Haiti Up Close

Krik-krak! – The Haitian Tradition of Storytelling

May 29, 2020 by admin

group of haitians sitting on chairs and porch in courtyard — Krik-krak storytelling in Cayes Jacmel
Photo: Anton Lau

Krik-krak! (and tim-tim!)

An oral tradition as old as the birth of Haiti, folk storytelling — or tire kont — is one of the pillars at the center of the country’s culture, and must be practiced to survive from generation to generation

“In my family, we are four, but when one of my brothers and sisters is not there, we can’t do anything…” Do you know the answer?

What you’ve just read is an example of a captivating Haitian cultural tradition known as kont, or “tales”. The scene in which you’ll hear these usually begins at nightfall, when children leave the warmth of their family homes to reunite outside and do what Haitians call tire kont – “telling tales”. These tales aren’t really stories, but rather short charades, each more amusing than the one before, based on the details and small objects of everyday life, and told in very colorful language. The practice of tire kont is often referred to as krik-krak! or tim-tim! because of the call-and-response formula of the charades.

haitian boys sitting in port-au-prince — Boys gathered for Krik-krak storytelling in Bois Moquette
Photo: Franck Fontain

How krik-krak works

The taleteller, the one who usually knows the answer to the charade, signals the start of a charade by calling “Krik!” To this, everyone replies: “Krak!”

When the taleteller says krik, they’re saying, “Prepare yourself, I have something for you to guess.” After people respond with “Krak!”, the taleteller continues: “Tim tim?” and the assembly replies, “Bwa chèch.”

“I may be small, but I have honored the greatest men.”

At this point, it’s up to the fastest person to answer. Suggestions shoot up from every corner: candle? Pen? Notebook? And if no one knows the answer, everyone admits defeat by saying, “Mwen bwè pwa.” Then, and only then, the taleteller reveals the answer to the riddle. Krik-krak is a communal practice that says a lot about Haitian people’s way of life. The tale, just like music and literature, contributes to keeping the Creole language alive and dynamic.

The practice of krik-krak / tim-tim is inherited from Haitians’ ancestors in Africa. In So Spoke the Uncle, Jean Price-Mars explains that similar practices appear in other countries where most of the population is descended from Africa, like Guadeloupe, and that the same krik-krak formula is still in use in some places in Africa.

Alongside riddles, there are also stories told to children and adults that follow the same formula, and which participate in the transmission of Haitian’s collective communal values and morality. Some tales, such as “Tezin” and “Ti Soufri”, are widespread across Haiti. Just like the fables and fairytales, these stories carry moral lessons and reflect social mores.

Haitian storytelling: growing or vanishing?

Orality occupies an extremely important place in Haiti, to the point where even Vodou, the most popular religion, is preserved overwhelmingly through oral traditions, including a strictly oral form of literature called odyans. The Haitian tale puts in perspective ways of life of the lower class and of people living in the countryside, where themes such as ownership, death, inheritance and family resurface often – familiar themes in European fairytales, which likewise often centre on the rural working-class. Although the social rite of telling stories around campfires is older than history itself, and the Haitian call-and-response guessing game is anchored in ancient African modes of storytelling, krik-krak! stands out as a unique treasure of Haitian culture, and one that both reflects and co-creates Haitian society.

However, since kont are handed down generation through generation orally, some rarely-told tales are at risk of disappearing…

haitian boys sitting together laughing — Boys gathered for krik-krak storytelling in Bois Moquette – Photo: Franck Fontain

There’s a Krik-krak! festival in March, and you’re invited!

Since 2009, an annual storytelling festival called Kont Anba Tonèl – the Intercultural Festival of Tales – has been hosted in Port-au-Prince as well as Jérémie and other provincial cities. Held every March, starting on World Story Day (March 20), the festival is largely an effort to showcase Haitian modes of storytelling, keeping the practice of krik-krak! alive. And it seems to be working – more and more comedians are turning to a career of professional taleteller, and some radio stations recover audio files of tales, archiving them to hold them in safekeeping for the future generations we hope will continue the practice.

