Country Information

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.

Capital: The Valley

Time zone: GMT – 4

Telephone services: Country Code: 1 264

Outgoing Code: 011

Emergency telephone numbers: 911

Tourist information: Anguilla Tourist Office 3 Epirius Road London SW6 7UJ Tel: (020) 7937 7725 Fax: (020) 7938 4793.

Passport information: Valid passport required by all. Return Ticket required. Requirements may be subject to short term change. Contact embassy before departure.

Visa information: Visa May be required by some nationals check with the Passport office Clive House Petty France London SW7.

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: Currency may be exchanged in the capital.
Amex is the most widely used credit card. Visa has a limited acceptance. Travellers cheques in US dollars are the easiest to exchange.
ATM availability: Unavailable.

Cost of living: Hotels range from deluxe class to self-catering but all are expensive.

Languages: English.

Weather: Generally hot. Oct – Dec is the raining season July – Oct hurricanes may occur.

Electricity: 110/220 volts AC 60 Hz.

Post: 4 days to 2 weeks.

Transport: ROAD: There is a good but basic network of roads. TAXIS: Are available at the airport and seaports with various fixed prices to hotels and resorts. CAR HIRE: Agencies are present. DOCUMENTATION: A temporary licence can be issued by the police station in the capital on presentation of a valid national driving licence.

Special information: Relaxed lifestyle with predominant English culture. Beachwear should be confined to the beach and resort areas

Capital: Bujumbura

Time zone: GMT + 2

Telephone services: Country Code: 257
Outgoing Code: 90

Emergency telephone numbers: All travellers are advised to consult the foreign office in their country of residence regarding emergency assistance.

Tourist information: Office National du Tourisme, BP902, 2 ave des Euphorbes, Bujumbura, Burundi Tel: (2) 24208 or 22202 22023 Fax: (2) 29390

Passport information: A valid passport is required by all. Return ticket required. Regulations may be subject to change at short notice. Contact the Embassy before departure.

Visa information: Visa required by all. Tourist and Business. Passengers arriving at Bujumbura airport will be issued entry stamps, providing they have previously informed their travel agency of their passport number and identity.

Health information: Polio, Typhoid: Vaccination recommended.
Malaria: Take precautions as Falciparum variety exists of which resistance to chloroquine has been reported. The recommended prophylactic is mefloquine.
Yellow Fever: Strongly recommended. If arriving from an endemic area a vaccination certificate will be required. proof of vaccination against meningococcal meningitis.

Other Health Risks: Cholera, Bilharzia, Rabies, Meningitis 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: Burundi Franc (BIF) = 100 centimes.
Unlimited import of foreign currency, subject to declaration, export limited to amount declared on import. Import and Export of local currency is limited to BIF 2000.
Limited acceptance of MasterCard and Diners Club. Travellers cheques are not currently accepted
ATM availability: Unavailable

Cost of living: Due to the coup of 1996 the country’s economy has been all but wiped out.

Languages: French and Kirundi, Kiswahili is also spoken.

Weather: The climate is mostly mild and pleasant, although a hot equatorial climate is found near lake Tanganyika and in the Ruzizi river plain.

Electricity: 220 Volts 50 Hz

Post: There is a main post office in Bujumbura. Delivery times uncertain.

Transport: FLIGHTS: There are no regular internal flights. ROADS: Most are sealed but often impassable during the raining season. DOCUMENTATION: IDP is required.

Special information: NOTE: EXTREME RISK. The British Foreign and Commonwealth Office advises against all travel to Burundi. People outside the cities may not be used to visitors. Therefore respect should be shown for local traditions. Dress should be conservative.