Tips for nervous flyers and surviving long flights

As a child I never flew in an aeroplane, I think it was mostly because my mom is terrified of flying.
So eventually at the age of 18 I hopped on a plane for the first time, it wasn't a long trip at all, a whole 35 minutes from Johannesburg to Durban, but it was awesome none the less! A group of us were going to celebrate a friends' 21st for the weekend.

Since then I have flown more times than I can remember, in 2014 alone I flew 17 times. It's crazy, really. The longest flight I've been on so far is 8 hours. BUT in exactly one week we'll be flying to Paris, 8 hours to Dubai from Johannesburg, then a 3 hour layover, then a 7 hour flight to Paris, just reading that makes me a tad anxious...and I love flying!

So here are my tips for nervous flyers/if you're flying with a nervous flyer.
1. Try get a seat near the front of the plane, it's quieter and you experience less turbulence there.

2. Chew gum, this always helps me with the change in air pressure in the cabin during take-off, I don't know why, it just does.

3. Avoid coffee, caffeine results in increased heart rate, increased thirst and hunger, anxiety, nervousness, dilation of air passages, and insomnia.

4. Get distracted, since you cant make use of any electronic devices during the taxi and take-off I suggest reading a book/magazine or chatting to the person next to you - if you know them. Don't be that annoying passenger that WONT-SHUT-UP throughout the entire flight, and if your neighbour is "that" person you're just welcoming him to be a pain in the ass for the next few hours!

5. During the flight you can use electronics on in-flight mode, so make sure all of you devices are fully charged and full of entertainment you enjoy (e-books, series, music, movies, games etc.). Also take full advantage of the in-flight entertainment that most international flights offer free of charge.

6. Keep in mind that air travel is the safest mode of travel.

7. If you're extremely nervous let an air hostess know, they are trained to deal with this stuff and are usually very helpful and friendly.

And here are my tips for surviving a long flight.
1. Dress comfortably, in layers , I usually wear leggings/my comfy jeans, a camisole, a long sleeve top, and sneakers/tommys with socks, I also take a scarf and a warm, soft jumper/cardigan for if I get cold.

2. Make sure all your gadgets are charged and full of content you enjoy (See point 5 above). Also don't forget your chargers (newer planes have USB charging sockets in the back of each seat) and earphones, airline earphones are often crappy and uncomfortable. Earphone buds also block out cabin noise when you (try) sleep!

3. Stay hydrated during the flight, the toilets aren't normally too bad if you're flying with a good airline so rather stay hydrated and make trips to the loo. I always take a bottle of water onto the plane with me and avoid coffee/tea as they are natural diuretics...(in case you were wondering, that means they make you need to pee more often.)

4. Take some healthy snacks on board, you'll be sitting for a long while (hardly burning ANY calories) so dried fruit, nuts, protein bars and biltong are a good idea! It's also nice to snack while you watch movies/series.

5. Take an immune booster, and wash your hands EVERY TIME you go to the loo (this should actually go without saying, but you never know!), germs are everywhere and in a plane there is no where for them to escape to, they are around you for the entire flight. Prevention is better than cure!

6. Pack your toothbrush and toothpaste, and anything you may need to freshen up, in your carry on luggage.  You don't want to disembark the plane with morning breath and sleep filled eyes, not pretty.
Pack some painkillers and motion sickness meds as well, you never know when you might need it! Also pack wet wipes and moisturiser, you will definitely need it!

7. Try to get some sleep, take an eye mask and ear plugs with if you need it. It's a good idea to try and adjust your sleeping pattern to fit in with your destinations time zone during your flight, this way you don't loose your first day of your trip due to jetlag.

8. Walk! Get up between movies and stretch those legs! Take a wander through the cabin, go to the loo, whatever you do just get your blood circulating again.

I find that following these tips help me disembark the plane feeling alot more human and a little less zombie. I hope they helped you and if you have any other tips please let me know in the comments below!

A note about Wanderlust

Definition: A strong desire for or impulse to wander or travel and explore the world.

I think wanderlust is both a blessing an a curse.
It not only takes you to the most beautiful of places, but also away from your home and your family.
Thanks to modern technology the missing home and FOMO can be reduced substantially, but nothing will ever quite replace actually being there.

My innate wanderlust has landed me in some interesting places. I have never said no to travel, be it for work or pleasure. I long to see the world, be immersed in different cultures and experience different lifestyles.

Here are a few (unedited) snaps of the places I have travelled to.

Wine Tasting in Cape Town.

Selfie at a stop in The Kruger National Park.

The sun's reflection on the ocean, view from Table Mountain - Cape Town.

Southern Sun Maputo - Mozambique.

A Baby Hyena in the Kruger National Park.

Sunset at a dam in The Kruger National Park.

My Favourite Animal - A Giraffe at sunset in the Kruger National Park.

The Pinnacle - Mpumalanga.

God's Window - Mpumalanga.

Bourke's Luck Potholes - Mpumalanga.

Saint Lucia.

Saint Lucia.

Umhlanga - Kwa-Zulu Natal.

The spot where we got engaged! Wild Coast Sun - Kwa-Zulu Natal.