If you visit Haiti during the last two weeks of the month of March, you’ll be able to attend the Kont Anba Tonèl festival and immerse yourself in an ancestral practice. Expect to hear a wealth of tales, attend talks by professional tale-collectors, and participate in workshops teaching many modes of storytelling, including krik-krak!. On that note…

“Krik? Gets dressed to the nines to stay at home?”
“Krak! The bed, of course…”

Written by Melissa Beralus and translated by Kelly Paulemon.

Published May 2020

Explore Haiti’s Art & Culture

How to Volunteer in Haiti: A Guide to Making Sustainable Change

April 29, 2020 by admin

two haitian school girls in uniforms smiling — Two schoolgirls laughing in Corail
Photo: Franck Fontain

How to Volunteer in Haiti

Want to have a hand in making change happen? Read this first.

If you are tuned in to any kind of international news outlet, you probably already have a clear image of Haiti in mind. You are most likely familiar with the picture of hunger and misery, and you have more often than not had your heartstrings tugged at by calls to action like this:

“Don’t wait another second: donate now!”

“The people of Haiti need our support.”

“With just one dollar, you can change someone’s life today.”

That might not be enough for you, though.

Countries like Haiti, where large swaths of the population struggle to make a living for themselves on a daily basis, are seeing more and more people flying in to get their hands dirty. It is no longer enough to mail a check, pack up old t-shirts, or round up a total at a supermarket to donate to a cause.

People want to have a hand in making change happen.

If that sounds like you, you will want to keep reading for our best tips and suggestions for actively volunteering in Haiti.

There are two things you must absolutely do before you leave your home country and come to Haiti: read up and listen.

mountain pass in haiti with small houses — A mountain pass in Seguin
Photo: Tyler Welsh

Set and re-set your intentions

One the one hand, it is important for you as a visitor to prepare yourself before you come to Haiti looking to lend a helping hand. It’s very easy to assume that those in need will find use for just about anything. A very common occurrence in times of crisis in Haiti is that well-meaning folks in more fortunate countries pack up whatever it is they have on hand and no longer need and send it all over. This should go without saying, but a need can only be addressed if it is heard, which is why it is important to listen.

Do as much research as you can. Are there people on the grounds that you can establish direct contact with? Have you been to Haiti before, and know of places you can trust because you have worked with them? What are the trustworthy organizations that people can reach out to if they would like to lend a helping hand, and what is their track record?

It is essential to come to Haiti prepared with this knowledge, because it will help you navigate the terrain much more easily once you’re here.

If you are coming from a foreign, “first world” country, it’s easy to assume that any work, donation, or support that you bring during your stay in Haiti will better the lives of the Haitians around you; this is the first thing you need to un-learn before you even board a plane.

haitian students in public school with street traffic — Students at the Lycée National de Pétion-Ville
Photo: Franck Fontain

Volunteering cannot come from a place of “saving”

If you have been following news about Haiti and relief efforts from various non-governmental organizations over the years, you must be well aware of the scandal involving the Red Cross after the 2010 earthquake. If you are not, then here is a quick summary: in the time following the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, the Red Cross raised over $500 million dollars for relief efforts — but the work that was claimed to be done could never be accounted for. Claims of houses built, communities supported, and lives set back afoot, could not successfully be verified.

Volunteering in a foreign country cannot come from a place of “saving;” it needs to come from a place of listening, understanding, and helping. Focusing on how you can best support the people you are planning to help to improve their quality of life instead of just how you can “do good and feel good” is a good place to keep your head at during your stay in Haiti.

Once you are in Haiti, locals are the best source of information when it comes to where and how your efforts will be most useful.

It all begins with a conversation with a local.

Three boys sitting on the bridge at Gelée Beach, Haiti — Boys hanging out at Gelée Beach
Photo: Mikkel Ulriksen

Haitians need sustainable change

What is it that you have a skill in and that you want to share, or that you are passionate about? Is it the education and development of young Haitian children? Are you more involved in environmental causes and would like to see greener places in Haiti? Does your interest lie in healthcare and how accessible it is to people?

From there, your host (if you choose to stay with one) can point you in a few directions; while there is no shortage of NGOs, someone who is living in Haiti and who has either heard of or had some contact with opportunities to directly support disenfranchised Haitians will be a better indication of how you can help than any infomercial you may see from the comfort of your home abroad.

