Festivals

PAPJAZZ 2021

October 15, 2019 by admin

jazz concert on big stage in front of large sitting crowd — PAPJazz festival in Port-au-Prince
Photo: Josué Azor

PAPJAZZ 2021

Every year in January, Port-au-Prince is transformed by PAPJAZZ – Haiti’s must-visit Jazz festival.

One of the Caribbean’s leading music festivals, PAPJAZZ is a city-wide event, with over 10 venues across the capital – most of which offer free entry.

The 15th edition is scheduled for 16 – 23 January 2021.

Also known as the Port-au-Prince International Jazz Festival, PAPJAZZ features outstanding Haitian artists and attracts jazz acts from across the Caribbean, the Americas and Europe. And the audience it draws is just as international.

Bars and restaurants throughout Port-au-Prince turn into venues, and entrance is free at all of them except the Karibe hotel. When you’re not busy enjoying live jazz acts, you can participate in a host of workshops and conference talks held over the week, all designed to explore the diversity of the Caribbean jazz scene.

How to get the most out of PAPJAZZ

Regular venues that play host to the festival include the Karibe hotel, L’Institut Français, Quisqueya University, and Place Boyer. Travellers on a budget take note of the PAPJAZZ shows scheduled for Quisqueya University — entry there is free!

During the festival, these and many more venues also open up for “after hours” events where you can relax in bars, beer gardens, pizzerias, observatories and arboretums, sipping a drink in a dreamy tropical setting with jazz playing in the background. Our tip for “after hours” jazz is Quartier Latin, an excellent restaurant offering sought-after ambience, Caribbean and Latin dining and arguably the best wine list on Hispaniola. What a way to escape the worst of the winter chill!

2021 PAPJAZZ lineup

The last years festivals drew talented artists from all over the world: Cecile Mc Lorin Salvant (US), Terence Blanchard (US), Barbra Lica (Canada), Emile Parisien and DAM’NCO (France), Julian and Roman Wasserfuhr (Germany), Oscar Pizarro (Chile) and Joss Stone (UK).

Haitian artists on stage included BIC, Claude Carré, Paul Beaubrun, Phyllicia Ross, Nina, Fatima, Vanessa Jeudi, Akoustik, Konpa Flashback, Follow Jah, Béatrice Kebreau and many more.

Check the full lineup on the Official PAPJAZZ website!

Written by Jean Fils.

Published October 2019

Updated December 2020

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8 Cheap and Free Things to Do in Haiti

June 23, 2019 by admin

people sitting on chairs reading next to a library bus — BiblioTapTap, Port-au-Prince
Photo: FOKAL

Caribbean on a Budget: 8 Cheap and Free Things to Do in Haiti

Situated in the heart of the Caribbean between Jamaica and the Dominican Republic, Haiti has over a thousand miles of coastline with dozens of destination-worthy beaches. While some of them charge entry fees to cover maintenance costs, most are free to wander onto for a day of sun-bathing and swimming.

Beyond gorgeous beaches, Haiti offers a wealth of wildlife, nature, arts and culture for backpackers on a budget. Here’s our guide to free things to do in Haiti, all accessible to fresh-off-the-plane first-time visitors!

People relaxing, Champ de Mars, Port-au-Prince, Haiti — People relaxing, Champ de Mars
Photo: Franck Fontain

01. Hang out at Champ-de-Mars

The daily life of downtown Port-au-Prince happens in the streets, and Champ-de-Mars is the centre of that life – the beating heart of Haiti’s capital city. Enjoy a morning stroll, get some budget-friendly street food, browse artisan stalls, kick back with an ice-cold Prestige and drink in the activity all around you.

Afternoons here buzz with conversation and music playing from sound systems around the park. On weekdays, white-collar Haitians funnel into Champ de Mars on their lunch breaks from local banks, hotels, government offices and the university.

For free, you can see several statues of Haiti’s founding fathers including Alexander Pétion, Henri Christophe, Jean-Jacques Dessalines, and Toussaint Louverture. The highlight is Marron Inconnu, the iconic statue of the unknown slave blowing a conch-shell trumpet.

