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Capital: Doha

Time zone: GMT + 3

Telephone services: Country Code: 974
Outgoing Code: 0

Emergency telephone numbers: All services – 999

Tourist information: Ministry of Tourism and Culture, PO Box 1836, Doha, Qatar Tel: 831 333 Fax: 831 518.

Passport information: Valid passport required by all. Return Ticket and sufficient funds for stay are required. Requirements may be subject to short term change. Contact the relevant authority before departure.

Visa information: Required by all except: Nationals of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Health information: Polio, Typhoid: Vaccination recommended
Yellow Fever: A vaccination certificate will be required from travellers over 1 year of age arriving 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: Qatar Riyal (QR) = 100 dirhams All credit cards and travellers cheques are widely accepted. US dollars and pound sterling are the preferred CURRENCY in travellers cheques
ATM availability: Over 30 locations.

Cost of living: Qatar is one of the richest countries in the world. Accommodation is hotel-based only, ranging from international to standard.

Languages: Arabic. Some English may be spoken

Weather: Summers (June – Sept) are very hot with low rainfall. Spring and autumn are warm and pleasant

Electricity: 240/415 volts AC, 50 Hz.

Post: Up to a week to Europe.

Transport: ROAD: Conditions can be poor when it rains. TAXI: Have black and yellow number-plates and are metered. CAR HIRE: Available from hotels and at the airport. DOCUMENTATION: A 90 day temporary driving permit will be granted on presentation of a national driving licence or IDP.

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 Qatar is more liberal than Saudi Arabia but not as liberal as Dubai or Bahrain. Extra care has to be taken on the roads. It is important to respect Muslim traditions and local customs – dress modestly and behave courteously. There is heavy censorship of pictorial material. Men should not remove shirts in public. Strict Muslim rules apply to all women. Single women may find they are unwelcome in some restaurants and hotels but problems are unlikely for single women in the international hotels. Women should cover shoulders. Swimware is acceptable at hotel pools and on beaches away from the city. Women should dress conservatively and only travel in the back seat when taking a taxi.

Capital: St Denis

Time zone: GMT + 4

Telephone services: Country Code: 262
Outgoing Code: 19

Emergency telephone numbers: Police – 17, Fire – 18, Ambulance – 15

Tourist information: Refer to the French Consulate General in London or Comité du Tourisme de la Réunion, 90 rue la Boétie, 75008 Paris, France Tel: (1) 40 75 02 79 Fax: (1) 40 75 02 73.

Passport information: See France. Contact the French Consular authority for up to date information as passport/visa requirements are subjected to constant change.

Visa information: Visa requirements are constantly changing. It is advisable to contact the French Consular authority for current information.

Health information: Polio, Typhoid: Vaccination recommended, There is a risk of Typhoid.
Yellow Fever: A vaccination certificate is required from travellers over 1 year of age coming from infected areas.
Other Health Risks: 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: French Franc (Ffr) = 100 centimes. Major cards are widely accepted although MasterCard has a more limited acceptance. Travellers cheques in French francs are the preferred currency.
ATM availability: Unavailable.

Cost of living: Wide range of hotels, inns and guest-houses, all of which are expensive.

Languages: French. Local Creole is also spoken.

Weather: The climate is hot and tropical but temperatures are cooler in the hills. The cyclone season is from Jan to Mar and brings hot but wet weather.

Electricity: 220 volts AC, 50 Hz.

Post: Airmail to Western Europe takes up to 3 weeks.

Transport: SEA: Four shipping lines run services around the island. ROADS: Fair and many of the highways are tarred. The island can be crossed easily by bus, taxi, or hired car. CAR HIRE: Available from the airport and Saint-Denis.

Special information: The locals follow French fashion. Licensing laws are unrestricted.

Capital: Dakar

Time zone: GMT

Telephone services: Country Code: 221
Outgoing Code: 00

Emergency telephone numbers: Not present.

Tourist information: Ministry of Tourism and The Environment, BP 4049, 23 rue Calmette, Dakar, Senegal Tel: 821 1240 Fax: 822 9413

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

Visa information: Required by all except nationals of Great Britain, Canada, USA, Algeria, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Congo, Cote d’Ivoire, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Morocco, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Togo and Tunisia.