In general, though, make sure you keep the following in mind: Haitians need sustainable change, at any level where change is possible. What are some skills you can teach that will improve their daily lives? What is it that they’re already trying to do, but are lacking in hands or knowledge? What are the realities Haitians are dealing with on a day-to-day basis that will inform the ways in which you can help? There is no better way to start helping than to listen.

At the end of the day, voluntourism is more than just the work you do while you are in Haiti; it’s the relationships that you will build with the people you connect with, too—and even more so if you are working with children. Be mindful of the amount of time you intend to spend in Haiti, and take care of those relationships. This goes for the organization(s) you will work with as well; those based in and working with communities tend to be the most impactful; a good place to start when choosing who to work with is finding out where they put the most funding. Initiative-first organizations are choice partners—this can guide your decisions about returning in the future!

Above all else, though, you’ll want to be honest with yourself about your reasons for coming to volunteer in Haiti. Consider whether or not you have something of value to offer, that cannot already be done by a local worker who could earn a living for themselves doing it. After all, the best volunteer experiences are the ones that are entirely selfless.

Written by Kelly Paulemon.

Published April 2020

Explore Haiti’s Art & Culture

Vodou Pilgrimage to Saut d’Eau

February 11, 2020 by admin

crowd of haitians standing under a huge waterfall — Pilgrims gathering beneath the Saut d’Eau waterfalls
Photo: Franck Fontain

On the trail of the Vodou pilgrimage to Saut d’Eau

Every year, this one-of-a-kind Vodou pilgrimage brings together crowds of the devoted and the curious

Haitian culture – we mention it a lot here at Visit Haiti, but what is it, exactly?

Haitian culture is a cluster of concepts, practices and identities, including the Kreyol (Haitian Creole) language, a set of morals, everyday customs, the history of the modern nation of Haiti (as well as the interrelated history of the Dominican Republic and the island of Hispaniola as a whole), and the Haitian religion – Vodou.

Spelled Vodou to distinguish it from the voodoo traditions of Louisiana and elsewhere in the African diaspora, Haitian Vodou is born out of the unique mix of many African religious practices with christianity, all of which were transported here to Haiti during the colonial period.

According to sales archives preserved from the colonial era (and still accessible in private collections or at the National Library of France), we learn that plantations often held slaves of up to ten different ethnicities. This included members of the island’s indigenous Taíno people, few of whom had survived the brutal regime of colonisation and enslavement up to that point. Colonial plantation owners were recommended to hold slaves from different ethnicities together on the same plantation, so that they’d have nothing in common but the color of their skin. People thrown together on Haitian plantations included Fon (Dahomey) people from Benin, Congo and elsewhere. In The Mysteries of Vodou, Laennec Hurbon explains that the word Vodou comes from the language spoken in Benin and means “invisible and formidable power”.

This multiculturalism allowed Haitian Vodou to acquire over the course of the years characteristics that are its own, and awards it all the richness it has today. One of the roots of this richness is the religious syncretism that allowed African practices to graft themselves to Christianity as well as to the indigenous practices that already existed on the island. From there, the Christian saints became vodou lwas and Christian celebrations transformed into Vodou ceremonies and celebrations.

One of these celebrations is the annual pilgrimage to honor the Miraculous Virgin of Saut d’Eau at the magical Saut d’Eau waterfall (spelled Sodo in Kreyol).

haitian girl sitting behind table with merchandise for sale — Vendor selling offer gifts at Saut d’Eau
Photo: Franck Fontain

The Miraculous Virgin of Saut d’Eau

Popular in Vodou spaces around Haiti, the Miraculous Virgin of Saut d’Eau is renowned for bringing luck in love and in economic transactions. You’ll also find her venerated under the names Saint Anne (Mother of the Virgin Mary in the Christian tradition) or Little Saint Anne (Kreyol: Ti Sent Án) or Miraculous Virgin.