Sculpted by Haitian sculptor Albert Mangonès, the statue represents a runaway slave on one knee, arching back to blow into the conch-shell trumpet. In his free hand, he holds a machete; around his ankle is a broken chain. In Haitian history, the sound of blowing into a conch was used to announce a slave’s – or a group of slaves’ – freedom. The statue represents Haiti’s independence from the French, and the world’s first successful black revolution.

Colorful paper mâché animal masks worn by participants in the carnival at Jacmel, Haiti — Paper mâché at Carnaval in Jacmel
Photo: Franck Fontain

02. Get into the Carnival spirit

If you happen to be in Haiti during Carnival season (the months of January or February until March, depending on when Mardi-Gras lands), pre-carnival Sunday activities are a great way to end your weekend.

Whether you are staying in downtown Port-au-Prince, Cap-Haïtien, Jérémie, or Jacmel you can check out free-roaming rara bands, folks in costume, and festive music throughout the city. Think New-Orleans-during-Mardi-Gras-ambiance!

Street art on the outside of the Alliance Francaise hotel and restaurant in Jacmel, Haiti — Alliance Francaise in Jacmel, Haiti
Photo: Amanacer / Emily Bauman

03. Join a free event at Alliance Française in Jacmel or Cap-Haïtien

The city of Jacmel is chock-full of things to do and see, and the centre of it all is Alliance Française in the heart of the city. A cultural center with a branch in Cap-Haïtien as well, Alliance Française hosts musical events, as well as various talks.

Check out the upcoming events near you to find free events and courses where you can dance the night away, brush up on your French, or even try your hand at some Kreyòl!

04. See a play at Festival Quatre Chemins

During the month of November (with small overlaps in October and December), Port-au-Prince is swept up by the Festival Quatre Chemins. A month-long series of conferences and plays, Festival Quatre Chemins is where actors and playwrights come together from around Haiti and across the world to inject fresh life into Haiti’s performing arts scene. Most of the events are free!

05. Listen to jazz for free at PAPJazz

Between the months of January and February, Haiti’s capital city is completely overtaken by music in the form of the Port-au-Prince International Jazz festival! More commonly known as PAPJazz, the festival features jazz acts from several countries around the world, as well as Haitian artists blooming in the field. Bars and restaurants throughout the capital turn into venues, and usually either expect you to buy a meal or drinks, or charge a small entry fee. Travellers on a budget should know about the shows held at Quisqueya University — entry there is free!

Waterfall plunges into a stony pool at Kaskad Boukan — Waterfall, Kaskad Boukan
Photo: Verdy Verna

06. Go hiking in Fermathe (don’t miss Cascade Boukan)

Perhaps the best nature hike from Port-au-Prince is to Cascade Boukan, a waterfall in the hills of Fermathe. Get ready to work your lower body muscles as you climb up a summit and then descend to Boukan Valley via a narrow and sometimes steep pass, with the sound of the falls rushing louder as you go.

It’s a decent hike to get there and while not especially difficult, we strongly recommend hiking with someone who knows the way. If you need to hire a guide to take your group, a reasonable price is around 250-500 HTG – less than USD $6.

07. Visit the gallery at Alliance Française, in Jacmel

When not hosting a concert or conference, Alliance Française keeps its doors open to show off some of the most beautiful art in Jacmel. Alliance Française’s popular restaurant is on the top floor, and there is no entrance fee to the gallery which leads up to the restaurant – visitors are welcome to come and browse. The paintings in the gallery change from time to time, so regular visitors will be rewarded by new works.

08. Relax with a book at BiblioTapTap

Backpacking light around the Caribbean with no room for books? Pa gen pwòblèm! – no problem! An initiative launched by the National Book Directorate, BiblioTapTap is a free mobile library that drives through Port-au-Prince and stops at public squares.

