COUNTRY CLEARANCE GRANTED FOR AVSED TO TRAVEL

UNCLAS BRIDGETOWN 000202 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ASEC OTRA AC BB XL SUBJECT: COUNTRY CLEARANCE GRANTED FOR AVSED TO TRAVEL TO BARBADOS AND ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA REF: 271256Z JAN 06 ¶1. Embassy Bridgetown grants country clearance to Lt CDR Kimberley J. Avsec, U.S Coast Guard, for travel to Barbados February 22 - 26, 2006 and to Antigua and Barbuda February 26 - 02 March, 2006. The purpose of these missions is to have bi-lateral port security discussions with port officials of Barbados and Antigua and Barbuda. ¶2. Understand Embassy assistance is not required. Point of contact is CDR Peter Kilfoyle, Chief, Military Liaison Office, (246) 436-4950, ext 2300. ¶3. Unfortunately, post's resources do not allow us the flexibility to meet and assist visitors at the airport. However, Barbadian Customs and Immigration are visitor- friendly. The taxi rate from the airport to the hotel is approximately BDS$30.00 (USD$15.00). The exchange rate is a constant 2 Barbados dollars to 1 U.S. Dollar. You should bring enough U.S. Dollar bills to pay the taxi. The embassy is co-located with a bank that can accommodate currency exchange. However, U.S. currency, travelers' checks, and credit cards are routinely and widely accepted here. ¶4. Entry requirements: A valid U.S passport is required to enter Barbados and Antigua and Barbuda. No Visa is required if your stay is under six months, including those travelers arriving with diplomatic or official passports. ¶5. Departure tax for Barbados is $25.00 BDS or $15.00 USD. Departure tax for Antigua & Barbuda is $50.00 ECC (Eastern Caribbean Currency) or $19.00 USD. ¶6. The following is general information pertaining to security and health considerations throughout the Eastern Caribbean: Security -------------- In the Eastern Caribbean, foot travel outside of well-established tourist areas is not generally recommended, especially at night. Be vigilant when using public telephones or ATM facilities near roadsides or quiet areas. As in many U.S. metropolitan areas, wearing expensive jewelry, carrying expensive objects, or carrying large amounts of cash should be avoided. Visitors should also safeguard valuables while at the beach. While hotels are generally safe, many visitors have experienced loss of unattended items. Hotel burglaries are not uncommon and all valuables should be locked in room safes if possible. Health information -------------- Throughout the Eastern Caribbean, the most likely threat to a visitor's health is sunburn. It takes several weeks to become accustomed to the heat and humidity. Prolonged exposure to the sun, without protection, causes sunburn, and may ultimately result in sun-damaged skin or even skin cancer. Sunscreens should be used for protection. In Barbados, Saint Lucia and Saint Vincent, the major health threat is dengue fever, transmitted by the aedes aegypti mosquito. Dengue cases are most often seen in the summer months. Persons should therefore protect themselves with insect repellent. There is also a growing number of HIV/AIDS cases reported. The Eastern Caribbean enjoys clean and safe drinking water. Only routine boosters for immunizations (i.e. tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis and oral polio vaccine) are required when traveling to this region. Barbados has the best medical facilities of all the islands in the region and most of the medical specialties have practitioners here. KRAMER