Country Information

Capital: Yaren

Time zone: GMT + 12

Telephone services: Country Code: 674
Outgoing Code: Calls must be made through the international operator

Emergency telephone numbers: Contact local operator.

Tourist information: Refer to government office.

Passport information: Valid passport required by all. Return Ticket Required. Regulations may be subject to short-term change. Contact the embassy before departure.

Visa information: apart from those in transit providing they hold tickets for immediate travel to a third country

Health information: Polio, Typhoid: Vaccination recommended.
Yellow Fever: A vaccination certificate is required from travellers over 1 year of age arriving from infected areas.

Food & drink: Water is untreated and not safe to drink.

Currency: Australian Dollar (A$) = 100 cents Credit cards are widely accepted. Travellers cheques, preferably in Australian dollars, can be exchanged.
ATM availability: Unavailable.

Cost of living: The absence of taxes means some goods are cheaper e.g. electrical goods, cigarettes and alcohol. Visitors should buy essential goods in advance as shops are rather limited.

Languages: Nauruan and English.

Weather: A maritime, equatorial climate tempered by Northeast trade winds from Mar to Oct. The wettest period is from Mar to Oct. Hot all year round, wettest period – Dec to Mar.

Electricity: 110/240 Volts Ac 50 Hz.

Post: Up to 1 week

Transport: ROAD: A sealed road 19 km long circles the island and there are several miles of road running inland to Buada and the phosphate areas. Buses provide public transport. CAR HIRE: Available. DOCUMENTATION: A national driving licence is sufficient.

Special information: The island has a casual atmosphere in which diplomacy and tact are preferable to confrontation. Tourism is non-existent due to the environmental condition of the island following extensive phosphate mining throughout the 1990s.

Capital: Wellington

Time zone: GMT + 12 ( GMT + 13 from the last week in March to the first week in Oct.)

Telephone services: Country Code: 64
Outgoing Code: 00

Emergency telephone numbers: All services – 111

Tourist information: New Zealand High Commission, New Zealand House, 80 Haymarket, London, SW1Y 4TQ Tel: (0839) 200 288 (recorded information).

Passport information: Valid passport required by all. Return Ticket Required (except for nationals of Australia). Regulations may be subject to short term change. Contact the embassy before departure.

Visa information: Required by all except: Nationals of EU countries for visits of up to 3 months (Portuguese nationals must have the right of residence in Portugal and French nationals must be residing in France. Nationals of Brunei, Canada, Iceland, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Kiribati, Liechtenstein, Malaysia, Malta, Monaco, Nauru, Norway, Singapore, Switzerland Thailand Tuvalu and the USA (except for US Samoans who do need a visa) for visits of up to 3 months. French citizens residing in Tahiti or New Caledonia for visits of up to 30 days. Nationals of the UK and other British Passport holders for visits of up to 6 months providing they have proof of the right of abode.

Health information: No innoculations are compulsary, but please seek medical advice prior to travel.

Food & drink: Water is considered drinkable, normal precautions should be observed with food.

Currency: New Zealand Dollar (NZ$) = 100 cents. All major credit cards accepted. Travellers cheques in any international currencies, are widely accepted.
ATM availability: Over 1500 locations.

Cost of living: It is possible to travel relatively cheaply in New Zealand.

Languages: English and Maori.

Weather: Subtropical in the North island, temperate in the South Island. The North has no extremes of heat or cold, but winter can be quite cool in the South with snow in the mountains. Rainfall is distributed throughout the year.

Electricity: 230 Volts AC 50 Hz. Most hotels provide 110 volt sockets AC for electric razors.

Post: 4 – 5 days to Western Europe, slightly less to the USA.

Transport: FLIGHTS: The national airline operates flights between the main airports. RAIL: Reliable but limited. TRAVEL PASSES: allow unlimited travel on New Zealand Railways’ train, coach and ferry services. ROAD: COACH: Modern coaches operate scheduled services throughout the country. It is advisable to make reservations for seats. – Contact the tourism board for details. BUS: Regional bus services serve most parts of the country. TAXI: Metered taxis operate throughout the country. CAR HIRE: Major international and local firms have agencies at airports and most major cities. Minimum age for driving a rental car is 21 years.

Special information: Should a visitor be invited to a Maori occasion the pressing of noses is common.

Capital: Muscat

Time zone: GMT + 4

Telephone services: Country Code: 968
Outgoing Code: 00

Emergency telephone numbers: All services – 999

Tourist information: Directorate General of Tourism, PO Box 550, 113 Muscat, Oman Tel: 774 253 Fax: 794 238

Passport information: Valid passport required by all. Return Ticket required. Requirements may be subject to short-term change. Contact the relevant authority before departure.

Visa information: Tourist and Business visas are required by all except: Nationals of Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and United Arab Emirates.

