I booked my trip less than a week before the departure date, but a Mystery Break representative told me guests are encouraged to reserve these packages three to six months in advance. In some cases, this can help keep the package's cost low.

Prices for Luxury Mystery Breaks vary and start at NZ$1,699 (about $1,025) a person for a two-night midweek package. I paid NZ$3,162, but was given a media rate for a 50% discount, bringing my total to NZ$1,581.

Either way, I got my itinerary four days before my travel date instead of the usual two. This may have been due to the media arrangement, but I was grateful to receive my flight times, rental car type, and resort information earlier.

I'd be flying into Christchurch, and my final destination was the Fable Terrace Downs Resort in Canterbury high country, about an hour's drive from the city center.

I got to Wellington International Airport at 8:30 a.m., ready to board my 9:30 a.m. flight to Christchurch.

At 9:10 a.m., an announcement informed us the flight had been canceled due to engineering issues. I was automatically rebooked for a 6 p.m. departure, but I didn't want to spend the first day of my Mystery Break stuck in an airport.

After several failed attempts to get on an earlier flight and a lot of back-and-forth with airline staff, I was moved to a 1:45 p.m. flight, which still didn't take off until 3:30 p.m. due to weather concerns.

For the inconvenience, I received a NZ$10 refreshment voucher.

Despite booking my trip through Air New Zealand, the airline representatives I spoke to in person seemed unfamiliar with the Mystery Break program. I also wasn't given priority rebooking or guidance that might have helped streamline the process.

Delays can happen with any flight, but this was a disheartening start to what was supposed to be a luxury experience.

After my trip, I realized my 11-page Mystery Break itinerary had a number for a 24-hour help desk for "serious" problems.

Although I wish I'd tried calling, instructions advise speaking directly with the "supplier" first, which I did. I don't know if reaching out to the desk would've made a difference, but I'm glad I know now that this resource exists.

When reached for comment, representative for Air New Zealand chief commercial officer Jeremy O'Brien told BI, in part, "From family fun to luxurious retreats, our Mystery Break is a curated, surprise experience with logistical planning and travel support all included in the package. There's also a 24/7 Mystery Break helpdesk designed specifically to support travellers if their flights are disrupted, or they have questions during their trip."

My flight took about an hour, and after we landed, I went to pick up my rental car. The check-in process was quick and easy.

The Mystery Break package included basic insurance, but I upgraded my coverage and paid an additional NZ$100.

I was especially grateful for the freedom a rental car gave me, given that my resort was over an hour's drive from any major cities.

Fable Terrace Downs Resort looked stunning as I pulled up.

A staff member at the front desk walked me through everything included in my package: a two-night stay, daily three-course dinners and continental breakfasts, a welcome drink, NZ$200 resort credit, a dedicated parking spot, and late checkout.

Staff had also arranged a dinner reservation for me at the on-site restaurant for that evening.

Based on my Mystery Break itinerary, I was expecting a deluxe one-bedroom suite.

When I arrived, I realized I'd been upgraded to a superior two-bedroom villa with sweeping views of the snowcapped mountains.

My villa featured a spacious living room with a flatscreen TV and sound system, a full kitchen stocked with snacks and refreshments for purchase, a dining area, in-room laundry, and two bedrooms with en suite bathrooms.

A highlight was definitely the balcony, which overlooked the golf course and mountain range.

The bathrooms had luxurious touches, like heated towel racks, comfy slippers, and plush robes.

One of them also had a large spa bathtub complete with jets.

After a long travel day, I headed to The Clubhouse, the property's restaurant and golf hub, for the first of my two included three-course dinners.

I started with mushroom soup, which was rich in umami flavor and served with crisp yet fluffy garlic bread. This dish alone made up for the day's struggles, and I used the bread to mop up every last drop of soup.

My main course was slow-braised beef cheek pasta, a hearty portion that filled me up before I could finish it.

For dessert, I gave in to the temptation of a vanilla crème brûlée topped with cocoa dust, cherry compote, and a fresh strawberry.

It was the perfect end to an incredible meal.

Mystery Break packages are designed to provide the foundation for a trip — flights, accommodations, and transportation — which gives each traveler freedom to plan how they spend their time.

So, before I arrived, I looked into activities in the surrounding Canterbury high country and ones available on Fable Terrace Downs property.

The resort has an 18-hole championship golf course, tennis courts, walking tracks, and facilities for clay shooting, knife throwing, and archery.