Every year from July 14 to 16, devotees from across Haiti make a pilgrimage to the Saut d’Eau waterfall, located 60 miles north of Port-au-Prince. The event also attracts curious travellers from around the world, who want to witness this one-of-a-kind Vodou pilgrimage.

haitian pilgrims during a spiritual ritual by waterfall — Pilgrims bathing at Saut d’Eau
Photo: Franck Fontain

How to invoke the favor of the Miraculous Virgin

To obtain the Miraculous Virgin’s favor, Vodou practitioners travel to the sacred Saut d’Eau waterfall to conduct a purification ritual. Most practitioners make the pilgrimage in summer, but the ritual is possible at any time of the year.

The ritual is called a “luck bath”. The devotee journeys to the cult site with a calabash (a water flask made from a gourd) as well as gifts to offer to the goddess, before disrobing and diving under the magnificent Saut d’Eau waterfall. Devotees carry a small collection of leaves, plants, and herbs linked to the goddess and believed to have therapeutic virtues. If they want to, the supplicants can also bring orgeat syrup, perfume or flowers, or prepare a meal to offer as a pledge of their good faith and their loyalty to the lwa.

Once the preparations are complete, the supplicant bathes under the waterfall (either alone or with the help of an ougan (Vodou priest)), washing while invoking the protection and virtues of the goddess. It is critical, at the end of this ceremony, to break the calabash that served to carry water from the waterfall to wash oneself and to leave in the water the clothes which the supplicant had worn to the site – these represent their past bad luck. Instead, devotees leave dressed in new clothes, and hopefully imbued with the goddess’ protection and luck for the future.

crowd of haitians preparing for a spiritual bath by waterfall — Saut d’Eau
Photo: Franck Fontain

Make a pilgrimage of your own

Intrigued? Although it’s one of the most sacred sites in Haiti, Saut d’Eau is not cut off from the curious. Travellers are welcome to visit the waterfall any time of year. Whether you want to try your luck at invoking the lwa‘s favor, or just enjoy the experience of bathing under an incredible freshwater waterfall, framed by gorgeous forest filled with birdsong, you’re welcome to make a pilgrimage of your own to this very special place.

Saut d’Eau waterfall (spelled Sodo in Kreyol) is located 60 miles north of Port-au-Prince, near Mirebalais. The pilgrimage happens from July 14 to 16, but the site is open to visitors year-round (road conditions allowing).

The magnificent Saut d’Eau waterfall is just one of many mystical sites used for the Vodou luck bath ritual, including Bassin Saint Jacques and the gorgeous Bassin Bleu.

haitian woman in blue dress with small child in straw hat — Saut d’Eau
Photo: Franck Fontain

Written by Melissa Beralus and translated by Kelly Paulemon.

Published February 2020

Explore Haiti’s Art & Culture

Meet the Locals: Travel Guide Ann-sophie Hamilton

January 10, 2020 by admin

portrait photo of young stylish haitian girl with long dreadlocks and red head scarf

Sustainable travel guide Ann-Sophie

“If you’re into nature and adventure, the hike to Seguin is a once in a lifetime experience”

Ann-Sophie Hamilton is one of the brightest Haitian voices on Instagram. Using visual storytelling, she takes her followers on adventures around Haiti, inviting us to fall in love with every facet of the island.

Based in Port-au-Prince, Ann-Sophie has established herself as a blogger, travel planner, business owner, and life coach. In 2015, she moved back to Haiti from Canada and launched her own sustainable tourism company, Mennen’m La Tours.

We asked Ann-Sophie to tell us all about her favourite places to visit in Haiti.

What’s the first thing we should try, do or see once we arrive in Haiti?

The first thing to do, of course, is to try the food. Good, authentic, Haitian food is a must!

The second thing, if you want to see a beautiful Haitian beach – which you most likely will, is to head to Bananier, without a doubt.

What is your favorite upscale place to eat? How about your favorite ordinary place to eat?

I have a few. I really like to eat at Le Florville. The food there is really good, and the view of the mountains is really nice. I like Portofino; it’s not really casual but not extremely fancy — somewhere in between. Quartier Latin is also a great place to grab a bite; I really love the décor. I really like eating at Haiku, as well.

Bacchus opens only late at night. It has the best goat and pork, and their fried plantains and spicy sauce are really nice. It’s a little place that you only know about if someone tells you about it. It’s clean and quite spacious.

