Ratgeber
Wellness on long-haul trips: jet lag and recovery
On long-haul trips recovery works with a calm day of arrival, buffer time before treatments and a stay of ten to fourteen days. Travel as directly as possible and plan your return with a free day. Wellness plans long-haul trips by video call.
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Schritt für Schritt
- Choose a direct flight or a short layover
- Plan arrival in the evening or early
- Leave the first day without programme
- Book treatments from day two
- Adjust light and sleep to local time
- Plan a stay of at least ten days
- Allow for a free day on your return
Checkliste
- Flight times checked
- Arrival evening planned
- Transfer confirmed
- First day free
- Treatments from day two
- Water and light food
- Sleep mask and earplugs
- FDFA (EDA) and FOPH (BAG) advice checked
A wellness trip to Asia or the Indian Ocean sounds like deep recovery. Yet the flight and time change take a toll on the body. With good planning you arrive calmly and can enjoy your time.
What jet lag does to recovery
The time change throws sleep and hunger out of rhythm. To Asia the difference is several hours, and the first two to three days often feel tired and light-headed. Especially on eastbound flights to Asia, jet lag often hits harder. Sleep problems in the first nights are normal and no sign that anything is going wrong.
This is normal. So do not plan any important programme points for the first days and assume that treatments will feel different at first. If you book treatments on the first day, you risk tiredness and dizziness. A quiet day with a walk and light food is better.
A calm arrival protects the trip. If you plan a lot for the first day, you start exhausted. Tell the house your arrival time. Good houses prepare the room and let you arrive early too.
Choosing the journey wisely
If possible, choose direct flights or short layovers. Every connection is a risk of delay and tiredness. A flight with a good seat, water and walking in the aisle makes the journey more bearable. Pack warm socks and a sleep mask.
Arriving in the evening lets you sleep straight after the flight. Arriving in the morning allows a short rest at the hotel. Do not plan appointments in the first hours after landing. Tiredness makes decisions hard.
Book the transfer in advance. After a long flight, a clear welcome is a great relief. If possible, choose flight times that fit your sleep rhythm. A night flight with sleep is better than a day flight spent awake.
The first days at the destination
On the first day go out into daylight, take a walk and eat lightly. That helps the body accept local time. Have breakfast at the new place on local time. That helps the internal clock to shift.
Avoid long naps during the day. Short breaks and an early night are better. Go outside early in the morning. Daylight is the strongest timekeeper for the body.
Drink plenty of water. Alcohol and heavy meals add to the strain. In the first days, do without heavy meals and a lot of coffee. They disturb sleep further.
The right length of stay
For Bali, Thailand, Kerala, Sri Lanka or the Maldives, ten to fourteen days make sense. Less is rarely worthwhile because of the journey. A stay of ten days gives time to arrive, feel recovery and prepare for the journey home.
Divide the time into arriving, recovery and farewell. That creates a clear rhythm. Longer trips of three weeks spread the outward and return journeys over more days. Check whether your leave allows for it.
Do not choose too many places. Two stops are enough, one is usually more restful. Choose a place with sea, garden or hills. Nature supports recovery, especially after long flights.
Return and advice
Plan a free day after landing. If you go straight back to work, you lose the recovery quickly. Plan the return journey so that you still have a day at home. Jet lag accompanies the return too.
Check the current advice for your destination country from the FDFA and the FOPH. For health questions, ask your doctor. Pack your travel documents and insurance details within reach. That prevents stress at the airport and the border.
In the [planning call](/m/wellness/planen) by video call, we plan flights, arrival and stay. Wellness provides a calm framework. We coordinate flights, transfers and accommodation from one source, so that the trip runs smoothly from the start.
Packing for the long journey
Medication, charger, travel documents, a sleep mask and warm socks belong in your hand luggage. Checked luggage can arrive late, so pack the essentials within reach.
Light clothing in layers suits air conditioning and tropical warmth. A thin jacket and a scarf are useful on the plane and in the spa.
Check the advice on entry and health from the FDFA and the FOPH. For questions about medication or vaccinations, get advice from your doctor.