Health information: Polio, Typhoid: Vaccination recommended.
Malaria: Exists throughout the country in Falciparum variety. Resistance to chloroquine has been reported.
Yellow Fever: A vaccination certificate is required by travellers arriving from endemic areas
Other Health Risks: Bilharzia, Cholera, Meningitis, 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: CFA Franc (CFA Fr) = 100 centimes Amex and MasterCard are accepted, but other credit cards are not. Travellers cheques, preferably in French francs, are accepted.
ATM availability: 9 locations.

Cost of living: Accommodation is expensive, especially in the capital city and surrounding areas.

Languages: French, Many local languages are also spoken.

Weather: Dry season = Dec – May. Rainy season = June – Nov.

Electricity: 220 Volts AC 50 Hz

Post: 7 – 10 days to Europe.

Transport: ROADS: many are impassable during the rainy season. There are frequent check points and speed restrictions are strict. DOCUMENTATION: IDP is required. Many roads in the Casamance region are mined.

Special information: Avoid travel to the Casamance region. It is polite to pay respect to the headman or school-teacher of any village you visit. Tipping is not always deemed courteous. Muggings are increasing in cities and major towns.

Capital: Freetown

Time zone: GMT

Telephone services: Country Code: 232
Outgoing Code: International calls must be made through the operator.

Emergency telephone numbers: 223 961/5 (Embassy)

Tourist information: National Tourist Board of Sierra Leone, International Conference Centre, Aberdeen Hill, PO Box 1435, Freetown, Sierra Leone Tel: (22) 272 520 or 272 396 Fax: (22) 272 197.

Passport information: Valid passport required. Return Ticket Required. Requirements may be subject to change at short notice. Contact the Embassy before departure.

Visa information: Required by all except nationals of Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea Republic, Guinea Bissau, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Togo ( a return ticket is required by these nationals for visits of less than 90 days.)

Health information: Polio, Typhoid: Vaccination recommended
Malaria: Exists all year throughout the country in the Falciparum variety. Resistance to chloroquine has been reported
Yellow Fever: Vaccination is strongly recommended to all visitors if planning to journey into rural areas. A vaccination certificate is required for travellers arriving from infected areas. Other Health Risks: Bilharzia, 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: Leone (Le) = 100 cents NOTE: Import and export of local currency is limited to Le 50000.
Amex is accepted, but all other credit cards are unacceptable. Travellers cheques are accepted, in US dollars or sterling, preferably.
ATM availability: Unavailable.

Cost of living: Expensive.

Languages: English Krio (widely spoken) other local dialects.

Weather: Climate is tropical and humid all year round. May – Nov = the raining season.

Electricity: 220240 Volts AC 50 Hz Supply subject to variations.

Post: 5 days to Europe.

Transport: ROADS: Secondary roads are impassable during the rainy season. There are many road blocks at night on major roads near the centres of populations. There is a major petrol shortage with up to 48 hour waits at petrol stations. DOCUMENTATION IDP is required.

Special information: EXTREME RISK: The British Foreign and Commonwealth Office advise against all travel. All foreign nationals are being evacuated. A curfew 23:00 to 06:00 is strictly enforced. Due to the coastal curfew small boats must be off the sea by 18:00. People breaking curfew risk being shot. There is little or no cunsular assistance in Sierra Leone.

Capital: Ljubljana

Time zone: GMT + 1 (GMT + 2 during the summer)

Telephone services: Country Code: 386 Outgoing Code: 00

Emergency telephone numbers: Ambulance – 94, Fire – 93, Police – 92

Tourist information: Slovenian Tourist Office, 2 Cranfield Place, London NW6 3BT Tel: (020) 7372 3767 Fax: (020) 7372 3763.

Passport information: Valid passport required by all except: Nationals of EU countries with a valid ID card. Return Ticket required. Requirements may be subject to short-term change. Contact the relevant authority before departure.

Visa information: These can be issued at border points and are required by all except: Nationals of Australia, Canada, USA, EU, Japan. Nationals of Algeria, Andorra, Argentina, Bosnia – Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Chile, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Hungary, Iceland, Iran, Israel, South Korea, Liechtenstein, FYR of Macedonia, Malta, Monaco, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Romania, San Marino, Singapore, Slovak Republic, Switzerland, Tunisia, Turkey, Uruguay, Vatican City.

