3,559 violent crimes and 12,374 property crimes in 2019. Additionally, this means that the violent crime rate was 6.4 per 1,000 residents, and the property crime rate was 22.3 per 1,000 residents. These rates are higher than the national averages of 3.7 and 21.1, respectively. However, they are lower than some of the other major cities in Georgia, such as Atlanta, Augusta, and Columbus. The most common types of violent crimes in Savannah were aggravated assault, robbery, rape, and murder. 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Kandy Is So Underrated!! What Are The Unique Things To Do In Kandy? 

BY  Sibashree Mar 5, 2026

Kandy has been in the news recently for the last-over clincher between Pakistan and Sri Lanka in the last ICC T-20 World Cup tournament.  It is also good to see Kandy slowly getting its rhythm back after the major disruption in the beautiful Colombo-Kandy-Ella-Badulla railway due to the impact of Cyclone Ditwah in the latter part of 2025.  With a man-made lake at the epicenter, Kandy, in a bowl of mountains, was home to the last rulers from the Kandyan empire.  Today, it continues to play an important role in the politics, economy, and culture of Sri Lanka as the capital of the Central Province.  Sri Lanka is full of contradictions. From the rich Tamil Culture in Jaffna and the abandoned Buddhist ruins at the Ritigala Forest Monastery, to the bustling city of Kandy, it’s like visiting different countries with a few miles of traveling.  Moreover, Kandy is just 20 km away from Gampola, the home to the famous Ambuluwawa Tower, the symbol of natural diversity and religious inclusivity in Sri Lanka.  Hi, in today’s blog, I will talk about how to reach Kandy, the things to do in Kandy, where to stay, where to eat, and more.  How To Reach Kandy?  Kandy, one of the major cities of Sri Lanka, is easily accessible. If you are a budget traveler and a believer of the LowDownUnder Travel philosophy, you can take a local bus or train for the journey.  1. The Kandy Railway Station: The Major Gateway The Kandy Railway Station is the main gateway to the city if you are traveling from other parts of the island.  Also, this railway station on the beautiful Kandy to Ella line still exudes a colonial charm and shows Victorian influences in its architecture.  A train ride from Colombo to Kandy takes around 2 hours and 30 minutes, and based on the class, the ticket prices cost between LKR 300 and 1200.  You can even take a train on the Kandy to Ella route to explore the tea plantations, mountains, and the highland region.  However, being one of the most scenic railway routes in the world, tickets for these trains are always in high demand.  You can check out the available tickets at the official website of the Sri Lankan Railways. Tickets for a date get sold out even 1 month before.  2. Colombo To Kandy Bus  If you cannot book trains to reach Kandy. Don’t get disheartened, as buses are available from the Bastian Mawatha Bus Station in Colombo.  You can take an ordinary or AC intercity bus to reach Kandy from Colombo. The distance is around 120 km and the travel time is approximately 3-4 hours.  Also, the ticket prices start from LKR 360.  What Are The Things To Do In Kandy?  Kandy is the cultural capital of Sri Lanka. So, no wonder that it offers a good mix of colonial history, spiritual experience, and the serenity of the Kandy Lake.  Also, Kandy is home to the quintessential Singhalese food. I found the delicacies in Kandy to be way creamier and milder than the fiery food in Jaffna.  Nevertheless, I will talk about what to eat in Kandy a little later, and for now, let’s explore the things to do in Kandy and enjoy a mixed bag of experiences.  1. Visiting The Royal Botanic Gardens Hours Open: 7:30 AM to 5:30 PM Entry Fee: LKR 200 for Locals, LKR 3540 for Foreign Visitors From Kandy City, you can take a short tuk-tuk ride to reach the Royal Botanic Gardens. It is home to more than 4000 plants and covers an area of 147 acres.  A green oasis in the overwhelming city landscape, it also has an arboretum and decorative flower beds.  My favorite, however, was the majestic palm tree avenues. However, as the day grew, it got crowded by social media content creators.  Furthermore, there are giant bamboo trees. Another popular photography spot in the national park is the Mahaweli Ganga River suspension bridge. However, more than five people cannot get on the bridge at a time.  So, you may have to wait in a queue if you desperately want a photo for your socials.  Moreover, you will see bats hanging from trees, chipmunks, and monkeys in the botanical gardens. And don’t miss the Spice Garden here.  Also, if you feel hungry, you can buy drinks and snacks from the stalls inside and the local vendors outside the park. 2. Exploring The Udawattakele Forest Reserve Hours Open: 6 AM to 6 PM Entry Fee for Foreigners, LKR 830, For Locals: LKR 70  I walked for around 30 minutes to reach the Udawattakele Forest Reserve. You can even take a tuk-tuk ride from the Centre of Kandy.  It has some of the most famous caves in Kandy and diverse fauna.  However, I did not expect that mother macaque monkeys would welcome me with their babies clinging to them.  After the grand entry, I chose the circular route around the park as I wanted to see the religious caves, the bathing pond, and the city viewpoint.  The Route  The green canopy stands in humility as you advance on the route, and now you are transported to a different world.  The birds were chirping, and I could hear the squeal of monkeys.  However, the highlight on that route was the Liana’s. These tree-sized vines created coils along the oath.  I followed the route upward and reached the City View Point.  