Country Information

Capital: Abu Dhabi

Time zone: GMT + 4

Telephone services: Country Code: 971
Outgoing Code: 00

Emergency telephone numbers: All services – 344 663 (only Abu Dhabi).

Tourist information: Federal Ministry of Tourism and Culture, PO Box 5053, Dubai, UAE Tel: (4) 615 500 Fax: (4) 615 648

Passport information: Passport valid for at least 6 months from date of arrival required by all. Return Ticket Required. Requirements may be subject to short-term change. Contact the relevant authority before departure.

Visa information: Visa required by all except: Nationals of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia. Nationals of the UK with the endorsement ‘British Subject Citizen of the UK and Colonies’ or ‘British Citizen’ for a maximum of 30 days. Transit passengers who do not leave the airport on arrival.

Health information: Polio, Typhoid: Vaccination recommended.
Malaria: Risk exists in the valleys and the lower slopes of mountainous areas of the Northern States.
Other Health Risks: Cholera, Rabies.

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

Currency: UAE Dirham (UAE Dh) = 100 fils.
Exchange: Most hotels All credit cards are accepted. Travellers cheques preferably in US dollars can be easily exchanged.
ATM availability: Over 280 locations.

Cost of living: Relatively expensive although the budget traveller will be able to find cheaper hotels and food away from the main tourist areas. Prices are constant throughout the year.

Languages: Arabic. English is widely spoken.

Weather: June – Sept is the hottest period with little rainfall. Oct – May is a more comfortable time to visit.

Electricity: 220/240 volts AC, 50 Hz. Square 3 pin plugs are widespread.

Post: Airmail takes about 5 days to reach Western Europe.

Transport: SEA: Passenger services serve all coastal ports. ROAD: There are good, roads running along the West Coast. BUS: A limited service links most towns. However most hotels run their own scheduled service to the airport, city centre and beach. TAXI: Most travellers find taxis to be the most convenient and quickest method of transport. Taxis are metered and there is a surcharge for air-conditioned taxis. CAR HIRE: Most international companies have agencies at the airport and hotels. DOCUMENTATION: Renters must produce 2 photographs, passports and either a valid international or national licence. IDP is recommended.

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 this is one of the most liberal countries in the Gulf, although it is still very conservative by Western standards. Respect Muslim traditions. It is illegal to smoke or drink in public places during Ramadan. Western entertainment is available in the form of cocktail bars, public houses and cinemas.

Capital: Ouagadougou

Time zone: GMT

Telephone services: Country Code: 226
Outgoing Code: 00

Emergency telephone numbers: Unavailable

Tourist information: Direction de l’Administration Touristique et Hôtelière, BP 624, Ouagadougou 01, Burkina Faso Tel: 306 396

Passport information: A valid passport is required by all. Return Ticket Required.

Visa information: Visa required by all.

Health information: Polio, Typhoid: Vaccination recommended
Malaria: Take precautions as Falciparum variety present.
Yellow Fever: R. with vaccination certificate if arriving from an infected area. OTHER: Bilharzia, Rabies, Cholera, River Blindness and Sleeping Sickness.
Other Health Risks: A meningitis epidemic has affected West Africa – 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: CFA Franc (CFA Fr).
Visa and MasterCard have limited acceptance. Travellers cheques are accepted on a limited basis. French francs are the preferred currency.
ATM availability: Unavailable.

Cost of living: Burkina Faso is the sixth poorest country in the world

Languages: French with several indigenous languages.

Weather: Tropical climate. Dec – Mar are the best months. rainy season = Jun – Oct. Winds blow Nov- Feb which brings cool and dry weather.

Electricity: 220/380 volts AC 50 Hz. Plugs = 2 pin.

Post: Up to 2 weeks by airmail. There are few post offices. Poste Restante is available with a mail- charge for collection of letters.

