Wowcher to Wroclaw: My Mystery Holiday Experience

Six months ago my boyfriend and I were lying in bed dreaming about going on a holiday abroad somewhere. After looking at package deals and flights, the fantasy of going abroad just didn’t seem to line up with the sums in our bank accounts; after all, having a passion for travel as a student is not always the most affordable hobby to invest in. A couple of nights later, after giving up on the idea altogether, the combination of his ADHD and us being slightly intoxicated led to a dive search for mystery holidays at 2 a.m. Next thing I know we are both on the Wowcher website page, getting our debit cards out giddily and buying a mystery holiday for 89 pounds (flights and accommodation included). As you can imagine, we woke up the next morning, in slight disbelief of what we had just done, but unregretful, nonetheless.

Two weeks passed by, and we got a call from a woman to book our flights. Now the thing to bear in mind when booking a Wowcher holiday is that they will do anything in their power to make you pay more, and so they tried. The phone call was back and forth, the woman trying to make us pay as many ad-ons as she could sell “You could go for five days for an additional fifty pounds” “Go to a luxury holiday for a bit extra”. As tempting as it is, if you’re looking for a cheap holiday then you have to stand your ground. After refusing to pay even a pound extra, almost wanting to give up on the idea altogether, she finally announced our destination…Poland!

Having never been to Poland, let alone Eastern Europe, I was thrilled to be given the chance to go somewhere new and spontaneous; for we were set to go to Wroclaw – a city I would have never even thought of visiting before. If you search “Wroclaw” on Google it’ll present what it’s mainly known for: the 600 statues of dwarves scattered around the city.

Once we got there, everything fit so well into place. The food: was cheap but incredibly delicious, the weather: was only blue skies and sun, even the three-star hotel that Wowcher had upgraded for us for free was beautiful, and because we went in September, the city was not overcrowded with tourists - instead, peaceful and serene. We were only there for two days and had not planned anything to do so we spent the time exploring the city, walking around, and eating lots (and lots) of low-priced food. One night we stumbled into a random bar and the bartender proceeded to make custom cocktails after I simply said the word “sweet”. To this day I don’t know what was in that cocktail, only it was the best thing I’ve ever tasted, and that it was only three pounds.

I would say the only downside of the experience was the travel. Having such cheap flights meant they were early in the morning AND we had to leave from Luton; this meant a 9-hour coach ride to the airport from Newcastle (trains were extortionate) and then a 5-hour wait at the airport. We most likely spent as much time traveling as we did in Poland, but hey, that’s the reality of spontaneously booking an 89-pound holiday as a student at 2 a.m.

So overall, my mystery holiday experience didn’t come without its challenges, yet I would classify it as an overall success. It was one of my favourite holidays and I didn’t have to break the bank for it, so if you’re looking for a cheap holiday to somewhere you most likely would not even think to visit, and are okay with being spontaneous, then I’d highly recommend it as a great adventure.