I'd hoped to reserve an archery session, but there was no availability during my stay. Instead, I booked a hot air balloon ride (NZ$355.50) and a treatment at a nearby spa (NZ$95) on my own dime to round out my trip.

The next morning, I drove 30 minutes to the Ballooning Canterbury base yard, where I met our pilot, driver, and six other participants.

The views of the mountains and patchworked countryside from the balloon were spectacular, especially in the early morning light.

My ballooning experience wrapped up earlier than expected, so I had time to return to the resort for the complimentary breakfast service before it ended at 10:30 a.m.

The meals were served in a beautiful dining area with mountain views.

I selected items from a gorgeous continental breakfast buffet, including a chocolate croissant, chia-seed pudding with passion fruit, and peaches and pears with whipped cream and mixed-berry compote.

For an additional fee (covered by my resort credit), I also ordered bacon and poached eggs on toast.

Canterbury is known for its stunning alpine setting and hiking trails, which are a dream come true for outdoor enthusiasts.

Since I already had a rental car, I drove nearby to explore scenic spots like Lake Lyndon, Castle Hill, and the Otira Viaduct Lookout.

I'm grateful I got to see so many incredible places at my own pace.

After three weeks of travel, staying in hostels with shared bathrooms, this bath felt incredibly indulgent, especially with the jets on.

My body definitely needed a soak after spending the day walking and hiking in the chilly high country.

I loved the mushroom soup so much that I ordered it again, but the rest of the meal didn't quite live up to my first.

For my main course, I chose the special ribeye steak with bone marrow served with potato gratin, finely chopped vegetables, and a roast-garlic jus.

The steak seemed slightly overcooked and dry, and the flavors weren't as impactful as the pasta from the night before.

I rounded out my meal with the dark-chocolate fondant my server recommended.

It arrived in a hot ramekin topped with berry coulis and a side of rum-raisin ice cream. The cake was fully cooked through, but I would've preferred it as a molten lava-style dessert.

Aside from the soup, my favorite part of the meal was a glass of buttery chardonnay from Gisborne. Restaurant staff also brought me a delicious glass of dessert wine — a thoughtful touch.

The treatment I booked was at Ōpuke Thermal Pools and Spa, about a 25-minute drive from the resort. I had the first appointment of the day at 10 a.m.

The spa area was beautiful, and my dry-floatation treatment involved being swaddled in a waterproof blanket and being rocked in a warm tub. I felt like I was floating for a relaxing 45 minutes.

My return flight was at 2:30 p.m..

This isn't necessarily early, but it didn't leave me much time to explore on the tail end of my trip.

If I'd had more flexibility, I would've left later and made time for another spa treatment or visited the award-winning Rangiora Bakery, which isn't too far from Christchurch Airport.

All in all, my trip included a round-trip flight, two nights in a villa at Fable Terrace Downs Resort, an Avis rental car, plus food and drinks.

If I'd booked all of these things independently, I estimated I would've paid about NZ$1,891. My trip package cost NZ$3,162, which feels like a pretty substantial markup.

Receiving the 50% media rate of NZ$1,581 made this a decent deal, but I wouldn't say the same if I'd paid full price.

To be fair, my two-night midweek package was likely a bit marked up because it was more last-minute. It's also hard to speak on the value of other packages since I've only experienced my own.

But even if I were to book this further in advance, I can't see myself doing this again. Although the surprise element of this package was intriguing, I could've hired a travel agent to craft a similar itinerary for a fraction of the cost.

Plus, if I'd made the reservations myself, I could've had more flexibility and chosen the later flight I had wanted.

Despite a few hiccups, this experience was magical — but the price didn't reflect its true value. Next time, I'll plan my own luxury escape.

The Preservation Society of Newport Country acquired the home in 1963 and turned it into a museum open to the public. Self-guided tours cost $25 per adult ticket and can be purchased on the Preservation Society's official website.

During the winter months, the mansion is only open to the public on Saturdays and Sundays, with daily tours restarting in mid-February.

William K. Vanderbilt was Cornelius Vanderbilt's grandson and heir to the family's railroad and steamship fortune during the Gilded Age. Alva Vanderbilt was a popular hostess in Newport.

When Alva Vanderbilt divorced her husband in 1895, she survived the scandal and kept Marble House and custody of their three children, Consuelo, William Kissam Jr., and Harold Stirling. She then married one of her neighbors in Newport, a financier named Oliver H.P. Belmont, in 1896.

After Belmont died in 1908, she became a leader in the women's suffrage movement, funding the National American Woman Suffrage Association and serving as president of the National Woman's Party.

