📌 Quick Facts About Haiti 🇭🇹
Haiti occupies the western part of the island of Hispaniola in the Caribbean, sharing the island with the Dominican Republic. Its capital, Port-au-Prince, is the country's largest city and political center.
Historically, Haiti is one of the most important countries in the Americas. In 1804 it became the first independent nation in Latin America and the Caribbean created by a successful slave revolt, and the first Black republic in modern history.
- 🏛️ CapitalPort-au-Prince
- 💵 CurrencyHaitian gourde (HTG)
- 🗣️ LanguagesHaitian Creole and French
- 🌡️ ClimateTropical, hot, with wet and dry seasons
- 🔌 Plug typeType A/B · *Anker Universal Travel Adapter
- 🌎 RegionCaribbean
🚢 Three Very Different Ways to Visit Haiti
Haiti was country number 101 on my mission to travel to every country in the world. I traveled there with Philipp, who is now one of my best friends, but at the time it was actually our very first international trip together.
We traveled completely overland from Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic to Port-au-Prince. After a few relaxed days in Santo Domingo, we had to organize our trip to Haiti.
When people visit Haiti, there are generally three different experiences. The most common by far is visiting Labadee, a private resort area on Haiti's northern coast leased and operated for cruise tourism by Royal Caribbean.
Thousands of cruise passengers visit every year, enjoy beautiful beaches, and leave again without really interacting with the rest of Haiti.
The second option is visiting Cap-Haïtien, the main city in northern Haiti. It is generally considered significantly safer than Port-au-Prince and offers some interesting historical sites.
But Philipp and I wanted the challenge of visiting Port-au-Prince, the capital city itself.
🚌 Crossing Into Haiti
We went to the Caribe Tours bus station in Santo Domingo and asked for tickets to Port-au-Prince. The employees were visibly confused.
"Why are you going there?"
"For tourism."
They looked at us as if we were crazy. Several employees actually tried to talk us out of it, warning us that Haiti was dangerous and that we should reconsider. Of course, that only made us more determined.
The next morning, we left Santo Domingo before sunrise and headed toward the border. Crossing the Dominican side was straightforward, although even the immigration officers seemed surprised that two tourists were voluntarily entering Haiti.
On the Haitian side, things felt much more informal. Customs officers manually searched our backpacks and checked everything by hand. It felt a little intrusive, but everyone remained friendly and there were no requests for bribes or unofficial fees.
The border region itself was surprisingly beautiful. Driving through Haiti, we passed crystal-clear water, impressive landscapes, and beautiful coastline. Looking purely at nature, it was easy to imagine Haiti becoming one of the Caribbean's premier tourist destinations.
But the closer we got to Port-au-Prince, the more the atmosphere changed. Trash became increasingly common. Infrastructure seemed miserable. Streets became chaotic. Markets spilled into the roads. People sold food, clothes, and everyday items from makeshift stands surrounded by garbage and dust.
Eventually we arrived at the Caribe Tours terminal in Port-au-Prince.
🚕 A Rough Welcome
Our first experience in the city was not a good one. We took a taxi from the bus station to our accommodation. Before getting in, we agreed on a price of $10.
The ride lasted maybe five minutes. When we arrived, we handed over the agreed amount. The driver immediately demanded more money. A lot more. He wanted $25.
When we refused, he became increasingly aggressive and physical. We quickly grabbed our bags and rushed inside the hostel. The driver continued arguing outside until the owner eventually came out and sent him away.
Not exactly the best first impression of Haiti.
🏨 Staying at Park Hostel
We stayed at Park Hostel, which is technically a hostel but felt more like a small hotel. It was run by an American-Haitian owner who had spent many years in the United States before returning to Haiti.
I can definitely recommend staying there. He knew the city extremely well and was very honest about which areas were safe, which areas were dangerous, and which places we should absolutely avoid.
The accommodation cost around €35 per night for the two of us, making it one of the cheapest and safest options available.
🏙️ Exploring Port-au-Prince
Our plan was to walk through the city on foot. One of the main areas we explored was the Place des Martyrs, where many government buildings and ministries are located.
This is one of the few areas of Port-au-Prince where tourists can realistically walk around. Large parts of the city are effectively controlled by gangs and completely inaccessible. But the central district still allowed us to explore a little.
Of course, Philipp and I wanted to see more. So we kept walking. And walking. And walking. Probably farther than we should have.