Transport: ROAD: Most are impassable during the raining season. Police check points often cause delay. FLIGHTS: there are few domestic flights. DOCUMENTATION: Temporary driving licences are available from local authorities if you present a valid national driving license.

Special information: Most visits to Burkina Faso are trouble free, but criminal incidents do occur and care should be taken, particularly after dark. Customs should be respected especially in traditional rural areas. Clothing can be casual and should be appropriate for the hot weather.

Capital: Kabul

Time zone: GMT + 4.5

Telephone services: At the time of writing no services were available.

Emergency telephone numbers: At the time of writing no services were available.

Tourist information: Afghan Tourist Organisation (ATO), Ansari Wat, Shar-i-Nau, Kabul, Afghanistan Tel: (9251) 30323.

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: Visa required by all except: Nationals of Afghanistan holding official passports. Travellers holding re-entry permits issued by Afghanistan. Travellers holding confirmed onward tickets and continuing their journey to another country by the same aircraft within 2 hours.

Health information: Polio, Typhoid, Vaccination recommended
Malaria: Exists in the falciparum and vivax varieties.
Yellow Fever: A vaccination certificate is required if arriving from endemic or infected areas. Travellers arriving from non endemic areas should note that vaccination is strongly recommended for travel outside the urban areas.
Other Health Risks: Cutaneous leishmaniasis, Cholera, tick born relapsing fever, Typhus, and Rabies are all present.

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: Afghani (Af) = 100 puls.
Credit cards and travellers cheques are not accepted.
ATM availability: Unavailable.

Cost of living: Limited accommodation and commodities in Kabul. All are inexpensive

Languages: Pashtu and Dari Persian. English, French, German and Russian are also spoken

Weather: Regions above 2500m are extremely cold. There are considerable differences between temperatures in the summer and winter and between day and night in lowland regions and the valleys

Electricity: 220 volts AC, 50 Hz.

Post: No postal, telephone, fax or telex services available.

Transport: Buses, trolley buses and taxis operate in Kabul. It is essential to check these services with the relevant airline offices

Special information: EXTREME RISK: No travellers should enter Afghanistan and great care is needed in bordering countries and especially regions close to the international border with Afghanistan.

Capital: Sofia

Time zone: GMT + 2

Telephone services: Country Code: 359
Outgoing Code: 00, some calls go through the international operator.

Emergency telephone numbers: Ambulance – 150, Fire – 160, Police – 166

Passport information: A valid passport with at least 6 months remaining validity at time of departure is required. Requirements may change at short notice. Contact the relevant authority before finalising travel arrangements.

Visa information: Visa required by all.

Health information: No information available at present.

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

Currency: Lev (Lv) = 100 stotinki. Exchange: A bordereau receipt will be given and must be kept until departure. NOTE: Import and export of local currency is prohibited. Amounts of currency over US$ 1000 have to be declared. Diners Club American Express and Visa have limited acceptance. Traveller’s cheques can be exchanged in major banks. US dollars and Pound sterling are the preferred currency.
ATM availability: Over 100 locations (MasterCard/Cirrus only).

Cost of living: Inexpensive when compared with Western Europe.

Languages: Bulgarian. English is spoken in resorts. Turkish, Russian, French and German may also be spoken.

Weather: Summers are the warmest with some rainfall. Winters are cold with snow. Rain falls frequently in the Spring and Autumn.

Electricity: 220 volts AC, 50 Hz. Plugs are 2 pin.

Post: 4 days to 2 weeks to Western Europe

Transport: FLIGHTS: Air travel is only slightly more expensive than rail and more convenient. RAIL: Reservations are essential, 1st Class is advisable. ROAD: Speed limits are strictly enforced as are drinking and driving penalties. CAR HIRE: Can be arranged through hotels. DOCUMENTATION: AN IDP should be obtained although foreign driving licences are acceptable for short journeys. A ‘Green’ card is compulsory.

