Haiti
| Frequently Asked Questions
General Info, Travel Info, & FAQs are provided to assist with your vacation.
FAQs What is the population? The population of Haiti is about eight million.
How big is the country/island? Haiti shares the island of Hispaniola with the DominicanRepublic. It has a total area of 10,714 square miles.
Can I drink the tap water? Stick with bottled water, although you can also use boiledwater for drinking, brushing your teeth and making ice.
What are the best things to buy here? Most consumer goods are usually only available in Port-au-Princeand are expensive. Duty-free products are available for about20 per cent less than regular prices.
For souvenirs with local flavor look for printed fabrics,leatherwork, mahogany items, sisal and straw crafts andhats, seed necklaces and jewellery, weaving embroidery, wroughtironwork and Haitian naïf-style paintings.
What are the main industries? The main industries are sugar refining, flour milling, textiles,cement, light assembly industries based on imported parts,and agriculture, including coffee and mangoes.
What native dishes should I try? The national dish is riz et pois (rice and small red kidney beans). Other local dishes include salt fish, red snapper, king fish, doctor fish and goat fish, langouste flambé (lobster), conch (pronounced conk) in Creole sauce, guinea hen with sour orange sauce, banane pese (fried and flattened plantain) often served with griots (spicy braised pork cubes), riz djon-djon (rice and a kind of dried black mushroom), tassot de dinde (dried turkey), ti malice (onion and herbs sauce), mais moulu (cooked ground corn or polenta with red beans, spices and coconut milk), and salade Russe (Russian salad of red beets, yellow corn and orange carrots). For dessert try cassava pudding, sweet potato pudding, mango pie, and coconut ice cream.
Can I use my calling card from here? AT&T: Service is available for country-to-country calls using AT&T Calling Cards, AT&T Corporate Cards, American Express, Diners Club, Discover/NOVUS, MasterCard,and Visa. Dial 183 + area code + local number. Follow thevoice prompts. For an operator that speaks French Creole,dial 181.
BT: No service available.
Canada Direct: Dial 161 to reach a Canadian operator directly.Service is available for calling cards from Bell, MTS, Aliant,SaskTel, and Telus.
HaiTel prepaid phone cards, available at HaiTel sales centresand authorized distributors, are for use in HaiTel phonebooths, which do not accept coins. To make collect callsto Canada and the US dial 123.
Major credit cards can be used to place calls from your hotel.
MCI MinutePass: No service available.
Sprint: Dial 172 and follow the voice prompts.
How should I dress to go out? Dress in Haiti is casual. Still, it is unacceptable to wearbathing suits, short shorts, and short tank tops in public.Tropical lightweight clothing is best. You may want to bringa light sweater/jacket for evenings. If you're going intothe mountains bring rain gear and warmer clothing. How much should I tip? Most hotels and restaurants add a 10 per cent service charge.If service was above average you may wish to tip more. Barstaff and porters expect tips, taxi drivers do not.
Disclaimer:
Information is provided as a service to visitors and is updated regularly. All information should be verified prior to travel.
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