Kayaking in Cape Town.

Wild Coast Sun - Kwa-Zulu Natal.

The Marginale - Angola.

Swaziland.

Jumeirah Lake Towers - Dubai.

Scottburgh - Kwa-Zulu Natal..

We live in a beautiful country and I have been lucky enough to have seen quite a lot of it.
Having said that, I can happily tell your that I am excited for our impending adventure.

One Week in Dubai - A second look

After writing approximately 20 lines for this blog entry I stumbled upon a really interesting post about travel blogging...I found myself agreeing with about 99% of what this blog was screaming at me! This resulted in me scrapping my entire post - Bar line one "Happy Spring everyone!!"

Anyway, now that that's out of the way...I won't be telling you about all the delicious food we ate (a different country's cuisine almost every night!), I will be going head first into the nitty gritty - let's get down to business!

Ah Dubai, what can I say, I miss it already...I was sad to be leaving, but happy to be going home!

When people tell you Dubai is hot you're probably all like "Yeah, yeah, it can't be that bad"...Trust me, IT CAN!! Not only was the average temperature 40 degrees, the average humidity was 70%. CRAY CRAY!!
One afternoon after work we stopped off at one of the malls, parking the car in the underground parking, I opened the door and hopped out, unaware of the impending heat wave outside. As my feet touched the ground, the hot air hit me square in the face, it made me gasp. My boss smiled, this is 50 he said to me. What?? 50 degrees?! I felt ill, nauseous from the heat.
Lesson one - If you can't handle the heat...stay indoors!

The malls are amazing, they stay open until midnight and the variety that they have to offer is mind-boggling. We were spoilt for choice!! Apart from your department stores and clothing shops (from all around the world), designer labels, electronic goods, restaurants, confectioners, coffee shops and juice bars are plentiful! We spent 9 hours at the malls on our first Saturday, 1 and a half of these were spent on the slopes of Ski Dubai!! Can you imagine the pain my poor feet had to endure, not nearly quite as bad as those of the Stepford Wives that were tottering around in 4 inch heels!
Lesson two - wear comfortable, sensible shoes!

 

Ski Dubai is a MUST visit for at least 2 hours if you're into the whole adventurey, fun kind of vibe. Whether you're a complete amature and have never set foot on a slope (like me!), a veteran skier, or anywhere in between, be sure to pay a visit to Ski Dubai. They have bigger slopes for more advance skiers and for the kiddies and us beginners there are cute little slopes and ski instructors! With penguins waddling around and an entertainment area in the snow dome for the children it makes for the perfect family outing. Do bring gloves and a beanie because it's cold, -4 degrees to be exact, but it's not a bone chilling kind of cold, it just the kind of cold that nips at your nose and lips making them a little numb. They provide a ski suit and skis as part of the package, the ski suit is really warm, I was wearing a thin blouse under mine and it was perfect! Snug as a bug! I even snuck in in my normal clothes for a snowy selfie! Naughty naughty!!

 

 

I heard they have Ski parties on a Thursday night, sounds like an absolute blast but unfortunately we never went on a Thursday.

If you find yourself with an open afternoon, book a desert safari, if you don't have an open afternoon, find a way to make one available and book a desert safari!!!! They take you on about an hour long stomach churning, and at some points, heart stopping 4x4 ride through the dunes in the desert to a special spot that is perfect for watching the sun set and taking super-touristy photos like these...

Once the sun has disappeared behind the mountains we hop back into the 4x4 and off we go again, into the desert, sand spraying up against your window as the driver sharply turns and dips through the dunes. After a short while we find ourselves back on the highway, and then back in the desert, seemingly heading for the middle of no-where and then out of the blue (or brown in this matter), we're at a little hideaway oasis, with nothing but sand around you for miles and miles.
We hop out the 4x4, its hot and humid but bearable because the sun is gone and the sky is full of stars, outside the oasis you can ride a camel, quad bike or sandboard. Inside the oasis you are welcomed with the delicious smells of Lebanese cuisine, chicken on the fire and traditional bread in the "oven". Before dinner is served they have a traditional show/dance and a very talented lady belly dancing, there are stalls selling sand art vases, your typical tourist souvenirs and a lady painting henna tattoos. The entire thing lasts about 4 to 5 hours, and is great value for money, depending on where you make your booking.
Lesson three - be a tourist, do touristy things and have fun!

I can't tell you that a swim in the ocean is refreshing and that it will cool you off because the truth is, it won't. We went for a dip at The Walk by the Jumeirah Beach Residence. The water was warm and super salty but so beautifully clear and blue that I could see the little fish swimming around my feet. I didn't last much more than 25 minutes before I had to stop floating bout and collecting shells and get out to find a spot of shade to relax in, but shortly thereafter we sought refuge from the heat indoors, along with an ice cold bottle of water.
Lesson four - Your hotel pool is probably more refreshing, but much less fun! Look at that view. Yes, that's Atlantis waaaay back there!!

For me, Dubai is a lovely place, the buildings are beautiful, as are the people. I will definitely be going back in a year or two, but only after I've ticked off a few of the destinations on my top 10 bucketlist!