If you are staying in Port-au-Prince, you can catch it at Champ-de-Mars, Place Saint-Pierre, or in Delmas 4. It’s as easy as saying hello, having a bit of conversation, and enjoying a book of your choosing at the BiblioTapTap table in the shade.

Written by Kelly Paulemon.

Published June 2019

Top things to see in Haiti

Uncover the Haitian Craft of Paper Mâché

March 28, 2019 by admin

Uncover the Haitian Craft of Paper Mâché

On a small square at the end of the Rue Sainte Anne, a woman holds a paper mâché bull’s head in her left hand and a brush in her right. This is Charlotte…

It is two o’clock in the afternoon, in the chief town of Haiti’s southeastern department – Jacmel. On a small square at the end of the Rue Sainte Anne, a woman with locks down to her shoulders holds a paper mache bull’s head in her left hand and a brush in her right. This is Charlotte, one of the most popular artists of the city.

The paper mâché technique, she explains, is very old. It comes from Asia. ‘With the carnival tradition inherited from Europeans, we have found the perfect pretext to improve this ancestral art, to make it a representation of the Haitian culture already rich in color.’

A few steps from where we are stands a fresco of glass of all colors. We can read the words “Fanm se poto mitan”. The artist to whom we owe this work? Charlotte. In her studio, two plaques of honor and merit salute her work. The walls and shelves are adorned with mâché roosters, oxen, cows, and objects of everyday life: a jewelry box next to a trivet, in front of a painting.

‘Haitian culture,’ Charlotte continues, ‘that’s what we artists put into it. It is not static and it is this dynamism from which it draws all its charm.’

Paper mâché artist Charlotte shows off an intricate cow mask in Jacmel, Haiti — Paper mâché artist Charlotte in Jacmel
Photo: Mikkel Ulriksen

“Work begins a whole year before the carnival”

The art of paper mâché is to mold shapes into paper hardened beforehand with a heated starch preparation. This technique, taught at the National School of Arts, is known throughout Haiti, but it has found its greatest success here in Jacmel.

The carnival held every year in the city (around Easter) attests to the success of this practice.Transmitted from generation to generation, the technique remains the same even though artists are free to experiment with size, shape and color. Masks, decoration of all kinds, aquatic fauna, political personalities, fictional characters – everything goes. In 1993, to illustrate a debate on deforestation, Soliosso Simonis disguised himself by transforming into a mango tree made of paper mâché. Around here, you could find a life-size zebra, painted bright red, right next to a representation of Fidel Castro.

Rivaling Haiti’s national carnival, the Jacmel Carnaval draws bigger crowds every year, partly because of the paper mâché art on display. Work begins a whole year before the carnival, designing the masks that will be on show on the front of the stands, on parade floats, and not least of all in the parade itself.

Artists in Jacmel, Haiti, working on paper mâché costumes — Artists in Jacmel working on paper mâché
Photo: Franck Fontain

For many people in Jacmel, paper mâché is a way to make a living – a real economic engine for the city and its surroundings. Children are immersed in the practice from a young age, and some go on to take up apprenticeships in local artisanal workshops. Downtown, several houses have been converted into shops, galleries, and / or open workshops where visitors can see the craft up close.

Paper mâché is more than just an artistic practice. Like painting, dance, and sculpture, it has become a vehicle for the expression of Haitian culture.

Written by Melissa Beralus.

Published March 2019

More Art & Culture

When is the best time to visit Haiti?

November 28, 2018 by Editor

Aerial view of buildings on the water at Ouanga Bay, Carries, Haiti — Sea view, Ouanga Bay, Carries, Haiti
Photo: Ricardo Lartigue

When is the best time to visit Haiti?

In the heart of the Caribbean, close to the equator, Haiti is warm all year round.

Surprisingly, there’s quite a difference between its two seasons – wet and dry. There are several pros and cons to both, and cost is just the beginning.

November to March – Dry Season

Haiti’s dry season officially runs from November to March, with as few as three rainy days each month. Like the rest of the Caribbean, you can expect it to be humid, but thanks to trade winds from the North the humidity is tempered in coastal areas.

