- Thread starter MaBu
- Start date
Dajabón / Ouanaminthe Day Trip
I am not but I have made that trip 30 times and stayed for days at a time in Wanament, Kreyol spelling. It's probably quite safe and tranquil but given the current crisis is Haiti, I am not taking the chance. However, if you go there, and you feel it is safe, by all means stay for a few days. In one day you will not "get it." Perhaps 15-20 times, I left from Wanament to OKAP, another story.
Some pointers:
a. From Sto. Dom., as an example, 6.5 hours via Caribe Tours with a ten minute stop in Santiago. Dajabon, at least when I went there pre-COVID was quite safe. I felt comfortable walking around at night. Very few food places to eat; try the pizza place near the bus station. Stay for the night a Massacre Hotel, walking distance from the bus station, less than 5 blocks. Secure, clean, wi-fi, not so expensive. DO NOT try Wanament on the same day. Crossing the border and two immigration points and two languages and paying two fees and negotiating the only transportation to carry your stuff, motorcycle, is a MISSION and you'd best start this 2-3 hour enterprise while you're fresh in the morning.
b. Before you cross the bridge into Haiti, you'll find a nice restaurant with decent food. Need to take motorcycle there from Caribe Tours or hotel--about a 45 minute walk.
c. Avoid the binacional market. It's not a problem per se but it's very intense and crowded and dark. Wanament has a HUGE market where you can spent hours and it's much more comfortable and low-keyed and bright and airy.
d. On the main street of Wanament, there is one traffice light. A few hundered meters past that light on the left is a nice hotel: secure, coffee, comfortable, not expensive. I stayed there many days. I don't remember the name. Considering the usual precautions, I never had problems walking all around Wanament. Don't forget the upscale restaurant near the park, if it's still there. Then again, I am intermediate in Kreyol as well as streetwise in Kreyol . . . and know the ins and outs of Haitian culture.
I see by the dates, I may have missed the boat, but I am posting this here for the benefit of anyone. I've probably spent more time in Haiti than anyone on this forum as I went there for ten days every month for ten years. I calculated how long I've lived in Haiti: 2.7 years.
Some pointers:
a. From Sto. Dom., as an example, 6.5 hours via Caribe Tours with a ten minute stop in Santiago. Dajabon, at least when I went there pre-COVID was quite safe. I felt comfortable walking around at night. Very few food places to eat; try the pizza place near the bus station. Stay for the night a Massacre Hotel, walking distance from the bus station, less than 5 blocks. Secure, clean, wi-fi, not so expensive. DO NOT try Wanament on the same day. Crossing the border and two immigration points and two languages and paying two fees and negotiating the only transportation to carry your stuff, motorcycle, is a MISSION and you'd best start this 2-3 hour enterprise while you're fresh in the morning.
b. Before you cross the bridge into Haiti, you'll find a nice restaurant with decent food. Need to take motorcycle there from Caribe Tours or hotel--about a 45 minute walk.
c. Avoid the binacional market. It's not a problem per se but it's very intense and crowded and dark. Wanament has a HUGE market where you can spent hours and it's much more comfortable and low-keyed and bright and airy.
d. On the main street of Wanament, there is one traffice light. A few hundered meters past that light on the left is a nice hotel: secure, coffee, comfortable, not expensive. I stayed there many days. I don't remember the name. Considering the usual precautions, I never had problems walking all around Wanament. Don't forget the upscale restaurant near the park, if it's still there. Then again, I am intermediate in Kreyol as well as streetwise in Kreyol . . . and know the ins and outs of Haitian culture.
I see by the dates, I may have missed the boat, but I am posting this here for the benefit of anyone. I've probably spent more time in Haiti than anyone on this forum as I went there for ten days every month for ten years. I calculated how long I've lived in Haiti: 2.7 years.
The gates are generally always open except during times of crisis, at which time, that item becomes newsworthy. I know, not a definitive answer.
We are trying to figure that out now. If they're taking bio data that would tell me they are. My friend Tiblan is investigating. I think his visa expires next month in Feburary so that may make it more difficult.
I had a lady friend got deported 5 days ago some how she was able to lets say sneak back in,,,, is it the hand shake or sneak accross an other point ?
Really hard to tell. The handshake comes with a few thousand pesos. That works most of the time. However the border is porous in places so I would not preclude the sneak back in mode.