Rest upon arrival or start hunting?

[Wile E. Coyote]

Have heard that the jet lag can really be a killer and some have suggested spending the first night in Jo'burg when you arrive, then moving on to the hunting concession the next day to minimize the effects.

For those of you who have gone, what did you do and did it work out for you?

[8th Dwarf]

See your doctor and get a prescription for AMBIEN.  It is a sleeping tablet that will NOT give you a hang over...  I take one on the flight over and sleep for 6-7 hours.  Then, the first night in camp, when I wake up with eyes wide at 2:00 a.m., I take half of one or a full one and back to sleep.  It works like a charm.  Also, your adrenalin will be totally kicked in, so hunt your tail off, Dude!

Too Short

[tonto]

No jet lag on the way over but oh my god does it ever hurt on the way home!! Both times I dont know how I make the trip back. For 4 or 5 days after I get home I think Ill never go again.
Dean

[VI-Shooter]

To avoid jet lag I simply adjust to the time before I leave.  It's pretty easy to do, particularly since I live in Las Vegas and I can stay up all night here and have plenty to keep me busy/entertained.  I change my watch and my mindset and by the time I get over there the transition is done and I'm refreshed and ready to go.

[crane]

I'll second the Ambien. It will also help you cycle back in when you get home. My first trip I went 52 hours straight from Montana to Winhoek. Big mistake! The last two times we overnighted once in the US and a second in Joberg.It made a huge difference.Get one of those dorky looking neck pillows, a good set of earplugs and a mask.You should be able to hit the ground running.

[Randy Cooling]

Paul, thanks for the tip on the ambien. I have the same problem as Tonto.No problems on the way there. But when I get home it's a killer.On my way overseas I always stay the night before in the city where my international flight departs from.For the sleep and to make sure I have my luggage for the big flight.

[VI-Shooter]

Here's another tip -- Bose Quiet Comfort noise cancelling headphones.  They are a bit pricy, but on a long flight they make a HUGE difference.  The endless drone of the plane really wears you out, but I wear these headphones and it is heaven!  You can still plug into the plane entertainment system or your own DVD or CD player and the quality of the sound is awesome and the noise of the plane is virtually gone!  And, you can have a normal conversation and still hear the person next to you.  In fact, I find that I can even hear conversations of others near me that without the headphones would be lost in the noise of the plane.

[VI-Shooter]

Here's another tip -- Bose Quiet Comfort noise cancelling headphones.  They are a bit pricy, but on a long flight they make a HUGE difference.  The endless drone of the plane really wears you out, but I wear these headphones and it is heaven!  You can still plug into the plane entertainment system or your own DVD or CD player and the quality of the sound is awesome and the noise of the plane is virtually gone!  And, you can have a normal conversation and still hear the person next to you.  In fact, I find that I can even hear conversations of others near me that without the headphones would be lost in the noise of the plane.

[Steve M]

I was hunting within the fist 1/2 hour of arriving in camp, not in the least jet lagged. Coming home was a another story, took a day or so to get back on track.

I try to break up my flight with a long layover in Europe (10 hours more or less). This way I sleep from the states to Amsterdam and by the time we leave for Jo' a guy can snooze another 9 or ten hours while in route.

Never have liked drugs etc. and don't care to be sedated on a long flight to strange places. Book your flight to leave in the evening if at all possible.

Best of luck!
Steve M.

[Don Thomas]

I do a lot of intercontinental travel and have grown fairly used to it (yes, you do learn to adapt). Most medical texts recommend against sedation, but I personally find the newer meds like ambien so mellow and easy to shrug off that I consider them well worth while. Most flights to Africa from here depart in the evneing, which helps as well. Hate to say it, but Jo'burg is one of my least favorite cities and I usually get out of there ASAP. Harare used to be an interesting place, but I wouldn't spend the night there on a bet now. On the other hand, Windhoek, the capital of Namibia, is a lot of fun and I often plan to overnight there if plans allow. Funny... for most people, including me, flying east is a lot harder than flying west. I hit the ground running in Australia, but not going the other way. Maybe you guys are excited or something... nah, couldn't be! Cheers, Don

[Rick McGowan]

Like Don, I travel quite a bit and I find it really dosn't bother me that much anymore, I set my watch ahead to the next stop as soon as I get on the plane, helps me adjust my mind to the change. Also no matter how tired I am when I arrive, I force myself to adjust to the local time, no going to bed at 6PM. Africa is a cinch, flying to the Australian NT, takes a day and a half! Rick