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Tips & Traps
Insider advice from Local Friends and travelers. What to do, and what to avoid, city by city.
- TipA place or a move worth it
- TrapWhat to avoid, and how
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Insider advice from Local Friends and travelers. What to do, and what to avoid, city by city.
Join RALF to share your own tips and traps
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Expressions has shown Haitian paintings, sculptures and mixed-media works in Petion-Ville since 1991 and now sits in a larger space at the foot of Montagne Noire. Hours have been reduced at times, so write to the gallery first and confirm your visit. You can browse works on its website before you go, and ask about…
Older guides and listing pages still describe the Hotel Oloffson, the gingerbread mansion Graham Greene wrote about in The Comedians, as a place to stay. The hotel had been closed for some time and the building was destroyed by fire in July 2025. For any heritage address, look for news from 2025 or later, and confirm…
Commercial service to the capital's airport has stopped and restarted several times since 2024, and the Government of Canada advisory currently lists no regular international flights until further notice. Before paying for non-refundable lodging or tours, confirm with the airline that your exact flight is operating…
Many sellers quote in Haitian dollars, a counting unit that exists neither as a coin nor a note and equals five gourdes. Someone who hears dollars may assume US dollars and misjudge the real amount by a factor of five. Before agreeing on a ride or a market purchase, ask whether the price is in gourdes or Haitian…
PAPJAZZ is an international jazz festival that has run in Port-au-Prince since 2007, with concerts, workshops and film screenings, and most events are free to the public. The organizers describe it as a January week, but the 2025 edition was moved to March and venues have changed between editions. Check the festival's…
Rara is street music played by walking bands from the end of Carnival to Easter weekend. Listen for the vaksin, bamboo trumpets that play repeating patterns over drums, maracas and bells while dancers follow behind. Bands are organized around neighborhoods and social networks and follow set routes, so ask a trusted…
Diri djon djon is rice cooked in the dark water of dried black mushrooms, which turns the grains grey-black and gives an earthy, savory taste. It belongs to the north of Haiti, so it is more of a regional special than an everyday plate and may not be on every menu. Ask the cook whether it is available that day, and…
Griyo is pork shoulder soaked in citrus, simmered until tender and then fried until crisp, and it is often called Haiti's national dish. Ask for it with pikliz, a spicy pickled cabbage slaw, plus rice or fried plantains known as bannann peze. Locals eat it hot at parties and holidays, and it also turns up as a street…
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