Haiti is the second oldest independent state in the Americas right after the US and one of the two states in the Americas that uses French as an official language. In its most recent history, Haiti has been hit by a devastating earthquake in 2010 that took the lives of over 150 thousand people. Haiti is the poorest nation in the western hemisphere with over 2.5 million people still in need of humanitarian aid. When visiting Haiti there are some important things you definitely should know.

Travelling info

When entering Haiti only the residents of 4 nations are required to obtain a visa and these are Colombia, Cuba, Dominican Republic and Panama. All other nationalities are only required to have a passport which should be valid for at least 6 months. (visa requirements in sources). In Haiti, you may use your own or an international driver’s permit to drive in Haiti.

Travelling hazards

The main roads in cities are in decent condition although rural roads would require a solid 4wd SUV or a pickup truck to successfully drive on. Roads in main cities may be a subject of spontaneous roadblocks such as burning tyres, car wreckages and other forms of barricades. These may take up as long as 5 hours to be removed from the road due to random outbursts of peoples protests. Taxi fares charge a fixed rate for any distance although you probably won’t be the only passenger as they do tend to pick up as many people as possible for their trip. Renting cars is not recommended as they tend to be expensive and can be easily damaged due to the generally bad driving of the locals.

Environmental hazards

The American crocodile is the only large animal to pose any threat to humans. They only inhabit the Etang Saumâtre and its flooding areas. They pose a great threat to the locals due to common interaction. Besides these prehistoric giants, mosquitos and worm parasites will be the greatest danger you are likely to encounter. If travelling to Haiti make sure you are well protected against any bug bites as they likely carry some form of diseases such as malaria, Zika or dengue fever. Haiti houses over 27 species of snakes although none of them poses a threat to humans.
Earthquakes are known to occur in the areas of Haiti with the most severe one to happen yet in 2010, causing devastation and chaos that lasts till this day. Haiti also experiences a storm season from late summer up to early autumn during which tropical cyclones are a possibility that greatly harms the already vulnerable nation. The deforestation of almost the entire nation caused an increased occurrence of flash flooding created by even a modest rainfall.

Health hazards

Since the earthquake in 2010, poverty in the country has greatly increased and disease outbreaks have followed. Haiti now suffers from the outbreaks of cholera, Zika and yellow fever. Routine vaccines aka MMR vaccines, Hepatitis A and B, rabies and typhoid are strongly recommended. There is also a quite high possibility of catching some sort of a worm parasite or fleas. 1 in 50 people suffers from HIV. Haitian healthcare is in terrible condition and can only provide for less than a third of the country. There is a great shortage of supplies. Prescribed medicine is extremely limited along with speciality care. Emergency care is not always readily available as most emergency departments are not fully staffed. Even when purchasing medical insurance you will be asked to pay upfront for your services and presented with a receipt that can be later provided to the insurance company.
In case of an emergency dial 118.

Crime

Crime is underreported in Haiti making it seem like it is safer than most Caribbean countries but that is far from the truth. Haiti is the poorest and what follows the most dangerous out of the Caribbean nations. Aggravated assault and robberies are the most common type of law violation. Banks continue to be a frequent location for armed robberies. Assailants commonly follow their victim a short distance from the bank to steal their money or other belongings in less crowded areas. Shootings often happen during robberies. Home invasions are also on the rise with a little care of the occupants being at home or not from the burglars. The Police force is highly ineffective and doesn’t respond on time. Civil unrest in the country is the cause of frequent protests which are followed by road barricades, rock throwing and clashes with the police. Narcotics possession of any kind or amount is illegal and highly punishable.

Summary

In general, Haiti is one of the most dangerous places in the Caribbean to travel to. Unless you’re an experienced traveller it is not recommended as your first time trip to the Caribbeans. Remember that planning your trip with Travset.com will give you the quickest information about nearest emergency services and will also help you purchase indispensable travel insurance for the trip of your lifetime. Please feel free to comment and share the experiences of your travels with Travset.com.

Sources

(US travel advisory)
https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories/haiti-travel-advisory.html
(Visa requirements)
http://haiti.org/visa-entry-requirements-for-haiti/
(Vaccines)
https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/traveler/none/haiti