Skyscanner: Cheapest and Best Flight Deals on the Web

I am sure a lot of people out there know about Skycanner. If you do not, I would recommend that you look it up. I have been using Skyscanner for my travel planning and have found amazing results. In my opinion, it offers some of the best tools and coverage to provide the cheapest flight options. I have broken down their functionality and strengths to help you get a better perspective of Skyscanner’s true power.

Unbelievable Coverage
Skyscanner covers most of the cities and countries on this planet. If there is a flight between two destinations, in all probability, it is on Skyscanner. It covers low cost airlines and full service airlines, making it a wholesome travel portal. Thus, wherever you wish to travel to, you should be able to find the best deal via Skyscanner.

Find the cheapest flights to any destination 

For a traveler like me who travels without any prior plan, this feature comes in very handy. This allows you to find the cheapest destination. To give you an example, I am in Bangalore and don’t know where I want to go next. But, have a budget constraint and hence would only go to certain destinations depending on the flight deals. This is precisely where Skyscanner comes in handy. It throw a result of all countries/cities that flights from Bangalore fly into and not just that, but it gives their fares too. Now, isn't that a cool feature to have for us budget travelers? 


From this list, Sri Lanka and United Arab Emirates piqued my interest as they were on my travel list and Sri Lanka more so because it was cheaper. Now, I can select Sri Lanka, pick the city, select the date and go ahead with my flight booking. As simple as that.

Flexible dates can result in serious cost savings
There are always certain days of the week when flights in different parts of the world are expensive. Some domestic travelers might know this trend, but us international travelers and people lacking time to research would hardly know anything about it. But, Skyscanner does understand this behavior and it aims to provide us the cheapest options provided we keep our dates flexible.

Let’s say that I want to travel from Bangalore to Colombo. I can fly today, tomorrow, this week, this month or anytime this year as long as the flight costs are reasonable. Skyscanner offers such options that allow me to search for that cheapest flight. 



I can then see the option either in a calendar view that allows me to pick closest dates or a price view that allows me to pick on price. A very helpful feature for most traveler types.

Ability to book directly with flight operator or travel agent

Most of the flight search tools allow booking only through their portal as they make their profits from cost that they add onto each ticket. Skyscanner doesn’t function in that fashion. It allows the user to book directly with the flight operators or travel agent in that travel zone. This gives additional flexibility to us travelers.

Lots of filtering options while choosing flights 

Some people hate hop over flights. Some travelers have a preference for an airline to accrue on more air miles. I take red eye flights to save on cost, but not all travelers are like me. Some like to take flights from the airport close to them. Skyscanner handles the whims and fancies of all travelers by allowing them to filter flights by number of stops, take off/landing time, airline, price, airport, etc. 

Zero Fees
The best part about the Skyscanner experience is that they don’t charge anything from us customers. They make their money directly from the operators. So, we can rest assured of any hidden charges.

Book Hotel Rooms and Hire Cars
Not only can we find the cheapest flight deals through Skyscanner, we can also book hotel rooms and hire cars. Now after booking my cheap flight to Colombo from Bangalore, I can find a hotel room that suits my class/budget/need and book it right on Skyscanner. Similarly, I can hire a car that fits my spacing needs/budget/comfort, etc. and book it again on Skyscanner. This feature is an extension of the overall Skyscanner concept and hence the usability and  comfort factor remains the same.

Localized Content
Skyscanner caters to a global customer base. And hence they make their flight search tool available in over 29 languages and over 70 currencies.

Skyscanner – Free Apps for Mobile Devices
In today’s world, most of our online time is spent through our mobile devices (tablets and phones) and Skyscanner has taken care of this behavior by having a simple app for iPhone and iPad, Android, Windows Phone, Blackberry and Windows 8. 

This app is an extension of the web version and provides all the features in a different form factor. These apps are totally free too!

I hope this review of Skyscanner has piqued your interest and I am sure you will use it for your current and future travel booking needs. You can follow them via their Facebook page and twitter updates to know about the latest offers and deals.