 

 

One week in Dubai - First impressions!

Ok so after typing the title to this post (which just popped into my head), I now have the song "One night in Bangkok" stuck in my head! One night in Bangkok makes the hard man humble la la la lala la la lala la la!

Aaaarrrgghhhhh... I hope you are sharing my pain right now!

Anyway, we left for Dubai from Johannesburg on Friday night and it was madness! I stood in the queue to go through to the terminals for approximately 50 minutes!
Note to self : when we immigrate we will NOT be doing so on a Friday night!

Instagramming because the queue is long and I'm booored as hell!!

We touched down in Dubai at 5am and were out of the airport by about 6:30, we settled in our hotel rooms in the Jumeirah Lake Towers by 7 - I was snug as a bug in a huge bed...exhausted! After a power nap, and a high tech soak in the tub we were on our way to the malls for breakfast and shopping!

High-tech taps - took me a while to figure out...Hot and cold? Nope! Haha turns out you bath according to temperature here!

 We shopped from 11am to 8pm! (Not really though, the malls are like these magical wonderlands that have alot more than just shops and restaurants in them. Our 9 hour "shopping spree" included skiing, watching musical fountains, watching children ice skating and gazing at an aquarium full of ocean critters - all in the Mall of Emirates and the Mall of Dubai!) We caught the metro back to our hotel and got lost between the JLT station and our hotel, it took us about 45 minutes to find our hotel in 40 degrees Celsius humidity, it was so funny!

Ski Dubai, the area where I had my first skiing lesson!

Pretty building outside the Mall of Dubai

Aquarium inside the Mall of Dubai

I can describe my first impression of Dubai in exactly 2 words! Fascinating and humid.

The buildings, architecture and infrastructure fascinate me. It is now 3 days later and I still sit in the taxi gazing out the window in awe. Each and every building is unique, different, beautiful. The only thing that I can think of comparing the diversity of it to is ... people!  Each and every one of us - unique, different, special in our own way - BEAUTIFUL.

This country is beautiful, not only the buildings but the people! The vastly colourful population! Just as fascinating as the buildings! I have done so much people watching in the past 3 days, everywhere we go is so different to anything I have ever experienced. Friendly, helpful people from every corner of the globe populate Dubai.

I can't wait to tell you all about our trip, as soon as I get a free hour, but for now, I think this will do!

Packing for a business trip to Dubai

I am one of those people that are lucky enough to have a job that has allowed me to travel.

Sometimes to lovely places like Mozambique and Cape Town.

Other times to not so lovely places...like Angola.

Now don't get me wrong, there are some undeniably beautiful places in Angola, as there are in Mozambique and Cape Town. I will eventually share all my travels with you, but this post is dedicated to Dubai!!

Most definitely the most exciting trip I will go on for my company!

This time next week instead of tapping away at my keyboard I will be packing my suitcase and making sure that I have everything I may need for a week in Dubai!

 I have checked the weather forecast and it says I can expect highs of 43 and lows of 32 degrees, 43 degrees Celsius!!! Oh my soul, I think I might just melt while we are there!!!

Since Dubai is a conservative country being Muslim and all, I will mostly be packing clothes that are modest and considerate of the local culture - itsy bitsy outfits are a no no! Shoulders and legs should preferably be covered up when in public areas.


You might be asking "Why would you want to pack itsy bitsy outfits for a business trip?", well the answer is simple really, my boss is like no other! We will undoubtedly be visiting at least one night club while we are there and not to mention we have a full Saturday there before we start working....I'm thinking...BEACH!!!

These are the most important items on my packing list so far:
Sunblock and a sun hat - for when we are on the beach or strolling the streets, its bound to be a scorcher at 43 degrees!!

1. Light weight scarf - to cover up shoulders, or just as an accessory, whatevs really, I like scarves!
2. A pair of black pants, black leggings/tights, a black pencil skirt, and a pair of denims - these items are versatile and can be mixed with any top/blouse.
3. A pair of black heel and a pair of wedges - versatile items.
4. A few blouses - light-weight blouses and button up tops.
5. A smart jacket/cardigan - since all of the buildings are air-conditioned it might get a bit chilly indoors.
6. A bikini and a sarong - for the beach of course!
7. A pair of sandals and a pair of closed flat shoes for walking the mall in comfort - the shops in Dubai male close LATE! I'm talking like 11pm, so there will be plenty of time to (window) shop after work.
8. A beanie and gloves - we are making a definite stop over at Ski Dubai! I cant wait!!!
9. Dresses/skirts of a flowy material - lightweight and versatile for day or evening wear.
10. Accessories - Necklaces, earrings, bracelets and bangles!
11. Gym clothing and running shoes - a must for any trip!
12. A good book - hopefully while I'm there I'll get myself a kindle! I love a real book but a kindle is travel friendly and compact.
13. And last but not least...Gadgets - Smartphone, camera, ipod, laptop, and chargers for all of them!

So hopefully while I'm there I will be able to squeeze in a post or two with a few photos and a maybe a word or ten! Haha!

If you have been to Dubai before and know of something that I'm missing please tell me about it in the comments section!