Haiti, The Pearl of the Antilles
Being of Haitian decent, traveling to Haiti is always special to me. Be it to visit my parents, who have been living there for years, or for a vacation.
My latest trip to Haiti, I did a little bit of both. I arrived in Port-Au-Prince a day before my friends would arrive. I was greeted by my Mom and Dad who I hadn't seen in almost a year with smiles and hugs. I hadn't been to Haiti in a few years since the tragic earthquake, that my family survived, took place. There were changes within the airport, and driving through the city it looks like what many Caribbean countries look like, where the people were just as beautiful, resilient and filled with energy and hope.
While in Port-Au-Prince, my mother blessed me with goat, plantains and so much more! After my meal, we visited the downtown Port-Au-Prince area, I wanted to see Palais Nationale, what I like to call the Haitian "White House". It was damaged completely during the earth quake, and has plans to be rebuilt. I also wanted to visit the lovely Musée du Panthéon National Haïtien, one of the latest developments in downtown. They have a gorgeous garden and in that garden they have a restaurant that serves culinary art. We also stopped to admire the memorial of Henry Christophe, a former slave of West African descent, and a leader in the Haitian Revolution. He's responsible for several iconic palace constructions, most notable being the Citadelle.
Photo Courtesy of Marriott Port-Au-Prince
Because I am a hotel nerd, I had to see the Marriott Port-Au-Prince. It kind of stands out because of the building height, it's one of the tallest in the area. I didn't get a chance to stay or dine here, although I have heard amazing things about their executive chef. For the moment, indulge in the picture on the right in the mean time. I am certain I will be back!
Finally, it was girl's trip weekend time! My best friend was getting married and we decided to surprise her for her last fling before the ring, with a trip to Haiti. We traveled to La Côte des Arcadins which is about 75-90 mins away from Port-Au-Prince. In the area where Decameron is located, there are a total of five hotels Kaliko Bay, Wahoo Bay, Ouanga Bay, Moulin Sur Mer, and Royal Decameron Indigo Beach Resort & Spa. Together these hotels make up 454 rooms, and provide over 1,000 jobs supporting roughly 9,000 people in the area.
The Resort was nothing short of breathtaking. The arrival experience is a bit rocky because the hotel is some what tucked away behind what appears to be a residential area. But everything after that is incredible, the staff was relatively pleasant. Because I speak fluent Haitian Creole, it helped ease our experience at the resort.
The resort is filled with things to do, sea excursions, spa over looking the ocean, two massive pools, beach bars, an on-sight night club and so much more. I would recommend this place to anyone who wants to experience only an ounce of the best of Haiti.
Check out the images below from my trip!
Want to visit Haiti?! Let me know down in the below comments!