Which city outside of Port-au-Prince is a must-see, and why?

Jacmel would be my must-see, because there’s so much to do. Each city is known for something. Petit-Goave is known for beaches. Nippes is the destination for waterfalls. Jacmel is a combination of many things: good food, good art, and they also have Bassin Bleu – which is a must visit.

Their beaches are really good for surfing, if you’re into that. In the outskirts of Jacmel, there are also a lot of plantations — awesome places to see.

What’s one place nature-lovers should absolutely see?

If you’re into nature and adventure, the hike to Seguin is a once in a lifetime experience – because some people only have the strength do it only once, but it’s so worth it! It’s a seven-hour hike from Furcy to Seguin, but when you get there, there’s a waterfall and a guest house with good food.

It’s a very challenging experience, but with a good group and healthy snacks, it’s definitely possible and an awesome attraction! Mennen’m La Tours can organize tours for people who already have a group and who would like to make it to Seguin!

Where should we go to get the best souvenirs and artworks?

In Port-au-Prince, I recommend Place St. Pierre in Pétion-Ville for paintings and other artworks, and Village de Noailles for iron artwork.

In Jacmel, there are plenty of little shops all over the city where you can get a variety of different artworks and souvenirs.

Interview by Kelly Paulemon.

Published January 2020

Explore Haiti’s Art & Culture

Ten of the Best Books about Haiti

December 21, 2019 by admin

A woman wearing a bikini relaxes in a window holding a book — Relaxing in a window in Haiti
Photo: Amanacer / Emily Bauman

The 10 books you should read before you visit Haiti

Cosy up with these ten books that explore the fascinating stories of Haiti.

Did you know that in Haitian vodou, a healer and a sorcerer are two completely different things? There are so many things to learn about Haitian culture and history that sometimes, the details slip between the fingers. The best way to catch them? Get comfortable with a good book!

Planning a visit to Haiti, or just want a closer understanding of this “land with a soul”? Here are the top 10 books that explore the fascinating history and culture of Haiti.

Masters of the Dew by Jacques Roumain

For those of us who love literature, nothing replenishes our sense of self or our faith in humanity like a good novel. Speaking of humanity, Masters of the Dew by Jacques Roumain, published in 1944 just a few months before the death of its author, is a Haitian literary classic par excellence.

Masters of the Dew is a deeply powerful story of traditional life in rural Haiti, overshadowed by the natural world but illuminated by human struggles. The novel touches on the necessity for a man to confront adversities great and small, from the need for freedom and a future for an entire population, to the need for water, soil and silk. Masters of the Dew is a parable of sorts, and compelling argues that the most beautiful mathematical equation is an addition.

Roumain was deeply invested in politics, and is famous in Haiti for founding one of the nation’s most important institutions for cultural preservation, the National Bureau of Ethnology, as well as resisting American occupation and advocating for Marxism. In fact, it was only thanks to the help of Roumain’s friends in France, André Breton and Aragon (both antifascists and members of the French surrealist movement), that Masters of the Dew was able to see the light of day in France.

We can’t mention Jacques Roumain without introducing another Jacques (and another of Haiti’s great novelists) – Jacques Stephen Alexis.

General Sun, My Brother by Jacques Stephen Alexis

Son of Haitian diplomat and novelist Stephen Alexis (1889–1962), Jacques Stephen Alexis distinguished himself early in life as a brilliant writer and politician. Another outspoken Marxist and close friend of the French surrealists, Jacques Stephen Alexis was already a respected thinker when he published his debut novel, General Sun, My Brother.

The story follows the life of two Haitian laborers from the slums of Port-au-Prince to the cane fields of the Dominican Republic, where they find themselves swept up into one of the most nightmarish moments in the diplomatic history of Hispaniola: the 1937 massacre. Strongly inspired by Roumain’s Masters of the Dew, General Sun, My Brother is a call to action, a refusal of passivity.