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Travel causes pollution

As strange as this may sound to you, travel does cause pollution. And since I am a traveler too, I am also a contributor to this global pollution phenomenon. The idea behind this post is to make all travelers cognizant of the pollution that they are causing and work towards offsetting or reducing some of these pollutants while we travel across the world. The below headers explain my thought process in detail. Would be great if we all did our bit in reducing the pollution as we cannot reduce travel for sure

Flying, Trains, Buses, Ferries, Cars, Motorcycles
Getting from point A to point B is an important aspect of travel and hence we all fly, take the train/bus/boat or hire a car/motorcycle. But, this causes significant air pollution. I am not saying that we should all go back to prehistoric era and commute by foot or bicycle, but we should try our level best to offset some of the carbon emissions we leave behind in the atmosphere. I have decided to plant a sapling/contribute to plant a sapling every day of the year. What can you do to offset your carbon emissions?

Plastic Water Bottles and other Plastic Waste
I think the biggest consumer of the mineral water industry is us travelers. It is true that we need safe water to drink and the only water we can trust in alien countries is bottled water. We also do the right things by disposing of our plastic trash effectively in garbage bins. But, here’s my train of thought. When you dispose of your plastic trash in trash bins in hotels or in the city, you think that they will be recycled as effectively as it happens in the developed countries. But, the truth of the matter is most of the developing world and especially the poorer countries that travelers go to, do not have a recycling mechanism. Most of them simply burn it (air pollution), bury it (land pollution) or throw it in their rivers (water pollution).

This irks me and that is why I try to reuse my bottles as much as possible and drink filtered or boiled water. A lot of travelers I meet on the way say they do not care. I say we should care or else the future generation of travelers will not see the beautiful world that we saw once. Re use water bottles as much as possible. Even better, carry your own high quality and safe water bottle. Refill filtered water wherever available.

As travelers, we buy a lot of stuff, be it food, clothes or gift items. Most of them are wrapped in plastic bags. Try as much as possible to avoid taking these plastic bags. I don’t take such plastic bags at all. I ask for cloth or paper bags instead. Sometimes, I pay more to buy myself a cloth bag. This is my way of avoiding plastic pollution. What is your way?

Toilet Paper and Napkins
I know that this is a touchy subject, but would like to bring it up nonetheless. We all know that toilet paper and napkins leads to lesser trees, but the point that I am trying to make here is that in most of the developing world, the sanitary system is not built to handle toilet paper and this ends up clogging up the system. And when it is disposed outside it leads to diseases or air pollution when it is burnt. Using water is eco-friendly.

Cigarette Smoking
Most of the smokers who travel do not carry a traveler’s ashtray with them. I don’t know why someone doesn’t design one and tap this market. During my days of travel, I have seen countless tourists throw cigarette buds on the beach, into rivers and into the ocean. This problem can be eliminated if smokers instead use vaporizers. It does not only keep the surroundings clean, it also lessens the concern on air pollution.

And this is in addition to causing inconvenience to non-smokers. Now, these are educated people who say that the country allows smoking anywhere and that’s why they smoke anywhere and secondly, there is no trash disposal system, so they throw it into the open. Well, I don’t think educated people should be talking like that.

Take this as an example, I am inside a wildlife sanctuary and going on a boat cruise. A couple light a cigarette before the boat starts and end up bringing it onboard onto the boat. When I asked them if they were carrying an ashtray, they said ‘No’ and said that their guide said they could smoke and hence they are smoking. The guide is uneducated and poor and since there is no wildlife authority preventing people from smoking, he let them smoke. But, don’t educated people know that smoking is harmful to the environment, especially inside a wildlife sanctuary. One, it can start a forest fire. Animals find cigarette smoke to be an irritant and third, we don’t want a cigarette bud ending up in the belly of a fish. Use your brains while smoking! Smoke the same way the way you would back in your developed world – by following rules and by caring for other people around you.

Sunscreen, Insect Repellants, Deodorant
A lot of us forget that new age wonder cosmetics like sunscreen, insect repellants, deodorants and moisturizer contain a lot of chemicals. It is fine as long as the chemicals stay on your body, but when you jump into the ocean or the river for a swim, you transfer the chemicals into the water body, which in turn cause problems for the marine life. Either wear cosmetics which are water proof, have no chemicals or scrub it off you before you enter a water body. Personally, I don’t use most of these stuff, but when and if I do, I take care not to transfer them into the water.