Health information: Polio, Typhoid: Vaccination recommended
Malaria: Cases have been reported – take advice from your medical advisors
Yellow Fever: A vaccination certificate is required from travellers arriving from infected areas Other Health Risks: Cholera, Rabies.

Food & drink: Water is considered drinkable, normal precautions should be observed with food.

Currency: Omani Rail (OR) = 100 baiza. All major credit cards are accepted although a commission charge may be made for their use. TC: Easily exchanged.
All major cards are accepted, although a commission may be added to charges when using a card. Travellers cheques in US dollars or pound Sterling are easily exchanged.
ATM availability: 50 locations.

Cost of living: It is impossible to travel on a tight budget. There are few middle range hotels and restaurants. There is a large contrast between budget and the remaining hotels.

Languages: Arabic and English.

Weather: June – July are very hot. Rainfall varies according to the region.

Electricity: 220/240 volts Ac, 50 Hz.

Post: Up to 2 weeks to Western Europe.

Transport: BUS: Services exist in Muscat and North Oman. TAXI: Prices are high and should be agreed in advance. DOCUMENTATION: Those who have a tourist visa can use their driving licence for up to 7 days. After 7 days a local licence is required and is available from the police station. Off-road driving conditions can be hazardous and road rescue very expensive.

Special information: Because of the situation of global and regional insecurity at present, travellers should exercise extreme
caution and make only necessary journeys to this country. If you intend to travel depite this advice you should be aware that Oman has only been open to the outside world for a short period therefore visitors should be sensitive to this. PHOTOGRAPHY: Signs will indicate areas where photography is prohibited. Collecting seashells; abalones corals, crayfish and turtle eggs is also forbidden. Avoid wearing shorts and tight fitting clothes.

Capital: Colombo

Time zone: GMT + 5.30

Telephone services: Country Code: 94 Outgoing Code: 00

Emergency telephone numbers: All services – 1 691095 / 699935

Tourist information: Sri Lanka Tourist Board, 22 Regent Street, London SW1Y 4QD Tel: (0171) 930 2627 . Fax: (0171) 930 9070.

Passport information: Passport valid for 3 months required by all. Return Ticket required. Requirements may be subject to short-term change. Contact the relevant authority before departure

Visa information: For tourist visits, nationals of the following countries will be issued a visa free of charge on arrival at Colombo airport: nationals of EU countries for a maximum stay of 30 days (nationals of Finland and Sweden may stay up to 90 days) nationals of Australia, Bangladesh, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines and the USA for a maximum stay of 90 days. nationals of Albania, Bahrain, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Canada, CIS, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Indonesia, Israel, Japan, Kuwait, Latvia, Lithuania, Maldives, Norway, Nepal, Oman, Pakistan, Poland, Qatar, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, South Korea, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, United Arab Emirates and Yugoslavia, (Serbia and Montenegro) for a maximum stay of 30 days

Health information: Polio, Typhoid: Vaccination recommended
Malaria: May be present
Yellow Fever: A vaccination certificate is required from travellers over 1 year of age coming from infected areas
Other Health Risks: Cholera, Rabies

Food & drink: Water is untreated and not safe to drink. Avoid dairy products as they are not pasteurised. Fruit and vegetables should be peeled before consumption

Currency: Sri Lankan Rupee (SL Re, Rs (plural) = 100 cents Exchange: An exchange form is issued on arrival, which must be stamped for all exchange transactions. Banks, hotels exchange currency. All major credit cards are widely accepted. Travellers cheques are accepted, for a better exchange rate offered than cash. US dollars are the preferred cheque currency
ATM availability: Over 12 locations

Cost of living: Suitable for all travellers and budgets

Languages: Sinahala, Tamil and English

Weather: Tropical climate. The coastal areas are cooled by the sea winds. The Monsoons are May – July and Dec – Jan

Electricity: 230/240 volts AC, 50 Hz. Round 3 pin plugs are usual

Post: Airmail to western Europe takes up to 1 week

Transport: RAIL: Connects Colombo with all tourist towns. New fast service operates on the principal routes. Rail services to the Northern area have been greatly reduced because of the violent disruptions. ROAD: Most roads are tarred. BUS, An extensive network of services of reasonable qualities provided. CAR HIRE: Available from several international agencies. DOCUMENTATION: An IDP should be obtained before departure to avoid lengthy red tape in Sri Lanka

Special information: EXTREME RISK in North and East. Please check before travelling – fighting between the security forces and the Tamil Tigers (LTTE) continues particularly in the North and East of the country. Do not visit these areas. There have been terrorist attacks resulting in fatalities in Colombo.
It is considered impolite to refuse the offer of tea.
Punctuality is considered important.
Arms and legs should be covered when visiting religious sites and shoes and hats must be removed. Sea bathing is dangerous as there are strong riptides and undercurrents. There are severe penalties for drug offences. PHOTOGRAPHY of military installations or government buildings is prohibited.

