My first hot tip, at the risk of sounding like a nagging mother, would have to be #instead of going out to party the night before the 4 flights back to your country, go to sleep early!
My final night in Barcelona after 3.5 months of travelling was spent sleeping for 10 hours. I was very well rested and thus I was able to concentrate on packing my bag well (remember customs!), having what I needed on me (money, passport, flight information etc.) and getting to the airport on time to make my flight. Which was the first of 4 flights that would take 32 hours in total to return home. Yeah. Australia is far away!
The next hot tip is probably the most important for your heath. To #make sure you drink enough water before and during your flights!
It really is super important because the air conditioning on long haul flights will dehydrate you and you need to drink 250ml of water per hour to stay hydrated. During my last long haul flight with Etihad, I found they did not give the passengers enough water, unless you asked. So do not hesitate to call your flight attendant if you are feeling dehydrated. It is more important you disturb the person next to you with frequent toilet trips than going without the H2o!
Another good one is to #pack what you think you will need for the flights. (Entertainment, comfort and health)
Remember to charge your gadgets before you fly (ipods, ipads, laptops and other travel goodies). Pack your medications and vitamins. I suggest the all natural Melatonin for those who have trouble sleeping on planes. Vitamin B6, Magnesium, Valerian and Licorice (the herb, not the sweet) are also great in assisting relaxation and encouraging sleep.
A great treatment for dehydrated skin and lips is Lucas Papaw remedy ointment! Again, a more natural and effective treatment for your journey.
Of course, #movement is vital. Stretch and pace around before, during and after your flights. Even when waiting for the toilet on the plane, stretch out your calf muscles or walk on the spot.
Keep your blood pumping as much as you can to avoid deep vein thrombosis. There is a reason they nickname it travellers thrombosis!!
If you have connecting flights, walk around the waiting lounge instead of sitting again. Besides, sitting gets boring! Always choose to move when you have the time and chance.
I also suggest taking vitamins and eating foods that help assist circulation. Vitamin E, garlic, ginger and peppers are great for this :-)
If you get anxious, #remember to breathe, try to relax and just hang in there!
Long haul flights can get very tedious when you are alone and being stuck on a plane for so long can make you feel anxious or claustrophobic. So perhaps make a playlist of music that really calms you down or do things that will occupy your mind, like reading, writing, sudoku & crosswords, drawing or editing photos on your computer. All these activities require more energy than just watching another movie and will help you stay occupied until you relax again, or even better, fall asleep!
My last piece of advice would have to be to #memorize your passport information and keep at least one pen in your bag. This makes it a lot quicker to fill out your arrival cards and then you can get through immigration faster. The reason I suggest to memorize, is so you don't have to pull out your passport everytime you fly or book flights/ hostels online! I also do this with my credit card information and any important phone numbers. This will also save you time and money in the internet cafes! Remember, you can never be too sure or too prepared when traveling :-)
Off to Malaysia with a spare seat next to me!