Sudden Growth and Unhygienic Living This is something that is not within our control, but we as travelers have led to a sudden growth in some places across the world. Hotels, shops, restaurants, travel agencies, vehicles, hawkers and more have sprung up to cater to this demand. The demand is so sudden that safety and hygiene take a back seat. Sometimes, I try and educate people about hygiene and safety. Can you do something too to help such places become better?

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Guest Post: Skiing in Lapland – more to northern Scandinavia than Santa

If you’ve ever considered going on a skiing vacation, a small number of locations will have immediately entered your thoughts. In Europe, the Alps, which span south-west France, Switzerland, south Germany, Austria and northern Italy tends to be the most popular mountain range, while the Pyrenees and even the Scottish Highlands feature on many skiers’ radars. While the snow that lies there remains for a few months, it doesn’t last, so perhaps it would make sense to head further north where the weather’s colder to go skiing, right? Lapland, a part of Scandinavia which spans Norway, Sweden and Finland is on the edge of the Arctic Circle, which means that they enjoy a winter which lasts from early December right through till April.

A winter wonderland?
Sokuru Slopes Photo Credit

Even before it became known as an emergent skiing destination, Lapland was already popular with tourists for other reasons, the main one being its strong connections with Christmas. Every year, thousands of families make their way to Finnish Lapland to go and meet Santa Claus in his grotto, get up close to the native reindeer and play in the snow. Another major attraction of Lapland is being able to see the Northern Lights. Astronomers and people who like to take great photos love to head up north once in a while to see the Aurora Borealis in all its glory, and are helped during the summer when the sun stays up until midnight. The long summer days are also great for partying and walking when there’s no snow to trudge through!

Sloping off When it comes to skiing, a few resorts stand out, especially in the more mountainous areas of Lapland. A couple of years ago, the charming and authentic resort of Pyha was voted the best in whole of Finland. To celebrate its growing reputation, a competition has been announced which sees the winner will get the chance to go there this winter.

As Ian Brittain, Senior Product Manager from Inghams explained: “To celebrate the introduction of the award winning resort of Pyhä (voted Finnish ski resort of the year 2011) to our 2013/14 programme, we’ve decided to launch a Facebook Ski Photo competition to offer a lucky winner and their guest the opportunity to experience the qualities of Lapland for themselves! “There are also more second prizes up for grabs, so submit your skiing photos to win some great ski gear! For more information please visit us on Facebook”, he said.

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Destinations in Spain to keep holiday costs down

British holidaymakers rate Spain for their getaways because of the fantastic beaches and reliable climate, but also because traditionally visiting the country has always offered good value for money. Although Spain uses the Euro and the Pound has recently fallen in value against it, the good news is that prices in many Spanish resorts have actually decreased dramatically in the last year, even after taking the currency changes into account.

Recent research from the Post Office revealed that a basket of ten holiday items such as bottled water and sun cream which were checked for prices in various European resorts turned out to have the lowest prices in Torremolinos on Spain’s Costa del Sol and Javea on the Costa Blanca. The results actually recorded a drop in prices in Spain of 20% from the previous year and this is being put down to an effort by retailers to encourage British holidaymakers to continuing visiting the country.



Combined with other ways of keeping costs down for a holiday, such as renting villas in Spain, the fact is that a getaway to some of the most popular destinations shouldn't cost you any more that it did last year and in some cases might even cost less. If you are considering relocating to a Spanish city, think of Spain’s Mediterranean coast for a relaxed life, cultural hubs like Madrid for rich architecture, history and art or its charming towns. My personal favourites are Ronda, Cadaques, Ubeda, Cudillero and Ribeira Sacra.

Costa Blanca The Costa Blanca has some of the most attractive coastal, resort and inland locations in all of Spain and when it comes to renting a villa there is plenty of choice. From the Montgo Mountains to the salt flats of Torrevieja, there is far more to the region that simply beautiful golden beaches and pure blue waters.

Costa del Sol The same can be said for choosing a holiday on the Costa del Sol. As well as the range of accommodation offered in some of the major tourist destinations along the coast, there are many individual villas each with their own unique qualities and locations. The Costa del Sol doesn't come by its name by accident, as the long stretch of coastline is renowned for its climate as well as the stunning scenery. From the glitz and glamour of the high life in Marbella through to the more family friendly resorts that prove popular year after year, there is truly something for everyone whatever kind of holiday they are looking for.