Health information: Polio, Typhoid: Vaccination recommended
Other Health Risks: Rabies, Tick borne encephalitis

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

Currency: Slovene Tolar (SIT) = 100 stotins Major credit cards are accepted in tourist hotels and restaurants. Travellers cheques can be exchanged. Deutsche Mark or US dollar cheques are preferred.
ATM availability: Over 70 locations

Cost of living: With the dissolution of Yugoslavia in 1991 and the change to a western type economy, Slovenia is marginally more expensive than the other former states.

Languages: Slovene which is closely related to the Serb-Croat. Some Hungarian and Italian may be spoken.

Weather: The climate is continental. Summers are warm and winters are cold. There is a Mediterranean climate along the coast.

Electricity: 220 volts AC, 50 Hz.

Post: Reasonable internal service.

Transport: RAIL: Intercity trains operate and are relatively cheap. ROAD: There is a good network of high quality roads. However because of the civil war they now effectively end at Zagreb. DOCUMENTATION: Full national driving licences are accepted. International insurance is mandatory for all foreign vehicles with a small number of exceptions.

Special information: Normal social conventions apply. Informal dress is acceptable. SPECIAL PRECAUTIONS: Travellers can become targets of pick pockets and purse snatchers, especially at railway stations and airports.

Capital: Khartoum

Time zone: GMT + 2

Telephone services: Country Code: 249 Outgoing Code: International calls must go through the operator

Emergency telephone numbers: Not present

Tourist information: Public Corporation of Tourism and Hotels P.O.Box 7104, Khartoum, Sudan Tel: (11) 781 764. AND Ministry of Environment and Tourism P.O.Box 13226, Khatoum, Sudan Tel: (11) 471 329 Fax: 471 437

Passport information: Passport must have been valid for 6 months. Return Ticket Required. Requirements may change at short notice. Contact the embassy before departure

Visa information: Required by all except nationals of Central African republic, Libya, Syria and Tanzania. Required by transit passengers

Health information: Polio, Typhoid: Vaccination recommended
Malaria: Exists in the Falciparum variety throughout the year, throughout the country. High resistance to chloroquine has been reported
Yellow Fever: A vaccination certificate is required for passengers over 1 year of age arriving from infected areas and may be required from travellers leaving Sudan. Vaccination is strongly recommended to everyone arriving in Sudan planning to travel outside the urban areas
Other Health Risks: Bilharzia, Cholera, Rabies and Visceral leishmaniasis

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: Sudanese Pound (Sud £) = 100 piastres and Sudanese Dinar NOTE: Exchange rates are subject to great change and import and export of local currency is prohibited Amex is widely accepted but all other major credit cards are not accepted. Travellers cheques are accepted in sterling only.
ATM availability: Unavailable

Cost of living: Inexpensive, apart from the larger hotels in Khartoum

Languages: Arabic, English, Local dialects are widely spoken

Weather: Extremely hot with sandstorms from Apr – Sept in the Sahara region. Wet season in the south from May – Oct

Electricity: 240 Volts AC, 50 Hz

Post: Up to 1 week to Europe

Transport: Travelling outside the capital requires permission from the Sudanese government. FLIGHTS: Sudan Airways runs services to 20 national airports. ROADS: Outside the main towns roads are usually in very poor condition and unsuitable for travelling during the raining season. Vehicles must be in good condition, with a supply of spare parts, water, food, fuel on board. RAIL: There is an extensive rail network but services are very slow and uncomfortable. NOTE: Travellers must register with the Police headquarters within 3 days of arrival, and Police permission must be obtained before moving to another location within Sudan. DOCUMENTATION: Carnet de Passage, adequate finance and a road worthiness certificate (from embassy) are required. IDP is recommended. Trailers and cars less then 1500cc are refused entry

Special information: EXTREME RISK. British Government can only provide limited Embassy support. However we advise against all but essential travel to Sudan It is inadvisable to travel to any of Sudan’s Southern provinces due to civil war. Contact the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office Travel Advice Unit for up to date information. The Arab culture predominates in the North and in the South the people belong to a number of tribes