In dry season expect warm, blue-skies days and lovely afternoon breezes, especially along the coast and in the mountains.

The advantages of visit Haiti in dry season are many. Visitors from the northern hemisphere get to ditch snow or just boring-old-cold for sun and sand. With lower humidity and little rain, the dry season also provides the best conditions for surfing, snorkeling, diving and trekking. This is when the seas are at their calmest (and most photogenic).

It’s certainly the best time to hike to the La Selle range, and the spectacular natural features of Bassin Bleu, Bassin Zim and Dondon grottoes – unless you’re craving the added adventure of tackling slippery slopes on your way back down.

The downside of visiting Haiti during the dry season is that everyone else wants to, making it a little bit tricky, and sometimes expensive to secure a flight to get here. Particularly during December and January, tourism peaks and Haitians living abroad tend to come back to Haiti for end-of-year celebrations with their friends and family.

This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t book your Haitian getaway during December-March: it just means you’ll need to book further ahead to find flights and the perfect place to stay for a good deal.

If you’re struggling to find a flight in your price range for the time you want to travel, try breaking up your trip and booking the legs separately: for example, if you’re coming from the US, find a flight to Florida and then fly from Miami into Port-au-Prince.

Aerial view of Citadelle Laferrière, Milot, Haiti — Citadelle Laferrière, Milot
Photo: Kolektif 2 Dimansyon

Dry season key dates and events

November: the month of Gede – If you want to immerse yourself in Haitian culture, November is a great time to visit, being the month when Haitians celebrate Gede – a family of lwa in Haitian Vodou. Events throughout the country abound, so if you can move around, it’s a great time to be in Haiti – and if not, Port-au-Prince is just as lively with it’s own activities! It’s also a great month for cultural events, as most of them tend to be scheduled around that time.

Mid November: Le Festival du Rhum shines the spotlight on Haiti’s most famous export with tastings, workshops and cooking demonstrations. The rum festival is a great time to sample varieties from around the country in one place, surrounded by a festive atmosphere.

December 31 – January 1: New Years Eve / Independence Day celebrations.

January: the PAPJazz festival.

Late February – March: Carnival season. Jacmel’s world-famous carnival is staged the week before the carnival in Port-au-Prince, so it’s possible to see one if you can’t see the other, or even make a marathon of it.

Aerial photo of rice fields by the coast in Corail, Haiti — Rice fields in Corail
Photo: Mikkel Ulriksen

April to October – wet season

In the summer months from June to August, the weather is warm and the beaches are beautiful. With fewer tourists, you’ll find destinations quieter and locals will have more time for you. It’s an amazing time to visit and get to know the island.

For travellers who want to explore the island’s landscapes, culture, history and art at their own pace, and don’t mind getting caught in the rain on the way to their pina coladas, the less predictable sultry summer months will repay you with the cheapest flights and accommodation.

People hiking across a hill in Grandou, Haiti — Hiking in Grandou
Photo: Tyler Welsh

Wet season key dates and events

May: generally the wettest month of the year, monsoon season is a great time for indoor exploration. If you’re interested in creative writing or storytelling, don’t miss the annual Krik-Krak storytellers festival.

June: Sunshine and blue skies – Without a doubt, the sunniest period of the year in Haiti is between the months of June and August. This is the perfect time to go around the country for some sightseeing – especially if you’re a fan of nature’s wonders!

July: Summer celebrations – Want to see how Haiti parties? The months of July, December, and January are your best bets. This is when promoters plan the biggest events of the year, all over the country – and there is something for everyone. If you love a good beach or festival-like party, Haiti is the place to be!

August-October: Hurricane season. Lighter rains compared to April-June, but the weather is less predictable. Like unpredictable weather in any city (or light snowfall in London!) hurricanes can knock out sections of Haiti’s transport and infrastructure. If you’re looking for festive color and celebration, best to book your trip for another time of year.

If you’re an experienced adventure traveller and don’t mind having to change plans at the last minute, the hurricane season is when you’ll get the cheapest flights and accommodation in Haiti.