Low Costs
As shop prices are kept low to entice British holidaymakers to continue visiting Spain, it means that self catering in a rented villa can make even more sense for those looking to keep costs down whilst household budgets at home are under increasing strain.

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India: Do you Love it or Hate it?

As a traveler from India, I am always keen to find out how the world perceives India as a travel destination. And in my days of travels, I have come across only 2 unanimous answers. I LOVE INDIA! I HATE INDIA!! As an Indian, I understand these extreme reactions since we (India) are an extreme country. But, what I don’t appreciate is many travelers forming an opinion on India even before they set foot on Indian soil. This post of mine is aimed at those travelers and to help them understand the extremities of India and how they should be prepared for India and form an opinion on their own without getting influenced by media or other people.

Please note that I am in no way supporting the bad things going on in India, but am trying to make the traveler understand the current Indian situation and be able to travel freely and enjoy one of the more diverse countries in this planet. You can also think of these as tips to travel India. The only difference to these from other tips is that this one comes from an Indian who loves to travel.

India is a Land of Extremes!
India is difficult to travel. These are some of the reasons why India is so different from the rest of Asia, which is very travel friendly. Knowing these will help you prepare mentally before traveling to India.

1) The population in India is the second highest in the world.

2) The Indian cities have some of the highest population densities in the world.

3) Noise pollution levels, air pollution levels and water pollution levels are some of the highest in the world .

4) India has some very diverse weather conditions across its length and breadth. It has some of the hottest places in the world, it has the second coldest place in the planet, the rainiest place on earth and may be some of the driest in the world as well.

5) India has some of the spiciest (hottest) food in the world as a country. Most of India is vegetarian and finding beef is very difficult in most parts of India.

6) India speaks many unique and distinct languages that have different scripts. The country has a national language ‘Hindi’, but a lot of the people in the country either don’t speak it at all or speak it in passing. Generally, English is the un-official Indian language, which makes India the largest speaking English country in the world.

7) India has some of the richest people on the planet and also some of the poorest on the planet too.

8) Even though a lot of Indians are very educated, illiteracy still ranks high in many states of the country.

9) India stretches a mind boggling 36 degrees in latitude and thus the weather changes drastically with the latitude.

10) As the crow flies, South to North India should be about 5,000 kms, West to East India should be about 3,000 kms and North West to North East India should be about 5,000 kms. This shows the sheer size of the country. I know many countries are larger than India, but traveling through a crowded and large one is a different ball game altogether.

11) India is may be the dirtiest place on the planet. As an Indian, I am very ashamed of this status, but that is the stark reality.

12) The country is very male dominated. Hence, woman are often not given much respect. This may not be seen in the urban areas, but can be seen in the cities. Hence, don’t get worried if the taxi driver talks to your boy friend or husband in response to your question.

13) Pre-marital sex and public displays of affection are considered taboo in India and thus a lot of people coming from an open minded society are shocked. But, this is what India is and travelers should come to terms with it.

14) Indians love to stare and gawk to the extent of making others uncomfortable. This can happen to a female or a male traveler. These stares are more out of curiosity than animosity or lust.

15) Indians are some of the best in the world in terms of scams. The scam artists here can put many others to shame.

16) India has also some of the worst rape records for any country. This makes it a challenging situation for all female travelers. No one in the country likes that this is happening. My head bows down in shame when people mention this attribute of my country. I am happy that the media is giving these rapes a lot of publicity and hopefully rapes in the country will carry maximum punishment, which in turn will stop people from committing this heinous crime.

17) India has 2 tough neighbors in Pakistan and China and this means that there is always some bit of tension around the borders that India shares with these two countries.

18) India is a secular country. Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, Buddhism are Sikhism are some of the main religions. There are other religions being followed too, though in smaller numbers. Because of this wide spread of religions, there are always some religion based clashes going on in the country. But overall, people from all religions co-exist happily as Indian citizens.

19) A lot of people in India are poor and hence resort to begging and stealing. If you feel like helping, help with small amounts of money or food. But, stay on guard.

20) Like most of the world, India too is subject to terrorist attacks in the name of holy war. The Indian citizens follow the news closely and try to stay away from such zones. You should too.

21) Hygiene levels in India leave much to be desired. It is best not to compare India with South East Asia and one should eat from restaurants instead.

22) India has close to 5,000 kilometers of coastline.

