10 tips for the long flight

You’ve been looking forward to your long-awaited holiday, but the long flight is another matter. You’ll be spending a lot of hours in your seat as you look forward to landing at your destination.

How are you going to deal with all those hours on the plane? Instead of seeing the flight as something you just have to get through, why not use it as an opportunity to give yourself time for some of the things you don’t have time for in everyday life.

Read on here and get our 10 tips for how to make the time fly on your journey to Africa.

1) Wear comfortable clothes

You’ll be sitting down for many hours. Be sure to wear comfortable clothes, so you don’t end up regretting wearing your tightest jeans and stiffest shirt.

Layers are always a good idea. The temperature on a plane tends to fluctuate, so it’s nice to be able to put on a warm sweater when the temperature drops.

Dressed comfortably, you’re ready to start your flight and put our entertainment tips to use.

2) Read a book

There’s nothing more relaxing than immersing yourself in another universe.

Pack that book you’ve been wanting to read for ages and enjoy the fact that you finally have time to engross yourself in exciting literature without fear of interruption.

If you’d rather have the book read aloud to you, you can download your favourite book on your phone or other electronic device so you can sit back and look down at the landscape you’re flying over as you allow yourself to be swept away.

3) Listen to a podcast

Podcasts have become the go-to for many people when they want to relax. There are now oceans of different podcasts, and it’s almost impossible not to find one you like.

Make sure you’ve downloaded plenty of episodes of your favourite podcast before boarding the plane and turning the Wi-Fi off your phone.

Sit back, close your eyes and listen to the funny jokes or the crazy tales from whatever podcast takes your fancy. Remember to pack your headphones – they’re a must-have on a long flight!

4) Watch a film or a series

Watching a film or a series is the most obvious entertainment tip. Most planes have a screen on the back of the seat in front of you.

Check whether the plane has that film or series you’ve been wanting to watch. If you don’t want to risk them not having it, you can download films or series on your iPad or computer and view them offline. That way, you’re prepared for hours of entertainment!

If you don’t want to make yourself nervous about your flight, a good piece of advice is to steer clear of films such as Cast Away or Alive!

5) Read up on the country you’re going to

Didn’t have time to open your travel book and research what to see and do at your destination before you left?

Get your travel book out and start reading up on the country’s attractions, sights and culture so you’re fully prepared for your tour when you arrive.

If you want to be extra prepared for your visit to the country, you could download a language app and learn a few useful phrases. It’s always good form to be able say hello and thank you when you’re in a foreign culture.

6) Play a game with your partner

If you’re travelling with someone else, you can start your own game tournament. Always carry a game card in your bag. And not just when you’re travelling by air, but in any situations where waiting may occur.

Pick the game that you want to be your tournament game, and you’ll soon find the hours flying by.

Perhaps you could make your tournament even more interesting by saying that the loser has to buy the winner a drink when you arrive at your destination, for example.

7) Colour a colouring book

Colouring is pure therapy for the soul and it’s an ideal way to relax and take things down a notch. You might think that colouring books are just for children, but research has actually shown that colouring can have a relaxing and therapeutic effect on adults, too.

There are a lot of great colouring books available for adults, so buy one and some coloured felt tip pens before you leave, pull down the table and start colouring the wonderful patterns to ensure that you arrive at your destination completely relaxed.

8) Do a crossword

Love using your head and playing with fun word constructions?

Pack a crossword book and challenge yourself. See if you can do a whole crossword without looking at the solutions in the back. Who wouldn’t want to know what the Swahili word for “journey” is?

Could it be safari?

9) Get up and walk about

Sitting in the same position for hours on end gets uncomfortable.

Be sure to get up regularly. Go for a walk down the aisle and see if you can do a few stretches to boost your circulation.

When you get back to your seat, you’ll have renewed energy to entertain yourself again.

10) Have a nap

Have you heeded all our good advice but still have a few hours left of the flight?

Get your neck pillow, your sleeping mask and your earplugs out and grab a nap so that you arrive well rested and raring to go at your destination.

TourCompass – From tourist to traveller