Country Information

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.

Capital: Malé

Time zone: GMT + 5

Telephone services: Country Code: 960
Outgoing Code: 00

Emergency telephone numbers: Police – 119, Fire – 118 , Ambulance – 102.

Tourist information: Ministry of Tourism, Boduthakurufaanu Magu, Malé 20 – 05, Maldives Republic Tel: 323 224 Fax: 322 512.

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 visas for 30 days will be issued to all visitors in possession of valid travel documents. NOTE: Visitors must be in possession of US$ 10 per day of stay.

Health information: Polio, Typhoid: Vaccination recommended
Malaria: Malaria is disappearing. The last two incidents reported were in 1983.
Yellow Fever: A vaccination certificate is required from travellers coming from infected areas.
Other Health Risks: Rabies, Hepatitis A, B and E can occur.

Food & drink: Water is untreated and not safe to drink although the water in resort areas is generally safe.

Currency: Maldivian Rufiya (Rf) = 100 laari. Most major island resorts will accept Amex, Visa, MasterCard, and Diners Club. Travellers cheques are generally accepted in US Dollars.
ATM availability: Unavailable.

Cost of living: As a luxury holiday destination the Maldives can be very expensive in the tourist centres.

Languages: Dhivehi. English spoken in Malé and resorts.

Weather: The climate is hot and tropical. There are two monsoons, the Southwest monsoon from May to Oct and the Northeast monsoon from Nov to Apr. The temperature rarely falls below 25ºC, even during the night. The best time to visit is November to Easter.

Electricity: 220 volts Ac, 50 Hz. Round 2 pin plugs are used, although square pin plugs are becoming more common.

Post: Airmail to Western Europe takes about 1 week.

Transport: SEA: Island hopping ferry services are available. ROAD: Travel on individual islands creates few problems since few of them take longer than half an hour to cross foot.

Special information: Tourist resorts are self-contained, catering for the visitors’ needs. Backpacking is prohibited. The government enforces standards restricting beach-wear outside the resorts. There are severe penalties for drug offences.

Capital: Maseru

Time zone: GMT + 2

Telephone services: Country Code: 266
Outgoing Code: 00

Emergency telephone numbers: Police – 123 / 124, Ambulance – 121, Fire – 122

Tourist information: Lesotho Tourist Board, PO Box 1378 Masseru 100, Lesotho, Tel: 313 760 or 312 896 (information). Fax 310 108.

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: Visa required by all non-Commonwealth members

Health information: Polio, Typhoid: Vaccination required.
Malaria: No special precautions considered necessary
Yellow Fever: A vaccination certificate is required by travellers arriving from infected areas.
Other Health Risks: Rabies is a threat. Lesotho is Bilharzia (schistosomiasis) free and people may swim in fresh water without this danger. There is a very high prevalence of AIDS/HIV. Visitors should seek medical advice before travelling.

Food & drink: Water outside of the main urban areas is untreated and not safe to drink. Dairy products are pasteurised. Fruit and vegetables should be peeled before consumption.

Currency: Loti (M) = 100 Lisente.
Limited acceptance of Visa, MasterCard. Travellers cheques are widely accepted. US dollars are the preferred currency.
ATM availability: Unavailable

Cost of living: A developing small African nation with a growing economy.

Languages: Sesotho and English.

Weather: The climate is temperate. Rain falls mostly between Oct – Apr. The hottest period is between Jan and Feb.

Electricity: 220 Volts AC.

Post: 7 days.

Transport: ROADS: Few roads are tarred and are impassable during the raining season. DOCUMENTATION: IDP is recommended.

Special information: Visitors should take care particularly at night as as incidents of mugging are on the increase. Religion plays an important part in traditional life. PHOTOGRAPHY: Do not take photos of the palace; police establishments; government offices or anything connected with the military.

Capital: Lilongwe

Time zone: GMT + 2

Telephone services: Country Code: 265
Outgoing Code: 101

Emergency telephone numbers: Not present.

Tourist information: Department of Tourism, PO Box 402, Blantyre, Malawi Tel: 620 300 Fax: 620 947

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: Not required. On arrival a 3 month Visa will be issued . Extensions will not normally be granted in Malawi.

Health information: Polio, Typhoid: Vaccination recommended
Malaria: Exists throughout the year in the Falciparum variety. Resistance to chloroquine has been reported.
Yellow Fever: A vaccination certificate is required by visitors travelling from infected areas within the last 6 days.
Other Health Risks: Bilharzia and Rabies, high prevalence of AIDS/HIV. Visitors should seek medical advice before travelling.

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: Kwacha (Mk) = 100 Tambala Exchange: Less well known currencies are difficult to exchange
Limited acceptance mainly in the capital and main hotels. Travellers Cheques: Sterling and US$ can be exchanged in banks and hotels. There is limited acceptance of credit cards. American Express MasterCard and Diners Club are accepted in the capital city and main hotels. US dollars and Pound sterling are the preferred currency in travellers cheques. ATM availability: Unavailable

Cost of living: Malawi’s economy fluctuates with developments in the climate. Currently the cost of living is reasonable due to the country’s heavy borrowing.

Languages: English, Chichewa and various other African languages

Weather: Winter: May – July and gets cold at night. Nov – Mar is the raining season

Electricity: 220/240 Volts AC, 50 Hz Plugs = Various types used. Most modern buildings use square 3 pin

Post: 10 Days to Europe

Transport: RAIL: Regular but slow and expensive services. ROAD: All major and most secondary are all weather roads. DOCUMENTATION: UK licence is sufficient

Special information: Dress laws should be observed and respected. Long hair for men is disliked. Bag snatching is a problem in the main towns and cities. Be cautious of people who offer to act as guides.