"It would have been impossible to have used a pure white marble for the interior without having a mausoleum effect too cold for living comfort and joy," Alva Vanderbilt wrote of Marble House. "The soft gold brown fading off into delicate cream catches the sunlight by day or electric sparkle at night with a warm living glow."

The French doors in the entryway stayed open during the summer to provide a cooling ocean breeze.

Alva Vanderbilt was born in Alabama and raised in France. Her French design sensibilities were evident throughout the house.

The walls were created from one solid slab of marble that was cut in half to create pieces with mirroring patterns, a technique called bookmatching.

Crafted from bronze and covered in gold, the chairs weighed 75 pounds each and required the help of a footman to be seated in.

The ribbed ceiling, stone mantlepiece, and wood floors were all imported from Paris.

Buying art collections "en bloc" was popular during the Gilded Age as a way to quickly acquire a status symbol instead of taking generations to build a collection.

The wooden bookcases, built in Paris by Allard and Sons, held books on architecture and European history that were original to the Vanderbilt family's collection.

"This room is really the epitome of the Gilded Age," Caitlin Emery, the research and interpretation coordinator at the Preservation Society of Newport County, said on the audio tour. "It is coated in gold and you have to imagine guests coming in on a summer evening with the sun going down. And the light picking up on all these gilded surfaces. The feel and the essence of the room would have been absolutely remarkable."

In 1895, the Vanderbilts hosted a ball to celebrate their daughter Consuelo Vanderbilt's engagement to Charles Spencer-Churchill, the ninth Duke of Marlborough. The party featured 300 guests and lasted until 5 a.m.

Consuelo Vanderbilt was secretly engaged to another man and resisted the arrangement, but she wrote that her mother "would not hesitate to shoot" her lover if she tried to run away with him.

"Alva wanted to secure for her daughter the one thing that money couldn't buy — a title," Emery said in the audio tour.

Theirs was a loveless marriage. After 26 years, Alva Vanderbilt testified that she had forced her daughter to marry the duke, which allowed her to receive an annulment in 1921.

The mezzanine level featured two private studies, one for William K. Vanderbilt and one for Alva Vanderbilt.

Consuelo Vanderbilt moved to Marble House when she was 15. She described her room as "austere," writing that her mother had picked out every piece of furniture and "forbidden the intrusion of my personal possessions," according to the audio tour.

The Vanderbilts would never have used the servant staircase or gone into the service areas.

When the Vanderbilts lived at Marble House, the Trophy Room was a set of two connected dressing rooms for Alva Vanderbilt and Consuelo Vanderbilt. The Preservation Society turned it into a room for Harold Vanderbilt's yachting trophies.

The carvings in the molding throughout the room featured nymphs and cherubs for a fairytale-like oasis.

The factory that made Alva Vanderbilt's original wallpaper is still in business in Lyons, France, and it kept the Marble House orders in its archives. In 1990, the Preservation Society ordered the exact same wallpaper from the factory to replace the room's existing fabric, which had faded to gold, according to the audio tour.

His bedroom was decorated in the French Neoclassical style. After he and Alva Vanderbilt divorced, William K. Vanderbilt moved to France with his second wife.

Marble House only had one guest bedroom because it was mainly built for family use.

The guest sitting room was furnished with 18th-century French art and furniture produced by Allard and Sons.

The stairs leading up to the rest of the house were locked to protect the Vanderbilts and their priceless possessions.

The Vanderbilts paid their French chef a salary of $10,000 per year, or around $375,000 in today's dollars.

The sink was made of a soft mineral called soapstone to prevent the Vanderbilts' silver from being scratched or damaged during washing.

Alva Vanderbilt hosted women's suffrage conferences at Marble House in 1904 and 1914.

She is quoted as saying in her speeches: "Just pray to God. She will help you."

A "Votes for Women" teapot cost $28 at the gift shop when I visited in August. The large plates cost $14.95 and the smaller plates retailed for $12.95.

Marble House is located along Newport's Cliff Walk, a scenic walking tour of the area's famous mansions.

Designed by Richard and Joseph Howland Hunt, the Chinese Tea House is now a café that offers refreshments and afternoon tea to Marble House visitors.

Imported from Europe, the trees can grow 35 to 45 feet wide.

Built during a time of economic and technological advancement, Marble House symbolized the beginning of a new era where women could leave loveless marriages with their reputations intact and fight for the right to participate in America's democracy.

