Country Information

Capital: Bissau

Time zone: GMT

Telephone services: Country Code: 245
Outgoing Code: All outgoing calls must go through the operator

Emergency telephone numbers: Not present

Tourist information: Centro de Informação e Turismo, CP 294, Bissau, Guinea Bissau. Tel: 213 905 or 212 844

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 (can be extended in central police station), except nationals of Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo

Health information: Polio, Typhoid: Vaccination recommended.
Malaria: Falciparum the most serious variety exists throughout the year. Resistance to chloroquine has been reported. Protection from mosquito bites is the best defence, use a 33% deet based repellent.
Yellow Fever: Strongly recommended to all visitors. A vaccination certificate must be provided by visitors arriving from infected areas.
Other Health Risks: Bilharzia and 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: Guinea Bissau Peso (GBP) = 100 centavos.
Travellers cheques can be cashed at major banks only. US dollars is the preferred currency. Credit cards are not accepted.
ATM availability: Unavailable.

Cost of living: Guinea Bissau is one of the poorest countries in the world. Some hotels are very expensive.

Languages: Portuguese. The majority of the population speak Guinea Creole.

Weather: Tropical climate. May – Nov = Wet season. Dec- Apr = Dry season. Temperatures vary with altitude.

Electricity: Limited electricity supply on 200 volts AC 50 Hz.

Post: Post to Europe will take over a week.

Transport: FLIGHTS: The national airline provides regular internal flights. SEA / RIVER: most towns are accessible by ship. Coast hopping ferries operate from the North coast to Bissau. ROADS: Only 1/5 are tarred and suitable for all weather conditions. DOCUMENTATION: IDP is recommended though not legally required. A temporary driving licence can be obtained on presentation of a valid British Driving licence.

Special information: EXTREME RISK: The Foreign & Commonwealth Office advise against all travel to Guinea Bissau

Capital: Georgetown

Time zone: GMT – 3

Telephone services: Country Code: 592
Outgoing Code: 001

Emergency telephone numbers: Ambulance – 56900 (Georgetown only).

Tourist information: Caribbean Tourism Organisation, 42 Westminster Gardens, Artillery Row, London SW1P 1RR Tel: (0171) 222 4335 Fax: (0171) 222 4325.

Passport information: Valid passport required by all. Return Ticket Required. Requirements may change at short notice. Contact the embassy before departure.

Visa information: Visas not required for full nationals of Great Britain, Australia, Canada, USA, EU countries (except Austria who do require a visa). and Japan for stays up to 30 days. NOTE: Contact the High Commission for a up-to-date list of nationals requiring visas as requirements often change

Health information: Polio, Typhoid: Vaccination recommended
Malaria: Exists throughout the year in certain areas in the Falciparum variety. Resistance to chloroquine has been reported. NOTE: Sleeping under a mosquito net and using insect repellents is recommended.
Yellow Fever: A vaccination certificate is required for travellers arriving from infected countries (contact High Commission for list of infected countries according to Guyana).Vaccination is strongly recommended to any traveller planning to travel outside the urban areas.

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

Currency: Guyana Dollar (Guy$) = 100 cents. Limited acceptance of credit cards. Travellers cheques (in US$) are accepted, but can take a long time to exchange.
ATM availability: Unavailable.

Cost of living: Relatively inexpensive. Most accommodation is located in populated areas.

Languages: English. Hindi, Urdu, Creole and Amerindian are also spoken.

Weather: Hot tropical climate with the most rain between Nov – Jan and Apr – July.

Electricity: 110 Volts AC, 60Hz

Post: 7 – 10 days. Post services can be unreliable so recorded delivery is recommended.

Transport: FLIGHTS: The only reliable means of travelling into the interior is by air. ROAD: All weather roads are concentrated in the Eastern coastal strip. Most journeys will involve crossing waterways with ferries, which may create delays. BUS: Regular but crowded services operate in Georgetown. TAXI: Recommended as a method of transport at night. A supplement is added to evening fares and for long journeys it is recommended that fares are agreed in advance.

Special information: Guyana, Georgetown in particular, are notorious for street crime. Do not expose valuable possessions at any time and avoid showing signs of wealth. Travel with caution after dark. Men should not wear shorts.

