Is surprise travel worth it? Our honest answer after ten years

For most of the clients we plan for, yes. But not for everyone. We've been planning surprise trips since 2016, and after ten years we can usually tell within one conversation whether a surprise will make someone happy or anxious.

Ten years in, we also wrote down the ten lessons surprise travel has taught us.

Who it's worth it for

• Couples who don't have the time or energy to plan, and would rather spend the months before departure looking forward to something new.

• Couples who are planning every single detail of their wedding, but for their honeymoon are ready to let go and be surprised in every way. We love it. We're hopeless romantics.

• Travellers who are tired of choosing. We believe the new luxury is letting someone you trust choose for you.

• Explorers who have realised that the destination is only half of it. What really matters is how you want to feel when you come home, and that's where we start.

Who it's not for

If the unknown makes you anxious rather than excited, or you love planning every detail yourself, a surprise trip is probably something for a different stage of life. And if the lowest price is what matters most, we're not the right choice.

What you're really paying for

I know $2,000 a day is a lot of money. So let me tell you what's behind it.

People we know by name. We work with more than 20 local partners around the world, and we choose every one of them ourselves, for how they treat their land and their people. In Bhutan, our partner MyBhutan plants over 40,000 native trees a year with rural farming families, and our travellers can join a planting team during their stay. In Bali, our partners help fund village water projects, a children's learning centre and local food programmes. Wherever we go, we choose partners who give back to the places that host our travellers, and we're proud to stand behind them.

Questions, not just answers. We don't only plan where you go. We help you ask the right questions while you're there. Who looks after this place? What does this song mean to the people singing it? How do I want to feel when I get home? That's what changes the way you see the world, much more than any view.

Letters, made by hand. Today everything lives on a screen. Our secret envelopes don't. They're made by hand and sealed, and you open one at every stage of the journey. You hold it, you break the seal, and for a moment the whole trip is in your hands. For me, it's the most romantic part of what we do.

We're also a member of The Long Run, a global membership organisation of purpose-driven tourism businesses. Their 4C framework (Conservation, Community, Culture, Commerce) is what we use when we choose our partners.

What it costs

Our trips cost about $2,000 per couple per day, with flights, unique stays and every experience and activity included. That covers:

• International flights in economy class (premium whenever possible)

• Handpicked stays: places with real character, and unique luxury properties with a story to tell

• An itinerary that mixes culture, local people, conservation and adventure, with time to rest

• All ground transport

• Full planning, and our support from the moment you land to the moment you're home

• The secret letters that reveal the journey one stage at a time

Travel insurance isn't included in the price. But since you don't know where you're going, you can't buy it yourself, so we arrange it for you at extra cost.

What happens if something doesn't go to plan

If part of the trip can't happen as planned, we tell you straight away and arrange an alternative so the journey goes on. We're responsible for the trip running well, even when a hotel or a guide is delivering it.

Sometimes nothing goes wrong, but something isn't what you imagined. A beautiful stay on a remote island can feel wilder than a couple pictured. When that happens, we write to you on WhatsApp and we stay close. We help you see the glass half full, because you're somewhere incredible. It's not what comes to you that makes the difference. It's how you decide to react to it.

Do people come back?

Many do. Mike and Kelsey, Josh and Carol, Sabrina and Pierpaolo, Tiger, and Anna and her family all travelled with us, then came back for another surprise journey.

Before you book

If you cancel 30 days or less before departure, the full trip value is charged. Earlier than that, the charge is 25% of the trip value plus any supplier charges. Full terms: see our FAQ.

Surprise trips for families

Surprise travel isn't only for couples. We also plan surprise journeys for families, and they're some of the most joyful we do. Children don't need to know where they're going to be excited. For them, the not knowing is the adventure. Opening a sealed envelope together at each new stage of the trip becomes a small ritual the whole family shares, from the youngest to the grandparents.

Surprise retreats for women leaders

Sometimes what you need isn't an adventure. It's to stop. For women who carry a lot, we plan fully offline retreats in private, unlisted places, where you don't make a single decision. You can go completely alone, with a small circle of women you already know, or join a guided circle of no more than ten women for three to five days. The envelopes still arrive sealed in wax, each with the date you're allowed to open it.

Whether it's for two, for the whole family, or just for you, write to us at whynot@blindexperiences.com. We'd love to hear what you're dreaming of.