planning a trip to Cap Haitien

Vinyasa

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Dec 22, 2010
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A couple of questions....

Planning to go with Caribe Tours. I see there are many buses to CH....can i just arrive in Santiago and expect to get on the next bus or can i book in advance?
I believe that they make all the arrangements at the border...true?

Any good places to eat/stay in CH? Things to see?

Thanks
 

mountainannie

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Dec 11, 2003
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Have not been there so cannot say but yes, they will do all the border crossing stuff with you but I doubt the fees are included in your ticket costs. It would not hurt to make a reservation. The times I have taken the buses from the Capital to PauP, they have been full.
 

Salsafan

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Aug 17, 2011
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Better make a Reservation. The Caribe does all the Arrangements at the border. You pay the borderfees at the Caribeoffice in Santiago and in CH. At the border you luggage will be inspected more or less exactly on both sides of the border. Also at the border you can change Pesos/dollars to gouds, someone comes into the bus for it, 1US$ = 46 gouds.
I stayed in Hotel Roi Christophe in CH, very beautiful and secure with pool in Center, you can even walk from the Caribeterminal to the Hotel.
Things to see: the Castle of Citadelle (45 min with guagua, then 30 min with motoconcho, then 1 hour hard walk) , the village Labadee (first 30 min with guagua, then 10 min boatride).
I recommend you buy the Lonely Planet quide DR and Haiti, they sell it at least at the Airport.
 
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Vinyasa

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Dec 22, 2010
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thanks S, thats a pretty comprehensive answer.

I assume i can reserve from any CT office? i.e. the one here in Sosua?

One more question....i assume they will hit me up for my overstay fee when i leave. Do i then get another one month tourist card on reentry? I assume and hope so as i will then be leaving the DR a couple of weeks later and don't want to get hit again for overstay
 

Salsafan

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Aug 17, 2011
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I can't answer your new questions.
But two other tips:
There might be days when to busses don't travel b/c Problems on the border. That happened to me in february with the Caribebus to PP.
In the evenings there isn't much to do in CH. The streets are pretty dark, but didn't feel insecure. Just be careful not to step into a sewer hole :)
 

Lucas61

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Jun 13, 2014
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retired English teacher (30 years)
A couple of questions....

Planning to go with Caribe Tours. I see there are many buses to CH....can i just arrive in Santiago and expect to get on the next bus or can i book in advance?
I believe that they make all the arrangements at the border...true?

Any good places to eat/stay in CH? Things to see?

Thanks

I was recently in OKAP 09/2015 for one week. Some notes:

1. If you are Dominican with passport, you will now need a visa, obtained in advance from the Haitian Embassy, before you are allowed to board Caribe Tours. Allow two days for visa. It is very expensive: $80.00 single entry; $160.00 multiple entry.
2. You can go to Caribe Tours online for office location and schedules. In Sto. Domingo, the office for Haiti Caribe Tours is separate and is in the front with its own sitting area. A security guard will tell you when you can enter the office. Staff will check all documents prior to selling a ticket. If anything is amiss, you'll have to return another day. When the ticket is purchased, all documents will be retained by staff for use at the border crossing. The staff was excellent in assisting with immigration at the border. Time at the border was 1 to 1.5 hours. No pressure until everyone taken care of.
3. The ride was comfortable and pleasant and included lunch.
4. OKAP. Transportation: Pay no more than 50 gdes. per person anywhere in the city for motorcycle.
5. Accommodations are expensive, starting at HTG 1500 per night and up. We searched six hotels and bargained one down to HTG 1000 per night for a week. It was excellent. Coco's Hotel near the city gate. Everyone knows it. Get a room with a balcony and watch the street activity. Air conditioning but no electricity during the day in the entire city. The manager, Bastien Odenel, was very helpful and checked on AC every day. Room very clean. Bathroom, down the hall, very clean. Several flights of stairs.
6. Excellent home cooked food in the hotel: HTG 500: goat, rice, sos pwa (like habichuela), onion, spices, avacado. Delicious. Served on tray to sitting area on balcony. Secure building and pleasant staff. No English. A little Spanish.
7. Apparently, one cyber-cafe in the city and it was hard to find. They had a generator and their systems were up. Otherwise, electricity comes on in the early evening, around 5:30.
8. Don't forget the coffee, bread and peanutbutter, about HTG 10 each, on any street, starting around 6 AM and ending around 10 at the latest. A nice place to sit with others shoulder to shoulder and chat. These venues will be found in every Haitian village or city.
 

