Cara Piper, 23, splashed out £129 on a Wowcher mystery holiday and was hoping to be told she was jetting off to New York – but was left heartbroken after discovering where she was off to
A student was left utterly deflated after her Wowcher mystery holiday turned out to be a trip to the very city she calls home.
Cara Piper, 23, forked out £129 for the surprise getaway, dreaming of a glamorous weekend in New York. Instead, the Edinburgh-based education student at Queen Margaret University was stunned to find out she’d be holidaying in her own city.
“I saw the Wowcher master holiday on social media and impulsively decided to do it for a cheap holiday,” Cara shared with Luxury Travel Daily. “I was honestly happy with anywhere as long as it wasn’t the UK. I opened it in Edinburgh because that’s where I’ve been living for the past four years.”
Hailing from Derry, Northern Ireland, Cara captured her reaction to the disappointing reveal on video. In the footage, she exclaims “no” upon realising she’s booked a break to the place where she studies.
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She recounted: “Me and Ethan decided last night to book a Wowcher mystery holiday. It’s £129 each if we want to go during the summer months.
“We want to go in July I think and we’re redeeming it right now. The only problem is, we have to travel from Belfast. We’re limited on where we can go.
“We don’t think it’s going to be New York or anything like that. We’re happy with anywhere. I’m nervous.”
While on the phone with a mate, Cara nervously opens the Wowcher email. Her dismay is palpable as she says: “No, no, no, no. We got Edinburgh. I’m in Edinburgh right now. We did not just pay £130 each to go where I go to uni for the past four years.
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“For f*cks sake.”We can ring up and change, I think. I literally live here. I actually can’t believe that. I was saying if we got somewhere in the UK I’d be fuming. I’m going to see if I can change it.”
Cara shared the video on TikTok where it racked up more than 126,000 views.
Commenter Morgan Mcsherry said: “I’m not joking, as soon as you said Wowcher I was like ‘they’re either getting Belfast or Edinburgh'”. Claire Ferguson added: “I honestly would have ended it right at that minute. Devastated for you.”
If you’re interested in cut price holidays, then Jet2’s Bid for a Break may be up your street.
Bid for a Break gives holidaymakers the chance to pay as little as just a few pence for a new getaway every other month until March 2026. Following the relaunch in May, five more holidays are being given away in July, September, November, January and March.