When I sat down to write my SUNLOUNGER 2 story - A Lost Night In Louisiana - I knew that a holiday cocktail or two would feature, as invariably they do on the best holidays. And New Orleans was certainly one of my best holidays - a blur of intoxicating jazz music bewitching your brain and your hips and blitz of celebratory colour – draped from every tourist, passing car and NOLA resident. When it comes to waving your hands in the air like you just don’t care and immersing yourself in the world of Mardi Gras, nowhere does it better than The Big Easy. But prepare yourself, because The Big Easy also does Big Cocktails that lead to Big Headaches.

I must have woken up half a dozen times and heard myself saying those infamous words, ‘I’m never drinking again’, after a night of deliciously tasty alcoholic amusement. But yet, a few hours later, I am indeed doing just that. Drinking. The terribly tempting thing about a New Orleans cocktail list is that it’s an enticing and dangerous as a double-bungee jump with Ryan Gosling: a joy at the time but your whole body aches the next morning. Cocktails such as the Sazerac, a lethal concoction of rye whisky which dates from the early 1800s and the fruitily delightful rum-based Hurricane are a must on any NO-NO (New Orleans Night Out). But it’ll be you who ends up saying ‘no’ the next morning as your head resonates to the excruciating beats of a headache large enough to be seen from Mars and loud enough to be heard on the other side of the Bayou.

So what’s the best way to avoid your hangover hanging around like an unwanted swampland mosquito? Well, speaking from experience, let me introduce you to my top five fail-safe hangover cures, gathered from years of euphoric holiday making.

1. A TRIP TO THE LOCAL CAFÉ

This is a preventative measure and if you can remember to do this before you start drinking then you are a better holidaymaker than I. I normally remember day two. Fact: what you eat after drinking doesn’t matter — it’s what you eat before all those multi-hued cocktails that can help lessen the aftermath. Food helps slow absorption of alcohol, and the longer it takes alcohol to find your blood stream, the longer it is until you become intoxicated. So, it’s the perfect excuse for a fry-up, bowl of chips or slice of cake. In New Orleans I would say blow the calories and indulge in a Cajun offering the size of the Mississippi.

2. FIX YOUR FACE

Half of the horror of a hangover is seeing what you look like the next day. So a clever bit of facial fixing is always a great way of disguising what might be going on beneath the surface. Years of globetrotting with female beauty journalist friends has taught me that less is more around the eyes when it comes to post-party puffiness around the eyes. Prime the eyes to soothe skin, ladies, then apply creamy concealer up to the lashes. Lock in place with a dusting of light sheer powder. Keep make-up to a minimum and voila – you look red carpet even if you feel red devil.

3. WATER WATER EVERYWHERE

The best way to use water to cure a hangover is to drink a few glasses while out boozing. Have a glass of water after every couple of drinks. If you do this you can expect to reduce your hangover by as much as 80%! If you are hung over the next day and want to use water as a hangover cure make sure to drink it slowly. Guzzling doesn’t help!

4. DON’T STAY IN BED

Despite the temptations of burying yourself four fathoms deep underneath the duvet and moaning at a force of decibels, the best action is to get out of bed as soon as your legs will physically manage it. Getting the blood pumping again and concentrating on the day ahead is a great way to try and obliterate the nightmare of the night before. And if you can do it after a can of something fizzy to raise sugar levels all the better.

5. PIG OUT!

Soviet countries say swallow a raw egg, the Japanese say dried sour plums and our German friends favour pickled herring. Romania, Turkey and Mexico say tripe soup. Tripe to all of that say I….when all else fails, reach for a bacon sarnie!

Nigel May set his first SUNLOUNGER story – Waterfalling in Love in Brazil. His SUNLOUNGER 2 story - A Lost Night In Louisiana - is set in New Orleans.