Haiti

I will be vacationing in the DR in August at Bayahibe. Are there group bus trips to Haiti with a guide? I would love to go but need to be careful and feel comfortable.

There are no scheduled group bus trips to Haiti with a guide. Terra Bus offers daily bus service to Haiti from Santo Domingo. There is a daily flight from Santo Domingo to Haiti. You can buy this flight in the DR and book an excursion with a travel agent (Prieto Tours, Turinter or others). Take a city tour of Santo Domingo (same tour operators), and then take the flight the next day to Haiti. Note the drive to Santo Domingo is about 2-1/2 hour from Bayahibe.

Note that there are many nearby excursions that will keep you busy... Fun Fun Caves (Rancho Capote) and the Plantaci?n Tropical in Hato Mayor, excursion to Isla Saona, excursion to Altos Chav?n in La Romana. And of course, the excursion to see Santo Domingo, first city of the New World, and site of the 2003 Pan American Games.

From where do the flights to Haiti leave from? Which airport? Las Americas or Herrerra? How much does it cost?

Most flights to Haiti leave from Aeropuerto Herrera. Carriers include Caribair and Air Guadeloupe, plus I believe one other -- can't remember the name. Terrabus is extremely nice, though, and will allow you to see the Haitian and DOminican countryside. I would recommend Terrabus. I know that there are two and three day bus tours to Haiti from the North Coast, notably from Puerto Plata, Sosua and Cabarete, but I have never heard of them along the south coast. One reason might be that Cap Haitian on the Haitian north coast is more interesting and beautiful than Port-au-Prince. Along the south coast the best spot is Jacmel, south of Port-au-Prince, but there are no flights here -- you'll have to take a long tap tap ride from the Haitian capital.