Capital:

Time zone: GMT + 8

Telephone services: Country Code: 852
Outgoing Code: 00

Emergency telephone numbers: All services – 999 (subject to change)

Tourist information: Hong Kong Tourist Association, 125 Pall Mall, London SW1Y 5EA Tel: (020) 7930 4775 Fax: (020) 7930 4777.

Passport information: Valid passport required by all.

Visa information: Visa requirements for all nationals are issued subject to duration of stay. Visitors are advised to check for current information.

Health information: Polio, Typhoid: Vaccination recommended.
Malaria: There may occasionally be a risk in rural areas.

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

Currency: Hong Kong Dollar (HK$) = 100 cents All credit cards and travellers cheques are widely accepted. Pound sterling and US dollars are the preferred currency.
ATM availability: Over 1000 locations.

Cost of living: Although Hong Kong is a tax haven, commodities and accommodation can be expensive. However, transport is cheap and some luxury items are often cheaper than in Europe.

Languages: Chinese and English, Cantonese is most widely spoken.

Weather: Winter: influenced by the North – Northeast monsoon. Summer: is influenced by the Southwest monsoon. Summers are very hot with the rainy season June – Aug. Spring and autumn are warm with occasional rain and cooler evenings. Winters can be cold.

Electricity: 220 volts AC, 50.

Post: Airmail to Europe takes 3- 5 days.

Transport: RAIL: More expensive than the ferry, but quicker. BUS: Services are often very crowded. DOCUMENTATION: IDP is recommended but not legally required.

Special information: Hong Kong has reverted to Chinese rule as a Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic. Contact the Embassy or tourist office prior to travelling for up-to-date information on passport and visa requirements. Usual social courtesies should be applied. When addressing a national of Hong Kong the family name comes first, for example, Wong Man Ying is Mr Wong. Casual dress is acceptable.

Capital: Havana

Time zone: GMT – 4

Telephone services: Country Code: 53
Outgoing Code: 00. (From Havana only. All other international calls must go through the operator.)

Emergency telephone numbers: All services – 26811

Tourist information: Cuba Tourist Office, 167 High Holborn, London, WC1V 6PA Tel: (020) 7240 6655. Fax: (020) 7240 6656.

Passport information: Passports must be valid for at least 6 months beyond the length of stay. Return ticket required. Requirements may be subject to short-term change. Contact Embassy before departure.

Visa information: Required by all except: Holders of a tourist card. Nationals of Barbados for stays of up to 1 days. Nationals of CIS (except Uzbekistan), Czech Republic, Hungary, Mongolia, Namibia, Slovak Republic. Nationals of certain countries travelling on certain kinds of official business. – Enquire at the consulate.

Health information: Polio, Typhoid: Low risk present.
Other Health Risks: Rabies

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

Currency: Cuban Peso (Cub$) = 100 centavos.
At official tourist shops purchases can only be made in US Dollars.
Exchange: Should only be made at authorised money exchanges as there are severe penalties for black market money exchanging.
NOTE Keep all exchange receipts which will be required when making purchases. Do not enter the place or date details on any cheque until ready to make the transaction or the cheque will be refused. The import of local currency is prohibited. Generally a maximum of Cub$ 10 can be reconverted to foreign currency when leaving on presentation of an official exchange form.
Visa and MasterCard are widely accepted. US Dollars (but not drawn from a US bank) and Sterling are accepted in travellers cheques.
ATM availability: Unavailable.

Cost of living: Not as expensive as some of the other Caribbean Islands.

Languages: Spanish. English and French may also be spoken.

Weather: Hot all year round. Raining season May – Oct. Hurricane possible Aug – Nov. Cooler between Nov – Apr.

Electricity: 110/220 volts Ac 60 Hz. American style plugs are used except for large hotels, which may use European type plugs

Post: Can take up to several weeks.

Transport: FLIGHTS: Cubana operates scheduled services between the main towns. It is essential to book in advance. Avoid flights on older soviet aircraft as some risk is involved. Transatlantic and some regional flights are serviced by more modern DC-10 aircraft.

Special information: The tourist industry is rapidly developing with a growing tolerance of Western influences. Visitors should be alert for bag snatchers and other street theft especially in the area of Old Havana and major tourist sites. Do not carry large amounts of cash. Avoid restricted areas and military zones which are NOT always well signposted. Shorts should only be worn at the beach or pool. The penalties for drug trafficking are severe.

