Climate and clothing: Lightweight, washable clothing is recommended. Bring a jacket or sweater for the rainy season, May-October.

Customs: Visas are required of travelers carrying U.S. passports. Do not display or use photographic equipment without special permission of the Minstry of Information. A certificate of inoculation against yellow fever is required.

Health: Visitors are strongly urged to use malarial suppressants that provide protection against chlorquine-resistant strains of the parasite. Typhoid, polio, and hepatitis inocluations are recommended for travel to remote areas. Raw fruits and vegetables should be carefully prepared, and meats should be thoroughly cooked. Tapwater is not potable. Boiling and filtering are recommended. Local facilities are adequate for routine medical problems.

Telecommunications: International cable and telephone service is available. Bangui is six standard time zones ahead of eastern standard time.

Transportation: Bangui M'Poko International Airport has regular air service to Paris, Brazzaville, Douala, Libreville, N'djamena, and some West African capitals. The nearest railroad is in Cameroon. Buses and taxis are available but not generally used by tourists. About 1,300 kilometers (810 mi.) of the east-west Trans-African Highway lie in the C.A.R. between Beloko on the Cameroon border and Bangassou bordering Zaire in the southeast. About 180 kilometers (113 mi.) of this road is paved, and most of the rest is of laterite. Roads often flood during the rainy season. There is no commercial transportation in the game areas.

Tourist attractions: Notable tourist sites include the falls at Boali and Kembe, the National Museum in Bangui; the Artisanal Center in Bangui, offering a variety of local and regional handicrafts; the tropical forest and Pygmy villages of southern Lobaye.

Source: U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Public Affairs, November 1989.