Written by Kelly Paulemon.

Published December 2018

Our recommendations

Party like a Haitian at Jacmel Carnival

August 28, 2018 by Editor

Dancing at Jacmel Carnaval, Haiti — Jacmel Carnaval
Photo: Franck Fontain

Party like a Haitian at Jacmel Carnaval

A weekend at Jacmel’s annual Carnaval is the ultimate way to saturate your senses in the essence of Haitian culture. Here’s how to join the party.

An Afro-Caribbean cousin of Mardi-Gras, Carnaval is much more than a party. It’s a season spirit that sweeps over the nation every year, creating an outlet for creativity, revelry and the uninhibited celebration of all things Haitian: brave colors; bold flavours; incredibly good, cheap, rum; intoxication music and dancing; an undercurrent of mysterious folklore and mischievous gods; the visibility of a colonial past and a fiercely independent spirit.

If you’ve only got a short break to spend in Haiti, the last thing you want to do on arrival is spend more of your precious time journeying cross country or taxiing around the city looking for action. So why not plan ahead and make your long weekend a non-stop party, instead?

Jacmel Carnaval, Haiti — Carnival in Jacmel
Photo: Franck Fontain

Getting here

Flights depart most major US airports for Port-au-Prince daily, with prices starting from $200-$300 US depending on your point of departure. Once in Port-au-Prince, you can get to Jacmel via private taxi, Moto or public transport in minivans known as Tap-taps. The trip takes about 3 hours: luckily, it’s the best quality-road in the country and offers some of the prettiest roadside scenery.

A tap-tap will only set you back about US$10, but it’s not for the faint-hearted: expect it to be cramped and stuffy, and embrace the chance to get out of your comfort zone. For best results, get in early and head for the back row which offers fresh air and good access to the view of passing countryside.

Once you arrive in Jacmel, prepare to be swamped by moto drivers who will enthusiastically vie for the chance to drive you to your accommodation. If you’re travelling light, you can walk: Jacmel is compact and everything’s within walking distance. If you feel like starting your trip with a shot of adrenaline, you can jump on a moto, but not before you read this guide.

Where to stay

If you book in advance, you can find accommodation at a spectrum of hotels, from historic lofty-ceilinged mansions of Victorian coffee barons like Hotel Florita to ocean view Airbnb villas with their own pool overlooking Jacmel bay like the Chic Chateau to family-owned hotels with private beach like Cyvadier Plage and maybe even a couchsurfing couch.

Whatever you choose, your local host will probably share with you their favourite way to enjoy Carnaval weekend.

Body paint at Jacmel Carnaval, Haiti — Body paint at Jacmel Carnaval
Photo: Frank Fontain

How to party

First up, this is a three-day party. Slow and steady wins the race, so don’t get too swept away by the strange tides you can feel overtaking the city. The joy of Carnaval is in the air, but it’s ok to enjoy the atmosphere from afar while you settle into your room and crack open the first drink of the weekend.

If you make the rookie mistake of partying too hard on Friday night, you’ll be hitting the snooze button while everyone else is hitting the beach. On the Saturday morning of Carnaval weekend, the best thing to do is to pack a bag and head to the beach where it’s time to socialize, surf, and sip coconut water and rum.

As the moon rises over the gorgeous 3km-wide expanse of Jacmel bay, it’s time to choose your party. Head to the Vatican for house-crowd-pulling DJs. Get amongst something live and local at Congo Beach Club or Suave, where they usually feature live concerts with a variety of artists. Kreyol La, Carimi, T-Vice and RAM are more good choices. Stay up as late as you like, but remember that Sunday is the big finale.

This brings us to the final stretch of the weekend: Sunday, and the main event. “Kanaval” proper is a parade the floods the streets with song and rhythm and color. The creativity and intricacy of the masks is constantly astonishing: alongside the primary colors, voluminous dresses and cornucopia-turban-hats you expect, you’ll see a much more modern palette of costumes, body painting and masks that veer into the dark, bizarre and surreal, rivalling the novelty and extravagance of Burning Man.