Capital: Suva

Time zone: GMT + 12

Telephone services: Country Code: 679
Outgoing Code: International calls are made through the operator.

Emergency telephone numbers: All services – 000.

Tourist information: Fiji Visitors Bureau, PO Box 9217, Nadi Airport, Suva Fiji. Tel: 302 433 Fax: 300 907.

Passport information: Valid passport required by all and must be valid for 6 months from the date of entry. Return ticket required. Regulations may be subject to change at short notice. Contact the embassy before departure.

Visa information: Visa Required by all except nationals of: Nationals of Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Columbia, Iceland, Indonesia, Israel, South Korea, Liechtenstein, Mexico, Norway, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Tunisia, Turkey, Uruguay, and Venezuela. UK, Australia, USA, Canada, EU countries (except nationals of Portugal who do need visas), Commonwealth countries (except nationals of India, South Africa, Sri Lanka who do need visas.)

Health information: Polio, Typhoid: Vaccination recommended
Yellow Fever: A vaccination certificate will be required of arriving from an infected area. (Excluding those under 1 year of age)

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

Currency: Fijian dollar (F$) = 100 cents.
NOTE: Export of local currency is limited to F$100, export of foreign currency as cash is limited to F$500.

All major credit cards are accepted. Travellers cheques, preferably in Australian dollars, can be easily exchanged.

ATM availability: 10 locations .

Cost of living: Can be expensive in the tourist centres, but cheaper dormitory-style accommodation is gradually being introduced. Different islands cater for different needs and are budgeted accordingly.

Languages: Fijian and Hindi. English is widely spoken

Weather: Tropical climate, raining season = Dec – Apr.

Electricity: 240 Volts AC, 50 Hz.

Post: Up to 10 days.

Transport: FLIGHTS: Shuttle services are available between islands, although more expensive than other methods. SEA: Ferries operate inexpensive crossings between islands. Arrangements should be confirmed before the vessel leaves port. ROAD: Car Hire is available DOCUMENTATION: Foreign driving licence is acceptable. TAXI: Metered in towns. BUS: Services operate between large towns and on suburban routes. ROAD: Car Hire is available TAXI: Metered in towns. BUS: Services operate between large towns and on suburban routes.

Special information: EXTREME RISK: THE FCO ADVISE AGAINST ALL TRAVEL TO SUVA AND INTO THE INTERIOR OF VITI LEVU FOR THE TIME BEING.The FCO Advise against all non-essential travel to Fiji due to the attemted coup in may. There have been incidences of violence and looting and a curfew is currently in place. Beach-wear is not acceptable in towns. Petty Crime is on the increase in Urban Areas.

Capital: Cidade de Praia

Time zone: GMT – 1

Telephone services: Country Code: 238
Outgoing Code: Outgoing calls must go through the local operator

Emergency telephone numbers: All services – 87

Tourist information: Ministry of Tourism, Palacio Do Governo, Praia, São Tiago, Cape Verde Tel: 615 697 Fax: 613 897.

Passport information: A valid passport is required by all with a minimum validity of at least 6 months. Return ticket required. Requirements may change at short notice. Contact the Embassy before departure.

Visa information: Required by all except national of the following countries, Benin Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo.

Health information: Polio, Typhoid: Vaccination recommended.
Malaria: Take precautions.
Yellow Fever: Vaccination certificate required from visitors over one years of age arriving from an area where incidents of yellow fever have been reported within the last six years.
Other Health Risks: Cholera

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: Cape Verde Escudo (CVEsc) = 100 centavos
CC: Not usually accepted.
Note: Import and export of local currency is prohibited. Import of foreign currency unlimited but declaration on arrival required. Maximum export of foreign currency is CVEsc 25000 or the amount declared on arrival, whichever is the larger.
Credit cards are not accepted.
ATM availability: Unavailable

Cost of living: Tourism is very undeveloped but this may change with the government’s recent decision to promote tourism.

Languages: Portuguese, Creole and some English and French

Weather: Temperate with a low rainfall.

Electricity: 220 Volts 50 Hz

Post: To and from Europe over 1 week.

Transport: ROAD: There are 2250km of road on the islands of which one third are paved. There is currently a road improvement programme taking place. BUS: Services are satisfactory. TAXI: Fares should be agreed in advance. DOCUMENTATION: IDP is recommended.

Special information: Usual European social courtesies should be observed.