Haiti - Not Just Voodoo

Haiti is a country on the island of Hispaniola in the Caribbean, which shares its land with the Dominican Republic, and Indians going to Haiti on holiday can go visa free for three months as long as they have an up to date passport and enough spending money for the Haitian vacation. The country is 27,750 sq kilometres and has around 10.6 million inhabitants, which makes it the second largest populated country in the Caribbean. The capital city is Port-au-Prince, and it is also the biggest city on Haiti, the languages spoken are French and Haitian Creole and the currency is the Haitian Gourde, and if you want to tour the country by car, then be aware that you have to drive on the right here.

Port-au-Prince is a developing city, especially after the earthquake in 2010, and there is a large gap between rich and poor but it is also an exciting, lively Caribbean city with some nice hotels and a very vibrant nightlife and plenty of markets where you can buy fresh farm produce and locally made arts and crafts. It has two popular museums, the national museum, the Musée du Panthéon National, and the Marché de Fer which showcase relics from Haiti’s colourful history including articles that belonged to Papa Doc Duvalier and even an anchor from one of Christopher Columbus’s ships.

Haiti is famous for becoming the first black republic after freeing themselves from French rule and slavery, and you can visit buildings that are symbols of this revolt, namely the Citadelle la Ferriere fortress and the Sans Souci palace, where the leader of the revolution, Henry Christophe resided. Both buildings are Unesco World Heritage sites. Haiti has a thriving arts scene, where even the public transport is brightly painted.

If you enjoy relaxed beach life then there are some beautiful beaches were you can chill out and eat locally caught fish and drink local rum, such as Port Salut and the island of Ile-a-Vache, which has some upmarket beach resorts. The countryside itself features waterfalls, lagoons and even large caves to explore such as at Grotte Marie-Jeanne and the local food derives from rice and beans, tropical fruit and seafood. Haiti may be known for voodoo but as any Indian holidaymaker travelling to Haiti will see, this small country offers a lot more.