Prepare your trip to Haiti

To prepare a trip, it may seem easy for some, but a real headache for others!

Pa gen pwoblèm (no problem in Creole), PAP’PADAP! Travels is here to guide you through the stages of travel preparation.

Step 1: Preparing the suitcase

The question you often ask yourself when planning a trip is:

 “ShouId I take a suitcase or a backpack?”

Well, it’s up to you!

During the different stages of your stay, your luggage will be transported in the vehicle you will be traveling with. So you won’t have to carry them around.

But our motto is : Let’s go light to have a light mind!

Here is what you should have in your luggage:

  • Long-sleeved t-shirts (mosquitoes can be greedy at night!)
  • Long-sleeved pants (mosquitoes again)
  • Mosquito repellent
  • Headlamp
  • Rechargeable battery
  • Backpack (40 liters max) for hiking
  • Cap or hat
  • Walking shoes
  • A fleece jumper/jacket  (for AYITI GREEN trips)
  • A sleeping bag (for AYITI GREEN trips)
  • Flip-flops (for the shower and the beach)
  • Swimsuit
  • Beach towel
  • Sunglasses
  • Solar cream
  • reusable water bottle 

If you have these items in your luggage, you can enjoy your stay with peace of mind 🙂

With an annual temperature of 28 °, you have sun all year round!

The ideal is to visit from October and April to be able to fully enjoy the beaches; and avoid the rainy season between May and September.

Step 2: Health

No vaccination is compulsory but some are recommended; It is best to make sure you are up to date with the usual vaccinations and those related to all the geographical areas visited.

The diphtheria-tetanus-polio (DTP) vaccination update is recommended, as well as the rubella-mumps-measles (MMR) vaccination in children. The same goes for tuberculosis vaccination.

Depending on local travel conditions, vaccinations against typhoid fever and viral hepatitis A and B may be recommended.

Vaccination against rabies is recommended, including in the perspective of a stay in town. Seek advice from your doctor or an international vaccination center.

Vaccination for yellow fever is compulsory for all travelers from the following countries:

Africa: Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Congo, Ivory Coast, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Equatorial Guinea, Kenya, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Uganda, Republic Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Chad, Togo.

Americas: Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, French Guiana, Panama, Peru, Suriname, Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Trinidad and Tobago.

For the latest updates about health recommendations  check https://travelhealthpro.org.uk/country/100/haiti

Step 3: Administrative formalities

Travelers to Haiti with a foreign passport must pay an entry fee of CA $ 10, US $ 10 or € 10 upon arrival at Toussaint-Louverture International Airport. To enter Haiti by land from the Dominican Republic, you must pay a cash fee of US $ 10.

It is important before traveling to check government websites to make sure you check the latest recommendations.

Provide cash to pay the tourist fee.

The following are exempt from paying these entrance fees:

  • children under the age of 6;
  • holders of an official or diplomatic passport;
  • holders of a United Nations passport;
  • visitors with their valid residence card;
  • people born in Haiti.

For a stay of less than 90 days, people who wish to visit Haiti can enter Haitian territory without a visa and stay there for 90 days within a period of 180 days.

Step 4: Book your flight to Haiti

PAP’PADAP! Travels holiday packages don’t include international flights. However, we are happy to advise you in the booking process with airlines.

If you’re crossing the Atlantic and coming from Europe (France, UK), be prepared for a 5-6 hour time difference.

In Europe, direct flights are only from Paris, and last around 9hours 30 minutes. For departures from the United Kingdom, it is possible to transit through Miami or New York.

The airlines that fly to Haiti are: Air Caraïbes, Air France, American Airlines, COPA, Delta Airways, Air Canada, Air Transat. For a departure from Canada, there can be up to 2 hours of time difference.

Step 5: Plan your pocket money

PAP’PADAP! Travels are all-inclusive*, we even take care of the water and snacks!

However, if you want to buy some souvenirs, it’s best to have some cash with you. ATMs are only found in large cities, and it can be difficult to withdraw large sums of money.

There is also the option to withdraw money directly from banks, but the queue can be long at certain times of the day.

PAP’PADAP! Travels advises you to notify your bank when traveling outside your home country, because some banks may think it is an attempted fraud, and block the transaction you want to make.

Card payments are possible in some businesses, especially in large cities.

The best is to have some US Dollars in cash, that you can change on the spot in Haitian gourdes.

* except international flights

For more information check our Q&A here !

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