based bespoke tailor who regularly returns to his native Haiti to lend his expertise and encouragement to the local fashion scene. Port-au-Prince proper has a few other tourist attractions, such as the recently-restored Marché de Fer market for souvenirs and voodoo-related items, or the Musée du Panthéon National Haïtien (MUPANAH), with relics spanning Haiti's surreal, tragic history. While the downtown area is located in the "red zone" and thus off-limits to Embassy personnel (i.e. my friend), recent reviews on TripAdvisor show that tourists are still regularly visiting these sights without undue hardship (check the State Department's website at travel.state.gov for the latest updates concerning security in Haiti). On the tourist amenities side, Haiti is ready for a certain kind of intrepid tourist- one who is open-minded, has all the time in the world, and is willing to navigate some chaos en route to sites of interest.
Once you leave the dust and noise of the capital behind, however, Haiti is unquestionably spectacular. After another traffic-filled slog to get out of the city, passing through what feels like the 17th open-air market you've seen, you pick up Route Nationale #1, which hugs the coast as it makes its way to Cap Haitien and northern Haiti. Although the road is prone to barricades and blockages that coincide with local grievances, when the route is clear you can experience the particular thrill of reuniting with your car's fourth gear after a long absence. Just past the shiny new Sport for Hope athletic center built by the International Olympic committee, the metropolis gives way to small, impoverished communities and austere hillsides long-denuded of trees. As the azure Caribbean Sea becomes visible out the windshield, you are reminded why Haiti was intermittently a prime tourist destination for sun-seeking Americans (an easy way to impress new acquaintances at a dinner party? Mention that the Clintons honeymooned in Haiti back in 1975). The cluster of hotels at Montrouis, only 40 miles from the capital, lie on the Côtes des Arcadins, an impressive stretch of white-ish sand beaches. The Moulin sur Mer is a mainstay among the diplomatic community and UN peacekeepers, while nearby Club Indigo (the former Club Med) was recently purchased and revamped by the Colombian chain Decameron and returned to its all-inclusive roots. We stayed one night in the former, which besides the sandy beach and crystal-clear water also has a museum on-site that was a former sugar plantation (a visceral reminder of Haiti's historical role in the trans-Atlantic slave trade). Evenings at the beach bar will impress even the most jaded world-traveler, as the sun sets behind the nearby Île de la Gonâve and solitary skiffs sail on the horizon. In terms of nightlife, you're mostly captive to the hotel bars and restaurants due to the lack of off-site options. However, the hotel restaurant at the Moulin sur Mer was surprisingly good, not particularly expensive, and even featured more live Haitian music. (Furthermore, its proximity to your hotel room comes in handy once the rum punch starts to kick in). The next morning the wind had picked up and the water was a bit cloudier, but it just made the beach a different kind of beautiful. Haiti can charm you and teach you things at the most unexpected times, like when you taste peanut butter for the first time made from distinctively bitter Haitian peanuts or discover that the traditional pumpkin soup on offer is secretly the best way to start your day that you never knew existed. Only begrudgingly did we tear ourselves away from the view and the coffee (and the Haitian peanut butter) to start the drive back to Port-au-Prince and finish our Haitian road trip. On the beach getaway front, Haiti is not only ready for tourists but ready and able to offer an incredible experience.
Fresh from the high of the road trip and a subsequent dinner party filled with fascinating expat guests and Haitian locals, we were ready to give Haiti the green light. However, first we had to navigate the vagaries of our friend Toussaint Louverture Airport once again. After exiting the check-in hall, which looked like it hadn't been dusted since the Clintons were there, you must pass through one security checkpoint, passport control, and yet another security checkpoint facing the gate. In the interim, a hungry traveler can find only one lone tiny, hot outpost selling random beverages and some not-recommendable snacks. There does appear to be an
airport is underway and was slated to be completed in 2015, but this welcome development has not yet occurred. Currently, the airport serves as an odd coda for any trip to Haiti, reminding the traveler that despite the amazing experiences compiled during a trip to Haiti, the country still has a ways to go.
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