Port-au-Prince

Port-au-Prince is the capital and largest city of Haiti. Presidential Palace Prior to Earthquake Understand Get in By plane Port-au-Prince airport (PAP) is served by several major airlines primarily American Airlines, United Airlines and Delta as well as smaller flights from the Dominican Republic, Cuba, and other spots in the Caribbean. Taxis from the airport to your destination in Port-au-Prince will be about $20 for standard fare. Try to bargain down to $15. Tap Taps going to all places past the airport will cost about 10 gourdes ($0.25) and a community-created route map can be found here: http://taptapmap.org By train By car By bus From Santo Domingo: Caribe Tours, Capitol Coach Line and Terra Bus each run very modern buses daily to Port-au-Prince, each of the 3 companies departing from their own station along Av. 27 de Febrero. Caribe runs to Pétionville (in the hills above Port-au-Prince) that leaves at 11:00 am. Most all tickets currently cost $40 one-way, plus serious tax/border fees of about $26 and 100 DR, depending on the direction. Unfortunately, Caribe Tours' bus drops you off in Pétionville after dark so make prior arrangements with a trustworthy person to meet you and transport you to your lodging. Another, less expensive option, is to take a guagua (Dominican minibus) from Santo Domingo departing 4 blocks NW of Parque Enriquillo, just W of Av Duarte, from a small parking lot within the elevated expressways of Espresso 27 de Febrero). http://horariodebuses.com suggests guava buses leave every 45min, but this is not always the case. Price is 400 DR (about $10, 5+ h permits a quick rest/meal stop) and arrive in the border town of Jimani. From there it is a 4 km walk or a 50+ DR ride by motoconcho to the border post. The border is apparently open 08:00-18:00 (if it respects its times). In the past it was very easy to cross the border without submitting to any immigration procedures on either side, and although probably illegal, saved a few dozen dollars on bribes and was much faster too. Things are changing: passport control is now generally required leaving the DR, not just entering the DR. Entering Haiti legally is quick: fill out the green form and pay whatever amount the official asks (around 100 DR). There are no ATMs at the border. Moneychangers give gourdes for Dominican and American currency. Rates are fair. Protect Haiti's small green card in your passport, allowing you to leave Haiti without risking a penalty. There's usually plenty of local transportation from the border to Port-au-Prince. Crowded tap-taps and buses can take you to Croix-des-Bouquets for about 75 gourdes (1-2 h), from where it is another hour to Port-au-Prince (bus, 5+ gourdes per route, summary network map @ http://taptapmap.org). Road ranges from very bad to good, and is prone to flooding. Peruvian UN soldiers at the border have confirmed that the road to Port-au-Prince is safe to travel with no incidents of robbery or kidnappings, but definitely try to arrive in Port-au-Prince before dark. By boat Get around Tap-taps run along prescribed routes throughout the city. Most routes cost 10 gourdes ($0.25), though to get across the city you may need to utilize multiple routes, each of which charges separately. Taxis typically are about 500 gourdes and should be used only during daylight. After dark, prices rise substantially, and you are at substantially greater risk for being mugged. See The National Palace The National Palace famously collapsed during the earthquake and offers one of Port-au-Prince's most startling reminders of the quake's power. Adjacent to the palace is one of Port-au-Prince 's many tent cities, whose over 1000 residents occupy what used to be the most beautiful park in Haiti, the Champs-de-Mar. Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption Port-au-Prince's largest cathedral is just down the road from the palace and is likewise a shell of its former glory. Residents continue to pray outside its broken husk, and funerals are frequently held in a plaza behind the main building. The Musée du Panthéon National Haïtien For $1, you will be led on an individual guided tour through a chronology of Haitian history. Each period is divided into a muraled section containing paragon items of that time: the anchor of the Santa Maria, Christopher Columbus's flagship, is the centerpiece of the exploration age section. Do Learn Work Buy Markets Marche de fer (Iron Market) A densely packed market of vendors selling everything from crafts such as voodoo paraphernalia to fresh food such as turtles. It a challenging, stressful, and maddening place to walk through as throngs of desperate merchants grab you and tight huddle of