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Cars 4 Rental Information on  Cayman Islands

General Area: 262 sq km (102 sq miles). Population: 40,900 (official estimate 2000). Population Density: 156.1 per sq km. Capital: George Town. Population: 20,626 (1999). GEOGRAPHY: The Cayman Islands are situated in the Caribbean, 290km (180 miles) northwest of Jamaica, 240km (480 miles) south of Cuba and 770km (480 miles) south of Miami. The island country comprises Grand Cayman, the largest and most populous of the islands, and the sister islands of Little Cayman and Cayman Brac, which lie approximately 143km (89 miles) northeast of Grand Cayman and are separated from each other by a channel about 11km (7 miles) wide. The islands are peaks of a subterranean mountain range extending from Cuba towards the Gulf of Honduras. The beaches are said to be the best in the Caribbean, the most notable being Seven Mile Beach on Grand Cayman. Tall pines line many of the beaches; those located on the east and west coasts are equally well protected offshore by the Barrier Reef. Government: British Crown Colony since 1670. Head of State: HM Queen Elizabeth II, represented locally by Governor Bruce Dinwiddy since 2002. Language: English is the official language, with a distinctive ‘brogue’ reflecting heritage of Welsh, Scottish and English ancestors still distinguishing the speech of the Caymanian people. The number of Jamaican residents in the workforce means the Jamaican patois and accompanying heavier accent is also common. Spanish, particularly regional dialects of Central America and Cuba, is also widely spoken. Religion: Mainly Presbyterian with Anglican, Roman Catholic, Seventh Day Adventists, Pilgrims, Pilgrim Holiness Church of God, Jehovah’s Witnesses and Bahai minorities on Grand Cayman; Baptists on Cayman Brac. Time: GMT - 5. Electricity: 120 volts AC, 60Hz. American-style (flat) two-pin plugs are standard. Communications: Telephone A modern telephone system links the Cayman Islands to the world by submarine cable and satellite. Full IDD is available. A Cardphone service is available at select locations on all three islands. Pre-paid phonecards in values of CI$10, CI$15 and CI$30 can be purchased at the Cable & Wireless main office in Anderson Square in George Town and at the Cayman Brac post office and petrol stations. Country code: 1 345. Outgoing international code: 00. Mobile telephone TDMA network. Network providers are Cable & Wireless Caribbean Cellular, Digicel Cayman LTD (website: www.digicelcayman.com) and Wireless Ventures LTD (website: www.attwireless.com), offering GSM 850/1900, GSM 900/1800 and GSM 850/1900, respectively. Unregistered roaming is available – visitors with TDMA handsets can make calls without registering, provided they can give a credit card number. Fax Available at most hotels and banks. Some businesses also have public facilities. Internet ISPs include Cable & Wireless (website: www.cwinternet.ky). There are many Internet cafes throughout the Cayman Islands and many hotels also offer Internet facilities. Telegram Services are provided by Cable & Wireless (West Indies) Limited under government franchise. Public telegraph operates daily 0730-1800, accepting cables from any country. Post Mail is not delivered to private addresses in the Cayman Islands, but collected from numbered PO boxes. Poste Restante mail should be addressed ‘General Delivery’ at the post office. Post office hours: Mon-Fri 0830-1530, Sat 0830-1200. Press The Caymanian Compass is published week-days. Radio: BBC World Service (website: www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice) and Voice of America (website: www.voa.gov) can be received. From time to time the frequencies change and the most up-to-date can be found online. Back to Top Money Currency: Cayman Islands Dollar (CI$) = 100 cents. Notes are in denominations of CI$100, 50, 25, 10, 5 and 1. Coins are in denominations of 25, 10, 5 and 1 cents. Note: The Cayman Islands Dollar is tied to the US Dollar at a fixed rate of CI$1 = US$1.25 although bank charges for currency exchange may result in minor fluctuations. Currency exchange: US Dollars circulate freely and are the best currency to exchange. ATMs accepting Visa and MasterCard with Cirrus affiliation are located at Cayman National Bank and other banks, and at Owen Roberts International Airport. Credit & debit cards: All major credit cards are widely accepted. Check with your credit or debit card company for details of merchant acceptability and other services which may be available. Travellers cheques: Readily accepted. To avoid additional exchange rate charges, travellers are advised to take travellers cheques in US Dollars. Currency restrictions: No restriction on import or export of foreign or local currency apart from import of Jamaican dollars, which is restricted to J$20. Exchange rate indicators The following figures are included as a guide to the movement of the Cayman Islands Dollar against Sterling and the US Dollar: Date Nov ’03 Feb ’04 May ’04 Aug ’04 £1.00= 1.39 1.50 1.47 1.51 $1.00= 0.82 0.82 0.83 0.82 Banking hours: Mon-Thurs 0900-1600, Fri 0900-1630. Some banks are open on Saturday mornings. Back to Top Health   Special Precautions Certificate Required Yellow Fever No No Cholera No No Typhoid and Polio 1 N/A Malaria No N/A 1: Immunisation against typhoid is advised. Other risks: Outbreaks of dengue fever and dengue haemorrhagic fever can occur. Hepatitis A has been reported in the northern Caribbean. Immunisations against TB, diphtheria and hepatitis B and C are sometimes advised. Health care: Modern medical facilities are available, particularly on Grand Cayman and Cayman Brac, including government-operated hospitals on both islands. There is also an island-wide, 24-hour 911 (or 555) emergency service. Serious cases may be transferred to Miami. Health costs are similar to the UK. Private insurance is recommended. Insect repellent is useful to counter mosquitoes and sandflies. Note: Divers should note that the George Town Hospital also has a two-man, double-lock decompression chamber staffed by trained operators supervised by a physician experienced in treating diving-related accidents. Back to Top Climate Very warm, tropical climate throughout the year. High temperatures are moderated by trade winds. The rainy season is from May to October but showers are generally of short duration. The hurricane season is from June to November and, since the islands are low-lying, there is a high risk of flooding if a storm hits them. Required clothing: Lightweight cottons and linens and a light raincoat or umbrella for the rainy season. Warmer clothes may be needed on cooler evenings. Back to Top Passport   Passport Required Visa Required Return Ticket Required British 1 No Yes Australian Yes No Yes Canadian 1 No Yes USA 1 No Yes OtherEU Yes No Yes Japanese Yes No Yes PASSPORTS: 1. Passport valid for period of stay required by all except nationals of Canada, the UK and the USA, provided holding proof of nationality (such as a birth certificate or a notarised affidavit of citizenship) and provided return or onward ticket shows that the visitor will leave the Cayman Islands within one month. VISAS: Any person resident in the USA or Canada who arrives in the Cayman Islands directly from the USA or Canada and who, on landing, can produce a valid US Alien Registration Card may be permitted to enter and remain without a visa for up to 30 days. A visa is required by all except the following for a period of up to 30 days: (a) nationals of countries mentioned in the chart above; (b) nationals of Commonwealth countries (except nationals of Bangladesh, Cameroon, The Gambia, Ghana, India, Nigeria, Pakistan, Sierra Leone, Sri Lanka, and Uganda who do require a visa); (c) nationals of Andorra, Argentina, Bahrain, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Iceland, Israel, Kuwait, Liechtenstein, Mexico, Monaco, Norway, Oman, Panama, Peru, San Marino, Saudi Arabia, Switzerland and Venezuela; (d) transit passengers continuing their journey by the same or first connecting aircraft provided holding onward or return documentation and not leaving the airport. Note: (a) Cruise ship passengers do not require visas to enter the Cayman Islands. (b) Visitors are prohibited from engaging in any form of employment unless holding a Work Permit. A short-term Work Permit can usually be obtained within one to two weeks. Types of visa and cost: Tourist, Transit and Business. All visas cost £28. Validity: Three months, though this may vary. Visitors may remain in the Cayman Islands for up to one month, although an extension of up to six months may then be applied for, provided return tickets and proof of financial means/funding is submitted on arrival or at the immigration department. Application to: Nearest Embassy. Application requirements: (a) Two application forms. (b) Valid passport. (c) Sufficient funds to cover duration of stay. Working days required: Dependent upon nature of application. Allow three weeks. Back to Top

Car Hire Cayman Islands

Cars 4 Rental can provide car hire vehicles in all the popular locations throughout the Cayman Islands.

Whatever your requirements Cars 4 Rental will be able to provide a car to meet your needs. Our hire cars can be equipped with many optional extras including child seats so that your car rental is ideally suited to your needs.

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