Lucas61

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Jun 13, 2014
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New schedule for overstay fees, effective, approximately November, 2014. You can find that schedule at this forum but better to go online to confirm currency. Be careful! These fees can add up! And if you miss your departure by, say, one day, you might have to pay the next increment, so check your passport entry date, look at the schedule, and make sure you leave within your present payment increment.
 

Derfish

Gold
Jan 7, 2016
4,441
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A couple of questions....

Planning to go with Caribe Tours. I see there are many buses to CH....can i just arrive in Santiago and expect to get on the next bus or can i book in advance?
I believe that they make all the arrangements at the border...true?

Any good places to eat/stay in CH? Things to see?

Thanks

I have never crossed the border with Caribe Tours, but have tried to make reservations for regular travel and they say no reservations. A ticket bought is for the next bus out.
Der Fish
 

drstock

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Oct 29, 2010
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I was recently in OKAP 09/2015 for one week. Some notes:

1. If you are Dominican with passport, you will now need a visa, obtained in advance from the Haitian Embassy, before you are allowed to board Caribe Tours. Allow two days for visa. It is very expensive: $80.00 single entry; $160.00 multiple entry.

Does this apply to non-Dominicans? Thanks.
 

windeguy

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Jul 10, 2004
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Sounds like I will never visit Haiti. Been in the DR for 13 years and never once considered going. What I read above does not sound enticing in the least.
 

Lucas61

Well-known member
Jun 13, 2014
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retired English teacher (30 years)
thanks S, thats a pretty comprehensive answer.

I assume i can reserve from any CT office? i.e. the one here in Sosua?

One more question....i assume they will hit me up for my overstay fee when i leave. Do i then get another one month tourist card on reentry? I assume and hope so as i will then be leaving the DR a couple of weeks later and don't want to get hit again for overstay

Hmm, maybe reserve. But why reserve if space if always available? You can ask this question in advance. The CT website, you can google it, is excellent and contains much detailed information, easy to navigate, etc. In the past 8 years I have crossed into Haiti and returned to the D.R. 25+ times. Unfortunately, I have never found all the details of documentation to be the same at every crossing point in spite of my belief that these must be national immigration polices. For example, I have never paid $10.00 and bought the "tourist card" upon my return to R.D. That's a good thing, I guess. The 30 days begins anew with your passport stamp upon return . . . My latest experience to Haiti: 1. Dominicans need a visa (new); U.S. citizens do not; U.S. citizens and Dominicans alike must pay a $20.00 fee, cash, in U.S. dollars as well as HTG 200.

As a rule, my experience only, I have never experienced hustling at the Haitian immigration sites, but I have experienced an extortion attempt on the Dominican side in Elias Pina--attempt failed. The Haitian officials have been very professional and efficient, if terse. Your mileage may vary . . .
 

Lucas61

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Jun 13, 2014
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retired English teacher (30 years)
Does this apply to non-Dominicans? Thanks.

The new visa requirements for Dominicans are fairly new and likely a result of the political skirmishing. U.S. citizens do not need a visa. But both Dominicans and Americans must pay a $20.00 fee, cash, U.S., dollars. Regretfully, I don't remember the name of this document but you will receive a signed and dated copy in French, the language of commerce and government. Youmust also pay HTG 200. I can't speak for other nationalities.
 

Lucas61

Well-known member
Jun 13, 2014
966
151
63
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retired English teacher (30 years)
Sounds like I will never visit Haiti. Been in the DR for 13 years and never once considered going. What I read above does not sound enticing in the least.

