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Capital: Macau

Time zone: GMT + 8

Telephone services: Country Code: 853
Outgoing Code: 00

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

Tourist information: Macau Tourist Information Bureau, 6 Sherlock Mews, Paddington Street, London W1M 3RH Tel: (020) 7224 3390 Fax: (020) 7224 0601.

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

Visa information: May be obtained on arrival in Macao. Nationals of countries, which do not maintain diplomatic links with Portugal must obtain their Visas in advance from Portuguese consulates overseas, and may not obtain them on arrival in Macao. Visas are required by all except: Nationals of Brazil. India, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Norway, Philippines, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Switzerland and Thailand for stays of less than 20 days. Residents of Hong Kong holding a Hong Kong Identity card. for a visit up to 90 days. Nationals of Great Britain, Australia, Canada, USA, EU, Japan for stays of less than 20 days. Narcotics, firearms, endangered species of animal and plants and pesticides.

Health information: Other Health Risks: Diarrhoeal diseases, hepatitis A and B, Oriental liver and oriental lung fluke and haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome may occur in this area.

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: Pataca (MOP) = 100 avos MasterCard is accepted. Travellers cheques may be changed at hotels, banks and bureau de change. Cheques in US dollars are the preferred CURRENCY.
ATM availability: Over 20 locations.

Cost of living: Visitors may expect to pick up a variety of bargains since Macau is a free port. A wide range of accommodation, suitable for all budgets, is available.

Languages: Portuguese and Chinese (Cantonese). English may be spoken by those involved in tourism.

Weather: Sub – tropical climate with very hot summers. There is a raining period during the summer months. Winds can reach gale force and typhoons are not unheard of.

Electricity: Usually 220 Volts AC 50 Hz.

Post: 3 – 5 days

Transport: ROAD: There are 5 bus routes in he city. CAR HIRE: Available. TAXI: Fares should be agreed in advance. DOCUMENTATION: IDP not required from drivers from the UK.

Special information: Macau is a mixture of Portuguese, Chinese and Western culture, the visitor can experience all of these in one location. Violent crime is quite rare although residential burglaries and pick-pocketing is a problem.

Capital: Fort-de-France

Time zone: GMT – 4

Telephone services: Country Code: 596
Outgoing Code: 19

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

Tourist information: French West Indies Tourist Office, 178 Piccadilly, London, W1V 0AL Tel: (020) 7629 2869 Fax: (020) 7493 6594.

Passport information: Passport requirements as for France. Return Ticket required. Requirements may be subject to short-term change. Contact embassy before departure.

Visa information: As for France.

Health information: Polio, Typhoid: Vaccination recommended.
Yellow Fever: A vaccination certificate is required from travellers over 1 year of age coming from infected areas.
Other Health Risks: Bilharzia, Tuberculosis.

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 Exchange: US and Canadian Dollars are widely accepted.
All major credit cards are accepted, as are travellers cheques, preferably in French francs US dollars. ATM availability: Unavailable.

Cost of living: Expensive, especially in the tourist centres.

Languages: French (Creole dialect).

Weather: Warm all year round with most rain falling during the Autumn, although showers can occur all year round. Upland areas are cooler.

Electricity: 220/380 volts AC, 50 Hz.

Post: 1 Week. Airmail must be sent from post offices.

Transport: SEA: Scheduled ferries operate between the main ports. ROAD: The system is well developed and surfaced. BUS: A limited service operates. TAXI: Government controlled, plentiful and reasonably cheap if shared. CAR HIRE: Excellent car hire facilities are available. Bicycles can also be hired. DOCUMENTATION: An IDP is recommended, but a national driving licence is sufficient providing the driver has at least one year’s experience.

Special information: The French influence is clearly evident. The usual social courtesies should be applied.

Capital: Nouakchott

Time zone: GMT

Telephone services: Country Code: 222
Outgoing Code: International calls go through the operator.

Emergency telephone numbers: Not present.