In the Flicker of an Eyelid by Jacques Stephen Alexis

Building on the acclaim of his debut novel, In the Flicker of an Eyelid propelled Alexis to his reputation as a genius writer. Another pillar of the Haitian classical canon, In the Flicker of an Eyelid is considered the most beautiful romance novel in Haitian literature. The story begins in a bordello in Port-au-Prince, but don’t let that mislead you – more than just a love story, this novel interweaves lessons about love, doubt, politics, social consciousness, patriotism, and the passage of time.

Rires et Pleurs (Laughs and Cries) by Oswald Durand

If you’re open to poetry and get sentimental about sunsets, reach for Rires et Pleurs (Laughs and Cries). Rires et Pleurs carries in it all of the symbolic weight of a people freshly liberated and on a quest for beauty. Oswald Durand is to poetry what Alexis is to novels.

Les Cinq Lettres by Georges Castera

“It is not with ink that I write to you but with my voice of drums besieged by falling stones”

Has a man loved before like Georges Castera in Les Cinq Lettres? “Love me like a burning house” is the poet’s request in this collection, and if you love French poetry then you and Les Cinq Lettres will get on like a house on fire.

So Spoke the Uncle by Jean Price-Mars

Want to learn more about Haitian culture and identity through a sociological/scientific framework? You’ll want to start with the book that sits at the root of the largest sociocultural movement of the Caribbean and Africa: blackness. In So Spoke the Uncle, Jean Price-Mars preaches a return to Haitan cultural origins. After all, he says, how do we know where we’re going if we don’t know where we come from?

Today, So Spoke the Uncle remains a the go-to reference text for anthropologists consulting the concepts and events crucial to Haiti’s history.

The Equality of Human Races by Anténor Firmin

Long before Price-Mars, Anténor Firmin was writing The Equality of Human Races to show that there was no such thing as race and that black, white, brown, or in between, the human species is one being, united and indivisible. One of the biggest public high schools in Port-au-Prince is named after Firmin.

Peintres Haitiens by Gerard Alexis

Interested in Haitian art? Peintres Haitiens by Gerard Alexis should be right up your alley. With over 300 color reproductions and text including art theory and artists’ biographies, Alexis explores five tenements of Haitian art: portrait and historical paintings, nature and daily life, vodou mysticism and figuration-abstraction.

Voodoo: Search for the Spirit by Laennec Hurbon

And if you want to quench your curiosity for Haitian vodou, we strongly recommend Voodoo: Search for the Spirit by Laennec Hurbon. Neither in-depth study nor lighthearted foray, Voodoo: Search for the Spirit offers an excellent, accessible, practical overview of the topic, enriched by pages and pages of gorgeous full-color photos and excerpts from other literature on vodou.

Haiti: the Aftershocks of History by Laurent Dubois

“As acclaimed historian Laurent Dubois demonstrates, Haiti’s troubled present can only be understood by examining its complex past. The country’s difficulties are inextricably rooted in its founding revolution – the only successful slave revolt in the history of the world; the hostility that this rebellion generated among the surrounding colonial powers; and the intense struggle within Haiti itself to define its newfound freedom and realize its promise.” ― Macmillan

Here’s what the critics say about Haiti: the Aftershocks of History:

“Well-written, authoritative history… enriched by careful attention to what Haitian intellectuals have had to say about their country over the last two centuries.” ―The New York Times Book Review

“A sweeping, passionate history of Haiti… Smart, honest, and utterly compelling, this book is the national biography this country and its people deserve.” ―Boston Globe

“A book as welcome as it is timely: a lucid one-volume history of the nation, from Toussaint to the present, anchored in scholarship but rendered as a comprehensive-but-swift narrative for the general reader.” ―The Nation

“This excellent, engaging history seeks to strip away centuries of mocking and reductive bias. Dubois’s Haiti is a land of ceaseless activity, a ferment of suppression and insurrection exacerbated by the mercenary intrusions of foreign powers–in the past century, chiefly the United States. Dubois also traces a parallel history of bold social experiments on the part of everyday Haitians… Throughout, he makes clear how economic pressures and political crises have left even the county’s better leaders hamstrung, without downplaying their failures in fulfilling Haiti’s great promise.” ―The New Yorker

Bonus:

La Belle Amour Humaine by Lyonel Trouillot

Mon Pays Que Voici by Anthony Phelps

History of Haiti by Suzy Castor. French edition (Haiti Autrement) available online here

Written by Melissa Beralus and translated by Kelly Paulemon.