The lack of infrastructure is certainly an issue; particularly the lack of electricity and running water; same issues as in the D.R.but to a greater degree. Personally, I go for people, not things. I admire the resiliency and self-possession of the people. I always return a little dirtier and hungrier but, also, a happier person. My preference would be to live both in Haiti and the D.R. but I cannot afford Haiti for the long-term--three to four times more expensive for accommodations; and the lack of electricity, for me, is a deal-breaker for a long-term stay as I'm on my computer five hours per day.
 

Salsafan

Bronze
Aug 17, 2011
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I've visited Cap Haitien and Jacmel in the last two years. Yes, one has to get used to low level of street lighting. But I didn't feel insecure even alone. Also the nightlife is very low level, at least in these cities, except the Carnaval in Jacmel, which can keep pace with any Carnival in the DR.
 

Derfish

Gold
Jan 7, 2016
4,441
2
0
Hmm, maybe reserve. But why reserve if space if always available? You can ask this question in advance. The CT website, you can google it, is excellent and contains much detailed information, easy to navigate, etc. In the past 8 years I have crossed into Haiti and returned to the D.R. 25+ times. Unfortunately, I have never found all the details of documentation to be the same at every crossing point in spite of my belief that these must be national immigration polices. For example, I have never paid $10.00 and bought the "tourist card" upon my return to R.D. That's a good thing, I guess. The 30 days begins anew with your passport stamp upon return . . . My latest experience to Haiti: 1. Dominicans need a visa (new); U.S. citizens do not; U.S. citizens and Dominicans alike must pay a $20.00 fee, cash, in U.S. dollars as well as HTG 200.

As a rule, my experience only, I have never experienced hustling at the Haitian immigration sites, but I have experienced an extortion attempt on the Dominican side in Elias Pina--attempt failed. The Haitian officials have been very professional and efficient, if terse. Your mileage may vary . . .

Someone told me there is a fee of Sixty USD for Americans returning into the DR from Haiti. That is the reason I cancelled a trip I had planned.
 

Drake

Bronze
Jan 1, 2002
667
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Someone told me there is a fee of Sixty USD for Americans returning into the DR from Haiti. That is the reason I cancelled a trip I had planned.

We went with a group and crossed the border at Dajabon during market day. What an experience that was! Hundreds of people coming at us with whole beds and boxes three times larger than them on their heads. It was ordered mayhem. Country actually looks allot like the DR with same flora and fauna. Did not see mas deforestation as you see in the southern region around Puerto Principe. Cap Haitain is very interesting town with its colonial buildings painted a in bright primal colors. The river was a bit shocking as it looked like a giant sewer with people almost living in it. But in the actual town You can just imagine pirates and bucaneers walking down the streets. We stayed in the Cornier Plage hotel which is about 10 km past the town. It has a lovely private beach and was owned by Jaques Cousteau once. Food was great. We visited the Citadel and took the hike up the mountain on horse back. Amazing place built by hand. Probably one of the most spectacular buildings in the whole caribbean and well worth the visit.
My visit to that area greatly improved my impression of Haiti. The people were very friendly and that part of the world is not much different to the DR campo.
 

spanky27312

Member
Dec 7, 2008
208
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The lack of infrastructure is certainly an issue; particularly the lack of electricity and running water; same issues as in the D.R.but to a greater degree. Personally, I go for people, not things. I admire the resiliency and self-possession of the people. I always return a little dirtier and hungrier but, also, a happier person. My preference would be to live both in Haiti and the D.R. but I cannot afford Haiti for the long-term--three to four times more expensive for accommodations; and the lack of electricity, for me, is a deal-breaker for a long-term stay as I'm on my computer five hours per day.

I think the present of the UN in Haiti ups the price on the nicer hotels... stayed at vista lodge outside of airport in port au prince twenty yrs. ago at $80 per night.... who knows the price today. If you live middle class it will cost up.


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