What No One Tells You About Haiti

Unfortunately, when most people think about Haiti, earthquakes, poverty and the cruise to Labadie come to mind. Most people have no idea where Haiti is or that it shares the same island with it’s neighbouring country the Dominican Republic. Actually, Haiti has always been on our travel bucket list and when we found out about a bus ride across the border to Cap Haitien, Haiti (the “Paris of the Antilles”), we had to hop right on.

What Made Us Choose Haiti

First off, our main reason was to drop off a suitcase of medical supplies to a clinic in need. We heard of all the medical supply shortages and made it our priority to help. Since the stability of Haiti is up and down, our goal was to visit Cap Haitien, Haiti which we found from recent travellers was “safe”.

Cap Haitien is located on the North-East coast of Haiti and named the “Paris of the Antilles” because of it’s spectactular architecture and culture. A long time ago, Haiti was one of the richest French Colonies in the Americas as a result of sugar imports. Furthermore, Cap Haitien is a popular tourist destination today mainly because of its historical monuments, beaches and bay.

At first glance, the city is bustling with people, left, right and centre. However, there are no signals or lines on the roads so traffic appears to be chaotic. Unfortunately, it was hard to avoid the sight of garbage everywhere, on the shore and in the water. Sadly, it doesn’t seem that much is being done about the clean-up.

For a country that is relatively low on the economic side, it was fairly pricey. From the hotel room, to the taxi rides to food.

Is Haiti Safe to Travel?

This is the #1 question we get about Haiti. Is it safe? Relatively speaking, in Cap Haitien we felt safe most of the time. We backpacked with our four-year old mostly with ease. Looking back, I think confrontation from touts was the hardest to deal with. You see “touts” are desparate to make a buck, yelling, sometimes shouting over eachother, to get attention. Imagine that, and twenty touts shouting all at once.

The best times were when we explored the Citadelle and Laferriere by foot.  We basically had the entire sites to ourselves, with no other tourists in sight. Cap Haitien is definitely a place we recomend for other travelers and some children. Although, not really child friendly, alot can be experienced by little ones.

How to Get to Cap Haitien

So, you’re convinced to travel to Cap Haitien. What next?

We found the cheapest way to travel to Haiti was from the Dominican Republic. We took a bus from Caribe Tours from Santiago, which is a 6 hour bus ride away from Puerto Plata airport. In fact, Caribe Tours is a popular bus transportation company that will arrange your tickets and visas at the same time. The journey is fairly easy, cheap and comfortable (there is AC on the bus)! A packed lunch with water is included in the ticket.

Where to Stay in Cap Haitien

Like most of our trips, we hardly ever book accomodation in advance. As mentioned before, we purchase only airline tickets and prefer to “walk-in”  into our accomodation of choice. I will say it again, because it is not for everyone. We have found this strategy to give us the best rates as it gives us more bargainning power. Hey, we wouldn’t call ourselves backpackers if we didn’t.

Unfortunately, when we walked into our first hotel, it was WAY above our budget. Think, $200 a night. So, we went with Plan B. With a few clicks and a wi-fi connection, we were able to secure a lower rate (by $50) by booking the same room for $50 less on-line.

See, we’ve learnt a few frugal tips on the road. I would reccomend the hotel we stayed at if you want a hotel walking distance to the bus station (which we did). It was considered a “luxury” hotel and fairly new. Clean, spacious, strong AC, extra sofa bed which was perfect for us. Send me a DM if you would like the name of the hotel.

 

What No One Tells You About Cap Haitien

That amid all the chaos, struggle and instability, there is beauty, hope and strength. Come to Cap Haitien with an open-mind and you will experience far more then any guidebook could explain. Undoubtedly, the UNESCO sites give you a beautiful snippet into Haiti’s history. It is worth going to experience the Citadelle and Palace at your own pace.