Published December 2019

More Art & Culture

What is visiting Haiti like for Female travellers?

July 6, 2019 by admin

two haitians walking on small suspension bridge — Girl walking on bridge over Grande-Anse River
Photo: Franck Fontain

What is visiting Haiti like for female travellers?

Travelling solo is an attractive prospect for anyone – regardless of your relationship status – looking to get a little “me” time while you’re out there discovering the world.

Vacationing alone means no compromises, more flexibility, and no one to judge you for spending your precious time in Haiti sleeping in and seeking out self-centered relaxation and bliss.

Still relatively undiscovered by mainstream tourists, Haiti offers a Caribbean experience decidedly off the beaten path. Sipping your morning cup of coffee, surrounded by cozy conversations in a blend of French and Kreyol, there’s zero chance the place will suddenly be overrun by a busload of Texan retirees or twenty-somethings on their first trip away from home.

While group trips are great ways to have memorable experiences, there is something to be said for taking a new destination by storm on your own – especially as a woman. To you we say: kudos! This one’s for you.

You might be wondering, though – what is visiting Haiti like for female solo travellers?

Haitian woman smiling in a straw hat, in Abricot — Woman in Abricot
Photo: Kolektif 2 Dimansyon

What to expect

Haiti has a long, poetic past of how it views and treats women. The country’s history is incomplete without the important women who played a part in setting it free, from Taíno Indians to freed black slaves. This is illustrated clearly in the way women are viewed as the poto mitan (central pillar) of Haitian households, and Haitian society. Mother’s Day, Easter, Christmas, birthdays – any celebration is an occasion to celebrate mothers, and Haitians don’t miss them.

On an individual level, and speaking generally of course, Haitian men treat women with courtesies, compliments and – often the other side of that cultural coin – catcalling. Haitian women have learned to be a step ahead of them and curb those behaviors before they get bothersome!

In everyday life, you’ll notice that people are ready to do favours for each other, but especially so for women. There is always a helpful hand to get a seat aboard a kamyonèt zooming away; if someone is missing change for the ride, someone else will offer to top it off; there is always a kind, watchful eye – usually another woman, looking out for women in Haiti.

Woman looks out onto water while taking a water taxi in Labadee — Traveller taking a water taxi in Labadee
Photo: Anton Lau

Accommodation, food, bars and bargaining

If you plan to stay at a resort or hotel, you will find your stay to be as smooth as it would be in any other similarly-starred accommodation in another country: respectful; courteous and pleasant. If you are staying at an AirBnB or with a host, there is an added layer of care and readiness to help. If your host happens to be a woman, you’re in luck! Topics concerning women aren’t taboo, and women are quite ready to answer questions about where to get what should your period decide to compensate for “island time” by showing up early. They’ll also be happy to chat about how to deal with certain gendered experiences particular to Haiti.

It is not uncommon at all for a woman to be offered a drink at a bar. Here, the same “Spidey sense” that serves you in your home country will serve you here. While most men just want to have a dance, it is not unusual for some of them to look for more than that. If you’re not interested, a firm and definite answer makes things clear.

Walking in the streets alone is definitely feasible, as long as you keep some basic things in mind. First, make sure you know exactly where you are going! Uncertainty is detectable, and in the wrong places, can make you vulnerable. Second, if you can have a friend walk with you – man or woman, it doesn’t really matter – you are more likely to deter people approaching you. Finally, all other tips for walking in the streets of any major city still apply: make sure you have enough change on you just in case, make sure your phone is charged, and keep it all in a (preferably!) small bag which is easy for you to get a hold of but difficult for others.

When it comes to purchasing artwork or souvenirs in artisan shops or in the streets, merchants are already used to women doing most of the buying, and therefore, most of the negotiating. While being a foreigner may not play to your advantage – because merchants automatically assume that you just have more money – this should not discourage you from bargaining for that paperweight, necklace, or painting! After some conversation, most merchants soften and are ready to reach a price point comfortable for both parties.