Capital: Port Louis

Time zone: GMT + 4

Telephone services: Country Code: 230
Outgoing Code: 00

Emergency telephone numbers: Not present.

Tourist information: Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority. At High Commission, Tel: (020) 7584 3666 Fax: (020) 7225 1135.

Passport information: Required by all. The passport must be valid for 6 months. Passports issued by the government of Taiwan will not be recognised. Return Ticket required. Requirements may be subject to short-term change. Contact the relevant authority before departure.

Visa information: Required by all except: Nationals of EU countries for stays up to 3 months. Nationals of Commonwealth countries for stays up to 3 months (Except nationals of Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Swaziland do require a visa). Nationals of Bahrain Iceland Liechtenstein Monaco Norway Oman Qatar San Marino Saudi Arabia Switzerland Tunisia Turkey United Arab Emirates USA and Vatican City for stays up to 3 months. Nationals of Albania Bulgaria CIS the Comoros Czech Republic Estonia Fiji Hungary Latvia Lithuania Madagascar Poland Romania and the Slovak Republic can obtain a visa on arrival for a stay up to 15 days.

Health information: Malaria: Exists in the vivax variety in the Northern rural areas, except on Rodrigues Island.
Yellow Fever: A vaccination certificate will be required from travellers over 1 year of age coming from infected areas. Other Health Risks: Bilharzia.

Food & drink: Water is untreated and not safe to drink. Avoid dairy products as they are not pasteurised. Fruit and vegetables should be peeled before consumption.

Currency: Mauritian Rupee (Mre) = 100 cents All major credit cards are accepted. Travellers cheques, preferably in US dollars or pounds sterling, can be exchanged at banks and hotels.
ATM availability: Over 125 locations.

Cost of living: It is possible to live relatively inexpensively by shopping away from the main tourist centres.

Languages: English is the official language. The most widely spoken languages are Creole, Hindi, and Bhojpuri. French, Urdu and Chinese are also spoken.

Weather: Warm coastal climate, especially from January to Apr. Tropical storms are likely to occur in the cyclone season (Dec – Mar). Sea breezes occur throughout the year.

Electricity: 220 volts AC, 50 Hz. UK 3 pin type plugs are often used in hotels.

Post: Airmail to Western Europe takes approx. 5 days. Surface mail takes 4 to 6 weeks.

Transport: ROAD: There is a good network of paved roads covering the island. BUS: There are excellent and numerous bus services to all parts of the island. CAR HIRE: There are numerous car hire firms. DOCUMENTATION: IDP is recommended, although a foreign licence is accepted.

Special information: Visitors should always respect local customs and traditions. The hospitality received by visitors will be dependent on the religion and social customs of the host. Some prescription drugs available in most countries are banned in Mauritius, so ensure you retain the case for the drugs with chemist’s prescription label on it.

Capital: Monrovia

Time zone: GMT

Telephone services: Country Code: 231
Outgoing Code: 00

Emergency telephone numbers: Not present.

Tourist information: Bureau of Tourism, Sinkor, Monrovia, Liberia Tel: 222 229

Passport information: Valid passport required by all. Return Ticket Required. Requirements may be subject to change at short notice. Consult embassy before departure.

Visa information: Required by all except: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea Bissau, Guinea Republic, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Korea and Togo. Those continuing their journey to a third country on the next available flight.

Health information: Polio, Typhoid: Vaccination recommended.
Malaria: Falciparum variety present. High resistance to chloroquine has been reported.
Yellow Fever: A vaccination certificate must be presented with all visa applications.
Other Health Risks: Bilharzia, Rabies, Cholera and Meningitis.

Food & drink: Water is untreated and not safe to drink. Avoid dairy products as they are not pasteurised. Fruit and vegetables should be peeled before consumption.

Currency: Liberian Dollar (L$) = 100 Cents.
Limited acceptance of MasterCard and Visa. Travellers cheques are not accepted.
ATM availability: Unavailable.

Cost of living: Unpredictable due to an unstructured economy and civil unrest.

Languages: English and various African languages.

Weather: The climate is hot and tropical. Oct – May = wet season. Winds prevail from Dec – March.

Electricity: 110 Volts AC, 60 Hz.

Post: Airmail takes 5 – 12 days to Europe.

Transport: RAIL: Limited services. ROADS: Many of the smaller roads are untarred. Difficulty in bridging river estuaries along the coast can cause delays.

Special information: EXTREME RISK: Visitors are advised by the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office not to travel to Liberia unless essential. Aid workers have been kidnapped. Lawlessness is a potential threat and further outbreaks of violence in the country cannot be ruled out; visitors could quickly find themselves caught up in the consequences. All travel to the north west is dangerous. Those who must travel to Monrovia should exercise caution at all times; especially at night. Lawlessness throughout the country is a potential threat. Food and dress laws should be respected.