shoppers, stalls, and moving goods impede your every step, which requires you to swim through humanity. You will find a breathtaking inventory of hand crafted art: sculptures, masks, staves, paintings, globes, tea sets, coconut belts, etc. Banking There are at least two banks with ATMs: Scotiabank and Sogebank. The closest Scotiabank to downtown is at the intersection of Boulevard Jean-Jacques-Dessalines and Rue Pavée. Even the ATM is closed on Sundays. Banks here close very early, even on the weekdays. Eat Eating out in Port-au-Prince is surprisingly expensive. Even at modest restaurants a full plate of food will usually cost around 200 gourdes. A good amount of food from street vendors will even cost up to 100 gourdes. Budget Foodies (near the National Palace) A clean fast food joint serving hamburgers and fries. Expect to spend about 120 gourdes for a cheeseburger, fries, and drink. Ask for the owner, a Haitain of Lebanese ancestry, who will answer your questions in Brooklyn English. Mid-range Pizza Garden, one of the best pizzerias in the whole city, although it is hard to find if you do not know its location. There is "Old" Pizza Garden and "New" Pizza Garden, the latter being as a result of a split in co-owners. The décor is typical of a Haitian café, with handcrafted tables and lamps. The atmosphere feels intimate due to the soft lighting. Try the extra cheese pizza. Splurge La Souvenance, 48 Rue Geffrard, ☎ +509 257 4813. 6:30-11PM, closed Su-Mo. One of the best restaurants in town, it features French cuisine, some of it with a Creole twist. Mains from $20.  edit Self-Catering There are grocery stores all over town at least two in the center of town, both located on Capois: the Big Star Market in the Champ-de-Mars area and the Primera Market nearby the Hotel Olafson. Drink Crémas, an alcoholic beverage made of coconut and vanilla. Rhum Barbancourt. Biere Prestige. bottled water. Sleep There are no cheap places to stay, just less expensive choices. Budget Wall's Guesthouse A clean secure compound popular with missionaires located in Delmas, a residential neighborhood, far from the action of Port-au-Prince. The electricity is constant and so is the cold water. You may be placed in a room with other people but that is unlikely; however, you will be sharing a bathroom. A buffet-style breakfast and dinner are complementary. If you do not mind the toilsome journey from the guesthouse to interesting parts of Port-au-Prince, then consider the place for $30 per person. Palace Hotel The cheapest hotel in the centrally located Champ-de-Mars. A good choice if you want to stay out late as the hotel is so easy to return to. A faded grand balcony occupies the entire second floor. There is a vintage feeling of being where aristocrats used to hang out. It can be a lonely place as they are almost no other Western travellers. The accommodations are rough: electrity and running water (no hot water) are on and off. The cost of a double can be negotiated down to $40. Mid-range Splurge Hotel Oloffson, Ave Christophe 60, ☎ +509 2223-4000, [1]. An illustrious hotel with unmistakable past grandeur which has served as a mansion and a marines base and is now a popular hotel for Westerners in Haiti. The guests--such as UN employees, filmmakers, academics--all mingle easily with the owner, Richard, and each other on the long front desk, which also doubles as a bar/restaurant. If you are traveling with many, consider a suite; they are huge. Singles from $70, doubles from $80.  edit Contact A recommended guide is Jean Eteme Lundg (cell: 740-0703 or ask for him at the Oloffson desk). He charges $15/day. Try to ask for price advice before entering the Iron Market because, he like other guides, do not want to be seen as undermining the merchants. Stay safe You should not be outside on the streets after dark unless you are wandering around the busy Champs-de-Mars area. Many travelers and guide books rate Port-au-Prince as the most dangerous major city in the Caribbean in terms of crime and personal safety, even more so than, say, Kingston, Jamaica or Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. Cope Embassies China, 10 Place Boyer, Pétionville, ☎ +506 2575568.  edit Japan, HEXAGONE 2F, Angle Rues Clerveaux et Darguin, ☎ +509 2256-5885 (+509 2256-3333, fax: +509 2256-9444), [2].  edit United States, Tabarre 41, Blvd 15 Octobre, ☎ +509 22 29 8000 (fax: +509 22 29 8028), [3].  edit Get out Pétionville, a wealthy suburb with lots of nightlife, bars and restaurants. This is a usable article. It has information for getting in as well as some complete entries for restaurants and hotels. An adventurous person could use this article, but please plunge forward and help it grow!