|
Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see?
Enquire at the Visitor Centre, where information is available together
with free walking and shopping guides. Don't miss the world's most
southerly cathedral with its whale bone arch, the Museum or Mike Butcher's
whaling display.
How can we see the sights?
Stanley is a small place and the principal sights are within strolling
distance. If the weather is unkind or time is pressing, town tours are
usually bookable on cruise ship days from outside the Visitor Centre. At
other times or for specific journeys there are clearly identifiable taxis.
Within the town limits single journeys should not cost more than £2.
Taxis can be taken for longer tours when the price, duration and tour
content should be negotiated with the driver in advance. For
well-conducted tours other than by taxi or coach look out for the Tourist
Board stickers on the windshields of vehicles. Tourist Board approved
drivers are identifiable by name, well informed, properly insured and
follow an agreed code of conduct. For further details enquire in the
Visitor Centre.
Where are the shops?
All the Stanley shops are to be found within easy walking distance of each
other and of the Visitor Centre.
What is there to buy?
Woollen goods: felted, woven and especially garments knitted in the
Islands from our own exceptionally soft and lustrous wool are available
from a number of retail outlets. Craft items: leatherwork, woodwork,
silk-painting and jewellery made from silver and the Islands' own
semi-precious stones. For children (and some adults) there are
locally-produced stuffed toys as well as many other souvenir items bearing
penguin motifs. For expatriate Brits, Anglophiles or others with a taste
for British food and drink, Stanley's supermarkets and local grocery
stores stock most familiar brands as well as a range of fine Chilean
wines. Some stores and the Post Office's Philatelic Bureau offer highly
collectible examples of Falkland Islands' stamps and first day covers.
Do they take dollars / credit cards / travellers' cheques / euros?
British pounds are acceptable throughout the Islands as having equivalent
value to the local, Falkland Islands, pound. In Stanley, most stores,
hotels and restaurants will also accept US dollars and Euros either as
cash or travellers' cheques. The major credit cards, Mastercard and Visa,
are acceptable nearly everywhere in Stanley, but it is worth checking
before purchases are made. Diners' Club, American Express and other cards
have some limited acceptablility.
Are the stores open all day?
Supermarkets tend to be open for about twelve hours from 8.30am. Smaller
stores generally close around 5pm and maybe also for lunch, from noon to
2pm. However, on cruise ship days most stores of interest to tourists will
be open throughout the day.
Can I change my money?
As mentioned above, some foreign currencies are accepted in most stores,
but the Standard Chartered Bank also offers Bureau de Change facilities.
In addition they cab offer a range of money transfer facilities and issue
cash against Mastercard and Visa credit cards.
Is there an ATM?
No, sorry! Bank opening hours are from 8.30am to 3pm, Monday to Friday.
Where can I use the Internet?
The Jetty Visitor Centre, The Waterfront, Zak's Computers and the
Lighthouse Seamen's Centre.
Where can I make phone calls?
There are numerous public phone boxes in Stanley, including those in the
Visitor Centre near the Public Jetty. For their operation, all require
pre-paid phone cards from our local telephone provider, Cable and Wireless
plc. These cards are available from numerous outlets in Stanley, including
the Visitor Centre and the West Store.
Where's the post office?
The Post Office and Philatelic Bureau are situated on the ground floor of
the Town Hall building on Ross Road. Post Office opening hours are 8am to
4.30pm, Monday to Friday. The Philatelic Bureau is open all day on cruise
ships days, but normally from 9am to 12 noon, and 1 to 3pm.
Can you drink the water?
Yes
Where can we eat?
For its small size and population, Stanley offers a wide selection of
eating establishments from pubs to restaurants.
What is the local food?
The local food is predominantly British in character with many
establishments featuring fine Falklands produce such as organic lamb,
mutton, beef, pork and eggs. Local seafood includes mussels, oysters,
scallops, snow crab, sea trout, atlantic rock cod (locally called mullet),
squid and patagonian toothfish (also known as mero). These dishes are
enhanced by locally-grown organic vegetables and the unique diddle-dee
berry or teaberry. Some cafes specialise in the kind of home baking that
your granny used to make. In the pubs and restaurants British-style fish
and chips are often featured.
Is it safe to walk around the streets?
Stanley prides itself on being the safest capital in the world. While
there has never been a case of mugging or pick-pocketing here, visitors
are reminded that we do have vehicular traffic and, as we drive on the
left-hand side of the road, it may appear from an unexpected direction.
Armed only with this information and with knowledge of basic kindergarten
kerb-drill, no visitor to Stanley need have anything to fear.
If I get lost in Stanley, how can I find my way back to the landing
stage?
"Head down-hill to the water's edge and turn right" usually
words, unless you have been particularly adventurous and headed off toe
the East when you left the landing stage. In this case, head down to the
water's edge and turn left. Wherever you are in Stanley, once you are at
the water's edge, you should be able to see the cathedral. The landing
stage is at the public jetty close by.
Published in the Penguin News Visitor's Guide 2005/6 sponsored by the
Falkland Islands Tourist Board
www.penguin-news.com www.tourism.org.fk
|
