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HAITI
Woman selling vegetables
Women selling vegetables
Orphanage in Port-au-Prince
Converses for sale
Tap Taps in Petionville
Traffic in Petionville

Very Haitian

- Mid-day dancing:  On a Tuesday in Port-au-Prince I was walking around looking for a place to eat. I walked into a restaurant that was part of a hotel. A guy inside standing next to the wall, dressed very urban New York, told me in English I shouldn't walk alongside the curb. "A car can run you over," he told me. "Well you should teach me how to cross the street then," I tell him. We spent the day together with one of his friends dancing, drinking and eating all in the middle of a  weekday.​

 

- FUcci: One thing I noticed was that Haitians (mostly men) love Gucci. Even though it is fake they all look fabulous, adding their Caribbean flavor to it. They also love Converses and sell them everywhere!

 

- Prestige: The first day I got to Haiti, I was offered a Prestige beer. The first thing you do when you get to Haiti ... get a Prestige. Some days later I had the Haitian Rhum, Barbancourt â€‹... the second thing you do...get ONE rum punch with Barbancourt. Emphasis on ONE.

 

- C​ompa:  How can I say this ... Dancing to compa is one of most sensual and sexy movements I have ever danced. Make sure whoever you are dancing with,  you will be going home with that person afterwards. You'll see...

  • Repellant:​ ï»¿ï»¿ï»¿You will be fresh meat in the Caribbean. Mosquitoes do not discriminate so bring at least two bottles but make sure it doesn't have fragrance because that would just be an invitation for them to bite you faster. (Don't worry they will still bite you) Some nights I had to sleep with long pants and socks with the blanket covering me from head to toe.  

  • - Lots of spending $$: ​​Contrary to what you may know, Haiti is very expensive. Food, souvenirs and mostly everything else besides taps taps can break your pockets. I was in Haiti for 12 days and spent something close to $1000.

  • Sunscreen: The Haitian sun will melt you and make you very crispy. Make sure to bring at least a 10.8 fl. oz. bottle, and a 3 fl. oz. for your purse/bookbag.

  • - H​and towel: Haitians always carry around a hand towel; with good reason because it's so hot. I guarantee you will get back to your hotel as if you passed through sprinklers before arriving.

  • -  Boots: Do not leave home without them! There are still crumbling streets because of the earthquake and there tends to be rivers of water and mud on the sidewalks.

Bus from Port-au-Prince to Cap-Haitien



The bus ride from PAP to O'Cap is one of the most adventurous things, I think, I've ever done. If you don't mind riding on an unpaved rode for 7-8 hours, sitting in a cramped space that seats two but the conductor fits three, not know the language (unless you do) with your luggage on top of the bus, while people perhaps sitting on it (because Haitians do sit on top of the bus) and most likely getting a flat tire or two along the way THEN I completely recommend this for you. I am telling you its a moment to remember.



The bus driver charged me $15. You will definitely need a cab to get there. The cab driver charged me $15 because I negotiated from $20. Your hotel should know a reliable cab driver. I left around 9am. Leave as early as possible, it is not safe to travel at night.

What to bring

First stop: Port-au-Prince

Backpacking the Caribbean

ABOUT

Hi Everyone! 

 

​I decided to create this website when I was researching how to backpack the 'authentic' Caribbean on a budget but instead I found scattered information on various websites. I wanted to concentrate all of my knowledge I gathered throughout my experiences on one website. I hope you enjoy it and it helps in your travels! 

 

Damaly Gonzalez, Founder of Backpacking the Caribbean 

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Destination

HAITI



DOMINICAN REPUBLIC



PUERTO RICO

 

CUBA *coming soon

© 2013-2016 This website was completely created by Damaly Gonzalez. All pictures are solely for the purpose of this website. 

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