Special information: A nod of the head means “No” and shaking the head means “Yes”. Dress should be conservative but casual. It is advisable to register with the police, a hotel or guest house within 48 hours of arrival. Do not accept food or drink from strangers. Exercise caution in Sofia particularly at night.

Capital: St John’s

Time zone: GMT – 4

Telephone services: Country Code: 1 268

Outgoing Code: 011

Emergency telephone numbers: 999/911

Tourist information: Antigua Department of Tourism, PO Box 363. Nevis Street Friendly Alley, St John’s, Antigua Tel: 462 0480 or 462 0029 Fax: 462 2483.

Passport information: Valid passport required by all except nationals of the USA do not require a passport providing they have other documents with proof of their identity. Passports have to valid for at least 6 months beyond the intended period of stay. Return Ticket required. Requirements may be subject to short-term change. Contact embassy before departure.

Visa information: Required if stay is longer than 6 months.

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

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

Currency: Eastern Caribbean Dollar (EC$) = 100 cents Exchange: US$ and Sterling can be exchanged at hotels and larger shops.
CC: Accepted TC: Exchanged at banks, large hotels and shops.
ATM availability: Over 70 locations.

Cost of living: Can be very expensive, especially in the tourist centres. Accommodation is cheaper in the summer than in the winter

Languages: English, English Patois is also spoken.

Weather: Tropical, warm climate. Rainfall is minimal.

Electricity: 1220/110 volts AC 60 Hz. American style 2 pin plugs are generally used. Some hotels have outlets for 240 volts to be used in which case European type 2 pin plugs are used.

Post: 5 – 7 days.

Transport: ROAD: Mostly all weather. Buses are irregular. TAXI: Available everywhere charging standard rates, US$ commonly accepted. CAR HIRE: Can be arranged before arrival although is easy to arrange on arrival. DOCUMENTATION: A national driving licence is acceptable but a local licence must be obtained.

Special information: Embracing is the common method of greeting friends and family. Dress should be appropriate for the occasion and location i.e. keep beachwear for the beach / pool. Special events such as International Sailing Week and Tennis Weeks require accommodation to be booked well in advance.

Capital: Manama

Time zone: GMT + 3

Telephone services: Country Code: 973
Outgoing Code: 0

Emergency telephone numbers: All services – 999

Tourist information: Bahrain Tourism Company (BTC) PO Box 5831, Manama, Bahrain Tel: 530 530. Fax: 530 867

Passport information: Valid Passport required 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 Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Citizens of the UK for a maximum of 4 weeks (providing their full passport is valid for 6 months).

Health information: Health Risks: Cutaneous leishmaniasis, typhoid fevers and hepatitis A and B occur

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

Currency: Dinar (BD) = 100 fils All credit cards and travellers cheques are accepted. US dollars are the preferred currency
ATM availability: Over 60 locations

Cost of living: Can be relatively cheap if you travel around by foot and make purchases from the souk. Accommodation ranges from the deluxe to cheaper family-run guest houses

Languages: Arabic. English may also be spoken

Weather: Summers are very hot. Winters are much cooler. Rainfall is only likely in the winter. Spring and autumn are pleasant

Electricity: 230 volts AC, single phase and 400 volts, 50 Hz. (Awali – 100 volts AC, 60 Hz. Plugs are normally the 13-amp pin type

Post: 3 – 4 days to Europe

Transport: SEA: Transport between the smaller islands is by motor boat or dhow. ROAD: Manama is served by an excellent road system. BUS: Routes now serve most towns and villages. TAXI: Identifiable by their orange and red colouring. Those waiting outside hotels may charge more and between midnight and 0500 – fares increase by 50 %.

Special information: Because of the situation of global and regional insecurity at present, travellers should exercise extreme
caution and make only necessary journeys. Normally Bahrain is relatively liberal in comparison to other Gulf countries. Non Muslims may not enter mosques except during prayer times. Violent crime is quite rare but visitors should avoid village areas especially after dark. It is polite to drink 2 small cups of tea when offered.