All this is set to a ceaseless backdrop of Caribbean rhythm and voices lifted in song, often creole. The bands have an impressive level of energy and stamina, and the “cha” will teach you that music can be played louder than you thought was possible. For the next twelve hours, the main streets will be packed with movement as the crowd parties throughout the night and into the early hours of Monday.

Carnival stand at Jacmel Carnaval, Haiti — Carnival stand at Jacmel Carnaval
Franck Fontain

Carnaval stands

It’s recommended to fork out $10-$30 for a ticket to a stand. You can leave your belongings up there and disappear into the crowd, ride the wave of the parade participants, and then return for a rest when you need to.

Travellers who are in Haiti on a budget might be tempted to forgo a seat in one of the Carnaval stands that looks out over the parade, but their hopes of getting closer to the action and a more authentic (and cheaper) experience will soon be dashed against the rocks of inconvenience and exhaustion. It’s much better to have a spot on a stand and not use it than to need a spot on a stand and not have it.

If you sprinted into the weekend on Friday night with a big hoorah then the parades, rara bands and cha’s on Sunday will more than likely exceed your tolerance for stimulus. But if you start your weekend off right, you’ll be able to keep up with the rum cocktails, the rara and cha.

Carnaval is vibrant mayhem, organized chaos, unfathomably loud, fascinatingly beautiful, and will surprise you year after year. Because, let’s be honest, once you’ve experienced it…you’ll be back.

Written by Sarah Wallace.

Published August 2018

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Festivals

PAPJAZZ 2021

Every year in January, Port-au-Prince is transformed by PAPJAZZ – Haiti’s must-visit Jazz festival.

a touch of haitian wisdom

How to get the most out of PAPJAZZ

2021 PAPJAZZ lineup

start your day the Haitian way

Explore more festivals and events

Paradise for your inbox

Caribbean on a Budget: 8 Cheap and Free Things to Do in Haiti

01. Hang out at Champ-de-Mars

start your day the Haitian way

02. Get into the Carnival spirit

03. Join a free event at Alliance Française in Jacmel or Cap-Haïtien

start your day the Haitian way

04. See a play at Festival Quatre Chemins

05. Listen to jazz for free at PAPJazz

06. Go hiking in Fermathe (don’t miss Cascade Boukan)

start your day the Haitian way

07. Visit the gallery at Alliance Française, in Jacmel

08. Relax with a book at BiblioTapTap

Your pocket guide to Cap-Haïtien

Top things to see in Haiti

Paradise for your inbox

Uncover the Haitian Craft of Paper Mâché

On a small square at the end of the Rue Sainte Anne, a woman holds a paper mâché bull’s head in her left hand and a brush in her right. This is Charlotte…

The Birds of Haiti on Your Wall

“Work begins a whole year before the carnival”

Haitian Cultural Traditions You Didn’t Know About

More Art & Culture

Paradise for your inbox

When is the best time to visit Haiti?

In the heart of the Caribbean, close to the equator, Haiti is warm all year round.

November to March – Dry Season

start your day the Haitian way

Dry season key dates and events

April to October – wet season

Wet season key dates and events

A Visual Guide to Vodou Symbols

Our recommendations

Paradise for your inbox

Party like a Haitian at Jacmel Carnaval

A weekend at Jacmel’s annual Carnaval is the ultimate way to saturate your senses in the essence of Haitian culture. Here’s how to join the party.

Getting here

From Our Land to Your Home

Where to stay

How to party

The Birds of Haiti on Your Wall

Carnaval stands

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

Explore more festivals and events

Paradise for your inbox

Plan Your Trip

Destinations

Information

Company

Plan Your Trip

Destinations

Information

Company

Select Language

a touch of
haitian wisdom

start your day
the Haitian way

start your day
the Haitian way

start your day
the Haitian way

start your day
the Haitian way

start your day
the Haitian way

A Visual Guide to
Vodou Symbols

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