Everywhere we went, people approached us. Some asked for money. Others simply wanted to talk. Since we were filming a YouTube video, we spent a lot of time interviewing people on the streets.
One thing almost everybody told us was how difficult life had become. People talked about not knowing what they would eat the next day. Others told us they had not had electricity for extended periods. Many lacked reliable access to running water.
The most basic things that most people take for granted simply were not guaranteed. There was a lot of suffering, a lot of frustration, and a lot of uncertainty.
📜 The History Behind Haiti
Despite all of its challenges, Haiti has one of the most remarkable histories in the world. In 1804, Haiti became the first independent nation in Latin America and the Caribbean created by a successful slave revolt.
Formerly the French colony of Saint-Domingue, Haiti defeated one of the world's strongest colonial powers and became the first Black republic in modern history.
The island of Hispaniola was divided between France in the west and Spain in the east. Over time, the two sides developed very differently.
The reasons behind the modern contrast between Haiti and the Dominican Republic are complex and go far beyond a single factor. However, one thing often mentioned is agricultural management. In the Dominican Republic, crop rotation and other farming methods helped preserve soil fertility over time, while large parts of Haiti suffered from intensive exploitation of natural resources during the colonial period.
Combined with deforestation, political instability, debt imposed on Haiti after independence, foreign intervention, natural disasters, corruption, and decades of economic difficulties and mismanagement, these factors contributed to the very different development paths of the two countries.
You can still see those differences today. The Dominican Republic certainly has its problems, but Haiti faces challenges almost everywhere you look. Today, Haiti is widely considered the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere by many development indicators.
🤝 The Friendliest People in the Toughest Conditions
What struck me most was that despite the poverty, people remained incredibly friendly. Everyone wanted to tell us their story. Everyone wanted to talk. Everyone wanted us to understand what life in Haiti was really like.
Philipp stands over two meters tall, so naturally we attracted a lot of attention. But almost all of it was positive. People were curious, welcoming, and surprisingly open.
🍺 Haiti's Greatest Surprise: Prestige Beer
Back at the hostel that evening, the owner offered us a local Haitian beer called Prestige. I am German, but ironically I never really cared much about beer. Yet people everywhere assume I must love it because I am German.
Prestige completely changed my opinion. It has won the World Beer Cup twice and remains one of Haiti's export hits.
Even now, after visiting every country in the world, it is the best beer I have ever tried. It was genuinely the first time during my travels that I immediately asked for a second one.
💵 Almost Getting Stranded in Haiti
The next morning, we prepared to leave. And then things got stressful. We took a moto taxi to the Caribe Tours station and discovered that we did not have enough cash for our return tickets.
No problem, we thought. We will just use an ATM. Except we tried one ATM. Then another. Then another. None of them worked.
Suddenly we had a massive problem. We physically could not pay for our bus tickets back to Santo Domingo. At the station we explained our situation and asked whether we could somehow pay after arriving in the Dominican Republic. The answer was a firm "no."
For a moment, it genuinely looked like we were going to be stranded in Haiti.
Then something incredible happened. One of the employees traveling on the same bus personally offered to pay for our tickets from her own money. The tickets cost around $50 per person. It's a huge amount.
She had absolutely no guarantee that we would repay her. Yet she trusted us. Thanks to her kindness, we boarded the bus. As soon as we arrived in Santo Domingo, we immediately withdrew money and paid her back.
We couldn't tell her enough how grateful we were.
🛂 A Small Prank at the Border
Before leaving Haiti, I bought one of my favorite travel souvenirs ever: a Haitian passport cover. It looked almost identical to a real Haitian passport.
Naturally, when we reached Dominican immigration, I handed it over to the border officers. A German passport, packed inside a passport cover that looks like a Hatian passport. The joke worked perfectly. They laughed immediately. Thankfully.
💭 Final Thoughts on Visiting Haiti
Haiti is not an easy destination. In many ways, it was one of the toughest places I had visited at that point. The poverty is real. The infrastructure problems are real. The security concerns are real.
But so is the hospitality. So is the resilience. And so is the pride that Haitians have in their country.
One thing I always loved about my mission to visit every country in the world is that it forced me to give every country a chance. Not just the easy countries. Not just the rich countries. Not just the beautiful countries. Every country.
Haiti taught me a lot about history, resilience, and how current and past decisions shape people's lives in unimaginable ways.
Would I go back? Probably. Because despite all of its challenges, Haiti has great people – and hopefully a brighter future.