Tourist information: Société Mauritanienne de Tourisme et d’Hôtellerie (SMTH), BP 552, Nouakchott, Mauritania Tel: 251 353 Fax: 253 351.

Passport information: Required by all except nationals of Burkina Faso, Cameroon Central African Republic Chad Congo Côte d’Ivoire Gabon Gambia Guinea Republic Italy Madagascar Mali Niger Senegal and Sierra Leone who may enter on a national identity card or passport which has expired for no longer than 5 years. Return Ticket Required. Requirements may change at short notice. Contact the embassy before departure.

Visa information: Required by all except nationals of France and Italy (all other EU member states do need a visa) Members of the league of Arab states (except nationals of Morocco who do need a visa) Burkina Faso Cameroon Central African Republic Chad Congo Côte d’Ivoire Gabon Gambia Ghana Guinea-Bissau Liberia Mali Niger Nigeria Romania Senegal Sierra Leone Togo and Tunisia.

Health information: Polio, Typhoid: Vaccination recommended.
Malaria: Risk exists throughout the year in the falciparum variety.
Yellow Fever: A vaccination certificate is required for all travellers above one year of age, except travellers arriving from non-infected areas and staying less than two weeks in the country. 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: Mauritanian Ougiya (U) = 5 Khoums NOTE: Import and export of local currency is prohibited
Credit cards and travellers cheques (in French francs) have limited acceptance.
ATM availability: Unavailable.

Cost of living: Very inexpensive.

Languages: Arabic and French. English is rarely spoken

Weather: Most of the country is dry and hot with little rain. South – Raining season is July to Sept. The deserts are cool and windy in March and April.

Electricity: 127/220 Volts AC, 50Hz. Plugs = round 2 pin usually used.

Post: 2 weeks to Europe. Postal facilities limited to main cities

Transport: RAIL: 1 line operates between Nouadhibou and Nouakchott which serves passengers for free, however this is not recommended as journeys are often long and arduous. ROADS: Adequate but require 4 wheel drives. Sand storms may obscure vision in the dry season and may be impassable in the wet season.

Special information: Respect should be paid to the Islamic traditions.

Capital: Chisinau

Time zone: GMT + 2

Telephone services: Country Code: 373
Outgoing Code: International calls go through the operator

Emergency telephone numbers: Consult hotel on arrival.

Tourist information: Moldova – Tur, 4 Stefan cel Mare, 2058 Chisinãu, Moldova Tel: (2) 262 569 Fax: (2) 262 586.

Passport information: Valid passport required by all – must be valid for 6 months from date of arrival required by all. In certain cases additional documentation may be required. Requirements may be subject to short-term change. Contact the relevant authority before departure.

Visa information: Required by all except nationals of the former Soviet Union.

Health information: Other Health Risks: Rabies, Hepatitis B.

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

Currency: 1 Leu (l) = 100 bani Exchange: Foreign currencies can be exchanged in hotels or bureaux de change. Moldova is essentially a-cash only economy.
Credit cards and travellers cheques (US$) are accepted on a limited basis
ATM availability: Unavailable

Cost of living: Reasonably inexpensive

Languages: Russian. Romanian.

Weather: The climate is pleasant and mild. The autumns are crisp and sunny and there is sometimes snow in the winter.

Electricity: 1220 volts AC, 50 Hz.

Post: All mail to and from Moldova is subjected to long delays of up to 6 weeks. It is advisable to send recorded delivery to avoid loss.

Transport: ROAD: the road network covers 10 000km. TAXI: These can be found in front of the main hotels housing foreigners. Fares should be negotiated in advance although drivers prefer to charge per hour. Taxis run mostly on liquid gas hence the bottles, which are stored in the boot leave little room for luggage. CAR HIRE: Is available. DOCUMENTATION: IDP is required.

Special information: Dress should be casual but conservative. Expensive jewellery and cameras should be kept out of sight. Travel to Transdniestria should be avoided, since it is not under Moldovan government control and the security situation is not under control. Do not share taxis with strangers.

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: 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.