The City View Point  From the City View Point, I loved the perspective of Kandy City and Lake. Then, walked further to come across the Cittavisuddhi Lena cave and othe two religious caves.  The cave had beautiful sculptures, paintings, and offerings by pilgrims. These are sacred to the Buddhist people.  However, overgrown trees and the fear of insects and bats deterred me from entering the cave and exploring the two other Buddhist caves.  Despite all the cautions, destiny had something different in store for me. There were leeches all over my legs, and luckily, I was carrying adequate salt to get rid of them.  The fellow tourists also helped to remove the leeches.  3. Visiting The Bahirawakanda Vihara Buddha Statue The Bahirawakanda Vihara Buddha Statue at the top of a hill is the guardian angel of Kandy. You need to take a short and steep walk to reach the Buddha Statue from the town.  You can even take a tuk-tuk.  Once you reach the statue, you can find the steps behind the magnificent statue and climb to higher vantage points looking over the other side of the city of Kandy.  Moreover, there is a small shop from where you can take trinkets and religious texts. The entry fee was 600 LKR when I visited last.  4. Exploring The Kandy Market I mentioned how an old lady in the Jaffna Public Market was the icebreaker during my trip to Jaffna.  In Kandy, it was the Kandy Market, which made me acquainted with the hilly region of Sri Lanka.  The market was near the Kandy Station. I visited it early in the morning and found vendors selling dried fish, bananas, fresh vegetables, and souvenirs.  5. Spending Moments By The Kandy Lake The Kandy Lake, or Lake Kandy, is at the heart of the city and is very close to the Temple of the Tooth.  It is a magnificent man-made lake around which you can take a walk of 2.1 miles. The pathway is called the Cloud Wall, and the highlight of my walk was finding out about the Queen’s bathing pavilion.  This ivory excellence reminded me of the regal past of the Kandy Lake.  I also spotted the ducks, busy schools of fish, and water monitor lizards.  Moreover, there is a well-groomed garden in the center of the lake. When I visited, it was in full bloom.  6. Walking To The Kandy Viewpoint After stretching my legs at the Kandy Lake, I took a short walk to reach the Kandy Viewpoint.  Hiking to the Kandy Viewpoint is one of the most delightful free things to do in Kandy. You can capture panoramic shots of the city from this viewpoint and interact with local hawkers for a meaningful cultural exchange.  7. Visiting The Asgiri Maha Vihara Pirivena - Buddhist Stupa And Temple If you are a Buddhist or someone eager to learn about the religion, visiting the Asgiri Maha Vihara Pirivena is one of the best things to do in Kandy.  This stupa is very close to the city, and I took the stairs across the train tracks to reach the stupa.  For me, the highlight of the stupa was the meditation room on the central floor. The iconographies were grand and meaningful.  Furthermore, the walls there depicted the three stages of decay a body has to undergo after death.  However, I did not yet know what was awaiting me, the dome of the stupa.  Filled with Buddhist artwork, an enormous lotus carving, and eight statues of Lord Buddha, it defined enormity.  The military guide finally took me to the balcony that surrounds the stupa. I found many monks clad in orange robes busy in their rituals, and I also loved the view.  8. Visiting The Temple Of The Tooth A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Temple of the Tooth or Dalada Mandira preserves the canine tooth of Lord Buddha.  It has the Udawaththa Kelaya to the east and the Lake Kandy to the south.  After several invasions and destructions, the temple was finally rebuilt by King Keerthi Sri Rajasinghe, and it is in its current form that we see today.  The temple has beautiful works of ivory, gold, and silver.  More Things To Do In Kandy  Along with being a primary tourist attraction in Sri Lanka, Kandy is also the gateway to many iconic landmarks showing the richness of Sri Lanka in nature and wildlife.  You can take a train ride or a bus ride from Kandy to the Royal Cave Temples of Dambulla. Or, you can attend a wildlife safari in Kaudulla National Park and other national parks of Sri Lanka.  Where To Stay In Kandy? Know The Accommodations I stayed at a hostel near the hillside surrounding the city. It was modest, but the views I got from the room and balcony were amazing.  However, if you are not willing to walk so much, you can choose places such as the Ceyloni City Hotel.  The tariff of this city hotel is around 7500 LKR.  What To Eat In Kandy?  You can choose between vegetarian and non-vegetarian options in Kandy. Balaji Dosai is a nice spot to try vegetarian food, especially dosa.  The Siri Ramya Hotel is the place to try Kottu Roti in Kandy. You can have it as spicy as you want. Also, you can combine them with different types of veggies, eggs, chicken, or mutton.  Another thing you must not miss in Kandy is the snacks available on the bus or train. The fried chips and snacks have a lot of salt and chilli.  However, they are great for the taste buds.  Also, do not forget to try the rice and curry combination at the “famous hole in the wall rice and curry joints” in Kandy.  These offer a nice and filling lunch at the best price.  The Nightlife In Kandy: Where To Drink?  Kandy is not a place famous for its nightlife. However, if you want to cherish some drink after a busy day, you can visit places such as The Stag’s Head Pub and the Royal Bar and Hotel.  Enjoy the beers, cocktails, and your favorite drinks with spicy local snacks, and enjoy the view of the city and lake at night.  Drinking at any of these places will cost you around 790 LKR.