Woman relaxes in a pool at Le Plaza Hotel, Haiti — Relaxing in the pool at Le Plaza Hotel, Port-au-Prince, Haiti
Photo: Amanacer / Emily Bauman

With common sense, caution and a little preparation, Haiti is a feasible destination for women travelling alone – easygoing, fun, exciting, and safe in summer and winter. Don’t let the odd guy who can’t tell the difference between courtesy and a catcall hide the fact that most Haitians are as warm and gentle as the island breeze.

Written by Kelly Paulemon.

Published July 2019

Ã—Select Language

Haiti Up Close

Krik-krak! (and tim-tim!)

An oral tradition as old as the birth of Haiti, folk storytelling — or tire kont — is one of the pillars at the center of the country’s culture, and must be practiced to survive from generation to generation

How krik-krak works

From Our Land to Your Home

Haitian storytelling: growing or vanishing?

There’s a Krik-krak! festival in March, and you’re invited!

Citadelle Henri

Explore Haiti’s Art & Culture

Paradise for your inbox

How to Volunteer in Haiti

Want to have a hand in making change happen? Read this first.

From Our Land to Your Home

Set and re-set your intentions

Volunteering cannot come from a place of “saving”

From Our Land to Your Home

Haitians need sustainable change

The Birds of Haiti on Your Wall

Your pocket guide to Cap-Haïtien

Explore Haiti’s Art & Culture

Paradise for your inbox

On the trail of the Vodou pilgrimage to Saut d’Eau

Every year, this one-of-a-kind Vodou pilgrimage brings together crowds of the devoted and the curious

From Our Land to Your Home

The Miraculous Virgin of Saut d’Eau

How to invoke the favor of the Miraculous Virgin

start your day the Haitian way

Make a pilgrimage of your own

Go on a self-guided tour of Haiti’s Gingerbread houses

Explore Haiti’s Art & Culture

Paradise for your inbox

Sustainable travel guide Ann-Sophie

“If you’re into nature and adventure, the hike to Seguin is a once in a lifetime experience”

Discover Sacred Vodou Symbols!

What’s the first thing we should try, do or see once we arrive in Haiti?

What is your favorite upscale place to eat? How about your favorite ordinary place to eat?

Which city outside of Port-au-Prince is a must-see, and why?

start your day the Haitian way

What’s one place nature-lovers should absolutely see?

Where should we go to get the best souvenirs and artworks?

Haitian Cultural Traditions You Didn’t Know About

Explore Haiti’s Art & Culture

Paradise for your inbox

The 10 books you should read before you visit Haiti

Cosy up with these ten books that explore the fascinating stories of Haiti.

a touch of haitian wisdom

Masters of the Dew by Jacques Roumain

General Sun, My Brother by Jacques Stephen Alexis

In the Flicker of an Eyelid by Jacques Stephen Alexis

a touch of haitian wisdom

Rires et Pleurs (Laughs and Cries) by Oswald Durand

Les Cinq Lettres by Georges Castera

So Spoke the Uncle by Jean Price-Mars

The Equality of Human Races by Anténor Firmin

Peintres Haitiens by Gerard Alexis

Voodoo: Search for the Spirit by Laennec Hurbon

Haiti: the Aftershocks of History by Laurent Dubois

Bonus:

Go on a self-guided tour of Haiti’s Gingerbread houses

More Art & Culture

Paradise for your inbox

What is visiting Haiti like for female travellers?

Travelling solo is an attractive prospect for anyone – regardless of your relationship status – looking to get a little “me” time while you’re out there discovering the world.

Discover Sacred Vodou Symbols!

What to expect

Accommodation, food, bars and bargaining

start your day the Haitian way

Go on a self-guided tour of Haiti’s Gingerbread houses

Top things to see in Haiti

Paradise for your inbox

Plan Your Trip

Destinations

Information

Company

Plan Your Trip

Destinations

Information

Company

Select Language

start your day
the Haitian way

Go on a self-guided
tour of Haiti’s Gingerbread houses

start your day
the Haitian way

a touch of
haitian wisdom

a touch of
haitian wisdom

Go on a self-guided
tour of Haiti’s Gingerbread houses

start your day
the Haitian way

Go on a self-guided
tour of Haiti’s Gingerbread houses