crossing Haitian border

xut · #1 10-22-2002, 02:23 PM

We'll be near the Haitian border (Jimani-Malpasse), so we wouldn't like to go back to Santo Domingo to take the bus to Port-Au-Prince. But we don't want either to arrive to that dangerous city without knowing where we are and how to arrive to the hotel:
- how easy is to cross the border and take there a taxi?
- if we arrive by bus -daylight- how dangerous is being in a place we don't know and are there taxis nearby?
- is there any possibility to take a bus in the Dominican side of the border -Terra Bus & Caribe Tours doesn't stop anywhere, just leaves SD and there is no possibility to take the bus en-route.
- I read somewhere there are cheaper buses that take a longer time to arrive to PAP, do they stop en-route?

Thanks

Hillbilly · #2 10-22-2002, 05:04 PM

Unless you have a good reason to go to Haiti, or are haitian, I would suggest you pass on this one.

if you are black, you might make it just fine, but with a broken heart to see such poverty among such nice people, If you are white, I just would not suggest that particular trip. Sorry.

HB

JOHNNY HONDA · #3 10-22-2002, 05:25 PM

Have to agree with the hillbilly on this one,ive been there years ago but wouldnt dream of it at this moment if you really have no choice fly or take direct transport .What hotel are you staying in once you arrive?are you leaving from pap airport

hansbert · #4 10-22-2002, 05:36 PM

Apart from the two well known bus companies smaller minibuses are also going to PAP.They leave very early in the morning from opposit the Haitian embassy. It is possible that they take additional passengers at the border at Jimani. They drop you in the lower part of PAP near Blvd. J.J.Dessalines.

xut · #5 10-22-2002, 05:43 PM

that was what I thought, after I called the two big companies, who don't allow to take the bus anywhere except SD. Do you know if those small companies have telephone numbers? or how I can find them?
thanks

kjdrga · #6 10-22-2002, 10:25 PM

My three friends and I (all white females) took a trip to Haiti about 2 years ago and it was fairly safe. You just have to be smart about everything you do and do not arrive in PAP at night.

If you go to the Parque Enriquillo near the duarte at dusk around 5:30 or 6 am you can hop on a mini bus that will take you to Jimani it will probably cost over 100 pesos now a days. You make the long 3-4 hour trip to the boarder.

You can either walk the few kilometers of the "no mans zone" or hitch a ride with missionaries or aid workers (many fill there trucks up with petrol in the DR) or hire a taxi or motochoncho to take you to the other side. You pass immigration on the Haitian side. There you will find small trucks/ buses that will take you to PAP, always negociate the price before you get in. And if you choose to sit up front with the driver where it is more comfortable it will cost more, those are the first class seats!

It will take you another couple of hours to reach PAP mainly because of the bad roads. You will be dropped off in the middle of a market. This is also where you will need to go to get the transport back to the board and then to Jimani.

We spent 4 days in Haiti only two nights in PAP and two nights in Jacmel ( a wonderful beautiful coastal city) I definately suggest the Iron Market where you will find many Voodoo artifact and Haitian art, they have so much compared to the DR.

Most Haitians thought we were French upon site and since none of us spoke French we were able to get around just fine with our Spanish. We really never declared ourselves to be Americans to anyone, and they really didn't care where we were from. I think they just enjoy the tourist spending a bit of money in their country.

It can be depressing seeing the conditions of how Haitian live, especially the poor, yet the well to do, well they do well. On our last night we treated ourselves to one of the best and infamous hotels in PAP, the O as we say (I've forgotten the name, but can look it up sometime) At this hotel you will meet journalist from all over the world. We came across a professor who teaches university in Haiti who was well knowledgeable about Hatian/Dominican relations and how it is the history of colonization that took place in both countries that has dictaded their current economic/politican situations. It was very fasinating!

email me if you are intersted in more info.

I highly suggest making the trip, you'll be glad you did.

JOHNNY HONDA · #7 10-23-2002, 12:37 PM

I do believe you are refering to the hotel olafsen unless i have been misinformed it is closed now,used to be a great place to stey with really freaky voodoo shows.LOL

hansbert · #8 10-23-2002, 01:09 PM

From the Haitian border post just at theshore of Lake Somatre it takes about one hour in a normal vehicle to get into PAP. The road which was dusty before is paved now since the early nineties.

kjdrga · #9 10-23-2002, 01:29 PM

That is sad to hear that Olfoson has closed it was a beautiful hotel, that was the one I was refering to.

Those paved roads of the 90's are no better than the paved roads of the 21 centurty in the DR, full of pot holes..

Quisqueya Girl · #10 10-23-2002, 01:44 PM

The Hotel Olafson is definitely not closed. It is alive and thriving. And their house band Ram continues to play there every Thursday night - something worth seeing. They even went on an international tour including Europe to play their music. I have been to the Olafson a bunch of times. It's a wonderful place and yes it is the place where journalists stay in Haiti.