Port-au-Prince is a shock to the senses. It is a city of extremes: vulnerable and resilient; trash collecting under walls over which grow the beautiful purple Bougainvillea flower. In a land where the majority speaks a French Creole and Voodoo and Freemasonry thrive, you’ll find your senses assaulted by poverty, art, creativity, and the sight of a thousand acts of perseverance.

Getting There:

There is a 300 km highway connecting Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic to Port-au-Prince. However, you will almost certainly find yourself flying into Haiti’s capital. On both occasions I have traveled to Haiti, I did so after a visit to the DR. Two airlines operate flights (2 a day each) from the DR to Haiti: Air Century, and Haiti’s own Sunrise Airways. Both companies operate flights out of Santo Domingo’s Joaquina Halagar / Isabela airport to the north of the city to Port-au-Prince’s Toussaint Louverture International Airport. The flight takes about 45 minutes and you can plan to ignore the seat assigned to you on your ticket. When you get to that seat after boarding you will likely find someone comfortably tucked into it. 

There are also direct flights to Port-au-Prince from Miami, Panama City, New York, Montreal, and Paris should those take-off-points better suit your convenience. 

Staying There:

Before exiting the airport, I stopped at the Digicel booth and bought a SIM card for US$ 10. Then with my briefcase slung over my shoulder I made my way out of the airport and met my driver. You will want to have pre-arranged your transportation prior to arrival. We set off for Petion-Ville a neighbourhood set high up in the hills, about an hour away from the airport.

The higher we climbed the more the scenery changed. Closer to sea level by the airport, the streets are congested with traffic and trash, as people move about carrying everything you can imagine  on their heads, leaving their hands free for other tasks. In contrast, Petion-Ville featured well manicured gardens behind high walls that adorned beautiful homes. On the street corners vendors sell art proudly emphasizing the Haitian people. Before long with these images reverberating in the back of my mind, I checked into the Hotel Kinam and waited for my colleagues to join for meetings later that morning. 

One night during my stay I had the pleasure of sharing a business dinner at the Hotel Villa Therese owned by a member of the group we were meeting. It is a gorgeous 20-odd room boutique hotel and an example of Haiti’s resilience. It was destroyed in the 2010 earthquake and then rebuilt, reinforced, by its owner. We enjoyed a buffet of local dishes on a small patio overlooking an illuminated pool whose glowing lights danced on the walls around us. 

You might also check out the Best Western, and Hotel Karibe both of which were recommended to me by locals. 

Eating and Drinking There:

Mozaik

On my first night in Port-au-Prince we were invited to eat at Mozaik. Walking past the well-stocked rum bar on entering, we descended a set of stairs into the courtyard. Surrounded by elegant white clasped curtains, we thoroughly enjoyed the French Caribbean cuisine on offer. 

Aioli

Undeterred by the unostentatious entrance, we pressed on to Aioli’s lovely courtyard for a lunch meeting the next day. Seated next to a tree around which the building had been constructed, we shared cheese fondu and happily dipped both vegetables and bread as we discussed the topic at hand.

The View

On my last night in Haiti, we found ourselves at the View. As the name suggests, the view of Port-au-Prince and its bay were spectacular. Wine and lively conversations ensued. 

Doing There:

My time in Haiti was both circumscribed and thoroughly dedicated to work. The life of a briefcaser doesn’t always allow for exploration. I did however steal a couple of hours to pay a visit to Yanvalou one night.  The evening was memorable. A Haitian band pounded their hands rhythmically on drums as the audience swayed approvingly. A haunt of expats and locals alike, I mingled with the diverse crowd, sipped on a Prestige and relished a few hours break.  Produced by Brana and owned by Heineken, Prestige is Haiti’s national beer served cold in a pleasantly stout bottle most anywhere you might go in the capital. 

A Final Thought:

While it was my work that took me to Haiti, it may not be the only thing that takes me back.  It is the only country to have gained its independence through a successful slave uprising. And despite shocking poverty and an underdeveloped tourism industry, the country of Haiti now wields the power to captivate the imagination.  Even so, it was time to move on, as always, to continue the ceaseless pursuit.