Country Information

Capital: Plymouth

Time zone: GMT – 4

Telephone services: Country Code: 1 664
Outgoing Code: 011

Emergency telephone numbers: Police – 999, Ambulance – 911.

Tourist information: Montserrat Tourist Board, Suite 433, High Holborn House, 52 – 54 High Holborn, London WC1V 6RB Tel: (020) 7242 3131 Fax: (020) 7242 2838.

Passport information: Valid passport required by all except: Nationals of Canada, the USA and the UK and its colonies who may enter as tourists with a valid national ID card or other form of identity for a maximum stay of 6 months. Nationals of Australia, EU and Japan providing they enter as tourists for a maximum stay of 14 days. Return Ticket required. Requirements may be subject to short-term change. Contact embassy before departure.

Visa information: Required by all except: Nationals of Great Britain Australia USA. Nationals of Commonwealth countries (except Bangladesh Brunei India Maldives Namibia Pakistan South Africa and Sri Lanka who do require visas if their stay exceeds 14 days and if entering on business.) Nationals of EU countries (except nationals of Finland, Ireland and Portugal who do require visas if their stay exceeds 14 days and if entering on business) Nationals of Fiji, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, San Marino, Switzerland and Tunisia. NOTE Other nationals may not require a visa if entering as a tourist and not staying for longer than 14 days. However this does not apply to all nationalities therefore contact the passport office.

Health information: Polio, Typhoid: Vaccination recommended
Other Health Risks: Bilharzia, Dengue Fever, Dysentery and Hepatitis A are present.

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

Currency: East Caribbean Dollar (EC$) = 100 cents Exchange: Commercial banks in Ulan Bator and bureau de change at certain hotels.
Visa is widely accepted. Travellers cheques are accepted in tourist areas. Pound sterling or US$ are the preferred currency.

ATM availability: 1 location only.

Cost of living: Following the volcanic eruption in 1996, the economy and the tourist industry have suffered.

Languages: English

Weather: Subtropical climate and warm all year round. Most rain falls between Sept and Nov. The heavy cloud-bursts refresh the climate and once cleared the sun re-appears.

Electricity: 120/220 volts AC, 60 Hz

Post: 1 Week

Transport: ROAD: A good network exists connecting all towns, but driving can be difficult for those not use to winding mountain roads. BUS: Scheduled buses run hourly. CAR HIRE: Available at the airport and hotels and is often included in the price of accommodation. DOCUMENTATION: A valid foreign licence can be used to purchase a temporary licence either at the airport or Plymouth police station.

Special information: The airport is currently closed, travel to the island is by ferry from Antigua. Access to some parts of the island is forbidden because of volcanic activity. Volcanic ash poses health problems. Consult your local Embassy for further 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: Tokyo

Time zone: GMT + 9

Telephone services: Country Code: 81
Outgoing Code: 001

Emergency telephone numbers: Tokyo English Life Line (TELL) – 3403 7106, Japan Helpline – 0120 461 997. (operator service)

Tourist information: Japan National Tourist Organisation, Heathcote, House, 20 Saville Row, London, W1X 1AE Tel: (020) 7734 9638 Fax: (020) 7734 4290.

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

Visa information: Valid passport required by all except: Nationals of Germany, Republic of Ireland and the UK for a stay not exceeding 6 months. Nationals of Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and Sweden for a stay not exceeding 3 months. Nationals of Canada and the USA not exceeding 3 months. Nationals of Argentina, Bahamas, Barbados, Chile, Columbia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Finland, Guatemala, Honduras, Iceland, Israel, Lesotho, Malta, Mauritius, New Zealand, Norway, Peru, San Marino, Singapore, Slovenia, Surinam, Tunisia, Turkey, Uruguay, and Yugoslavia, for stays not exceeding 3 months. Nationals of Liechtenstein, Mexico, and Switzerland for a stay of 6 months. Nationals of Brunei for a stay not exceeding 14 days. Requirements may change at short notice, check with embassy for an up to date list of requirements.

Health information: Polio, Typhoid: Vaccination recommended

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

Currency: Japanese Yen. (¥)
Exchange: At authorised banks and money-changers. NOTE: Import of local currency is limited to ¥5000000. All major credit cards are accepted. Travellers cheques, preferably in US dollars, can be exchanged in banks and large hotels.
All major credit cards are accepted. US dollar travellers cheques are recommended

ATM availability: Over 700 locations.

Cost of living: Japan can be extremely expensive in comparison with other Asian countries.

Languages: Japanese. English may also be spoken in main cities

Weather: Winter: Cold and sunny in the South and around Tokyo. Very cold around Hokkaido. Summer = June – Sept can be warm to very hot. Spring and Autumn are generally mild. Sept – Oct Typhoons may occur.

Electricity: 100 Volts AC 60 HZ in the west. 50 Hz in Eastern Japan and Tokyo.

Post: 4 – 6 Days.

Transport: RAIL: Network is one of the best in the world. ROAD: Driving in Japan is not recommended. DOCUMENTATION: IDP is required. Public transport is well developed and efficient.

Special information: Bowing is the customary form of greeting although handshaking is becoming more common. Remove shoes when entering a host’s home. Public toilets are often unsegregated. Blowing your nose in public is frowned upon. Japanese etiquette is very complex but foreign ignorance is tolerated.