23) India has a cold desert, a sand desert and a salt desert.

24) Indian infrastructure is way behind the requirements of the country. Traffic bottlenecks are quite the norm in larger cities. Urban planning is also missing.

25) Indian roads are pretty unsafe and road accident rates are quite high.

26) Corruption in India is pretty high. This is one of the reasons why in spite of positive measures being taken, the actual actions take a long while. 

Why you should TRAVEL to India?
The world knows about this. If not, you can find a ton of information on the web or in guide books. I will only mention the ones that I think is very important.

1) ‘Atithi Devo Bhavo’. This is part of India’s main religion (Hinduism) and means ‘Guest is equal to God’. Indians as such are a hospitable race.

2) Food in India is possibly the cheapest in Asia. And I am not talking about street food, but the food available in entry level restaurants. Street food is dirt cheap.

3) Indian food is one of the more famous cuisines in the world. Each state in India has a different cuisine. What better than sample this cuisine right at its home.

4) Public transport in India is very cheap and the connectivity is very good. This is one thing you will appreciate even in the more remote parts of the country.

5) The culture, the festivals and the rituals of India are so vibrant and colorful. Just participating in some of them can be a life changing experience.

6) India has close to 30 UNESCO World Heritage Sites and more than 90 in tentative status. India also has one of the seven wonders of the world.

7) After East Africa, India is the next go to wildlife destination in the world.

8) A lot of foreign tourists don’t visit India. You can still find a lot of places where foreign tourists cannot be seen even during the peak tourist season. A lot of foreign travelers like such places.

9) India is home to one of the oldest cultures in the world.

10) India is the land of spirituality, OM, Shiva, Kamasutra, Yoga, Ayurveda and many more ancient arts.

11) Even though you might have to apply for a visa to India, you will get a 6 month visa to India and sometimes even a multiple entry visa. This can however vary with your citizenship.

12) India is one of the fastest growing economies in the world and is changing rapidly. Visit it before it loses all its traditions and cultures.

How to TRAVEL India SAFELY?
A bit of planning and preparation can ensure that you end up exploring and traveling India just like any other country.

1) If you are a solo female traveler, try to travel with some male company. If not, have some local friends at hand you can bank on in case of need.

2) Like with many other countries, always keep guard and don’t trust anyone till you think you should.

3) Don’t eat off the streets of India unless you have a crocodile stomach. The ‘Delhi Belly’ is not just a term coined in passe, but it happens to many travelers. A little bit of precaution should help you from not spending your holiday in the toilet.

4) Try and dress like Indians. Having white skin in itself makes you prime targets. Like most brown skinned people, the Indians are amazed by white skin and will end up staring at you. In all probability, they are just admiring your skin colour. If you wish to avoid these stares, try and cover completely. India has some fantastic cotton attire that should protect you from the sun, the heat, the dust and the stares.

5) In India, try and behave like a normal Indian. There are many places where a normal denizen would not go to and especially during certain times of the day or night. Be aware of such places and times and avoid them at all costs unless you want to taste trouble.

6) Don’t leave your drink unattended in bars, clubs, pubs and discotheques in India. Drink mixing is common in popular parties and events.

7) If someone misbehaves with you, don’t back down. Instead, raise hell and cry. The other Indians will rush to your help as we hate these anti-social elements ourselves.

8) Always keep a watchful eye on your belongings, especially in trains and buses.

9) Book well in advance if you are planning to use some of India’s more popular public transport and especially around the festivals and holidays. The public transport system goes fully booked as the populous nation travels in huge numbers during these dates.

10) Start with some of the more popular tourist areas to become comfortable with India and then spread your wings out slowly.

11) The charm of India lies in its people. Get close to them slowly and in return you will get showered with love.

12) If you fight India, India will fight right back. Just treat her with care.

13) Beware of scamsters in India. Treat invitations and other freebies with a lot of doubt. Ignore politely.

14) Politely ignore all food offered to you on the trains and buses of India. Such food may or may not be drugged.

15) Travel India for a longer duration. India is a large country and requires more than 2 to 4 weeks. If you are on a short holiday, explore only a small belt. If you wish to explore a larger area, keep 3 to 6 months. Even better, if you can explore India for a year.

Do you LOVE India or do you HATE it? Do you have a different opinion on the above? Would love to hear your thoughts.

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