Panama City Beach reminds me of the beach towns I grew up visiting in the Northeast: lots of souvenir shops, a pier for walking and fishing, and more tourist attractions than one could squeeze in during a vacation.

There's lots of good food in PCB, including a crepe shop adored by reviewers on Yelp, but I'd say the general vibe of the area can best be described as "touristy beach town."

The landscape changes entirely when you drive just 15 or 20 minutes to 30A. High-rise hotel chains become private rental cottages, and souvenir shops give way to luxury shopping venues.

The overall vibe switches from a busy vacation spot to a place where you'd do beachfront yoga and sip freshly pressed juice before spending your day on a quiet, white-sand beach.

The beaches alongside 30A communities like Rosemary Beach and Seaside are home to white sand and transparent blue water. They took my breath away.

To get onto most beaches in 30A, you need a wristband or beach tag — visitors can get these from whichever rental property they're occupying.

I think the beaches benefit from the lack of large nearby hotels and public access. With limited visitors, there's less of a strain on 30A's beaches, resulting in a beautiful setting that feels more intimate.

There are some spectacular sunsets along the Gulf of Mexico, and 30A is a great place to see them.

On my trip, I especially loved watching the sunset from Bud and Alley's, a Seaside restaurant with sweeping coastal views. Another evening, I watched the sun set from the beach and was equally blown away by the beauty around me.

During my stay in 30A, I chose a rental property between Alys Beach and Rosemary Beach.

Fortunately, the area is very bikeable, with ample spacious sidewalks and bike lanes throughout. Lots of condos or hotels here come with bicycles, plus there are many rental companies in the area.

Often, I took a beach cruiser from my condo over to Rosemary Beach for coffee or a meal, or I'd bike down 30A and stop to explore each town.

Since I also had a rental car, I drove to some of the farther-away-from-me spots, like Seaside and Santa Rosa Beach. Parking felt easy to find, and the area was simple to navigate by car with my phone's GPS system.

My favorite spot in 30A was Seaside, a beach community where the movie "The Truman Show" was filmed.

It had beautiful beach houses, a small boardwalk area with shops and restaurants, as well as a collection of food trucks, and an outdoor amphitheater for concerts.

It felt relaxed and not too pretentious, but more upscale than Florida beach towns like Fort Lauderdale, Cocoa Beach, or Panama City Beach.

I loved exploring the area, and it's the spot along 30A where I saw the most families with children.

If Seaside is a family-friendly-but-upscale beach town, Alys Beach is on the opposite end of the luxury vacation spectrum.

This small community is filled with white-washed, stone vacation homes and Mediterranean-inspired architecture — it felt like a big resort.

In fact, there's nothing comparable to Alys Beach in Florida that I've seen. Because of its stunning homes and high-end feel, Alys Beach feels like one of the least-accessible-to-the-public areas in 30A.

I didn't spend much time here, especially because I saw so many residential streets with signs prohibiting the public from walking through or taking photos.

If you're interested in vacationing in a more private area of 30A, though, Alys Beach is worth taking a look at.

Rosemary Beach has made its rounds on TikTok, going viral for its similarities to a little European town.

Its downtown area is lined with cobblestone streets full of shops and al-fresco eateries, and it has a hotel complete with spires that reminded me of something I'd see in the Swiss Alps.

I passed many street carts selling wares like scarves and fresh flowers, and homes with European-style architecture. The area also has beautiful private beaches, which can only be accessed with a key card.

Seaside, Alys Beach, and Rosemary Beach are perhaps the most famous spots along 30A, but I was impressed with the lesser-known areas I visited, too, like Santa Rosa Beach.

You truly could make an entire day out of exploring the tiny towns and communities that make up this beautiful part of Florida.

In addition to beaches, shopping, and dining, 30A has lots of beautiful, natural landscapes to show off.

I stopped by Eden Gardens during my visit — a 163-acre state park home to sweeping gardens, a bayou, plenty of walking trails, and centuries-old oak trees.

The area also has a collection of coastal dune lakes, a rare saltwater and freshwater phenomenon that only exists in a few spots around the globe.

I've lived in Florida for nearly 10 years and call a small ocean beach town home.

As someone who's spent time on both the gulf and ocean side of the Sunshine State, I can say 30A is one of the most stunningly beautiful areas in all of Florida.

There's so much to see and do in the area, and it has a peaceful vibe I've rarely found in Florida beach towns.

I can't wait to return to 30A and think it's the perfect destination for everything from bachelorette parties to family vacations.