Dispatch: Good Times in Haiti

PHOTO: View of Port au Prince from Observatoire restaurant. (Photos by Brian Major).

Last week I posted a Facebook photo taken from the Observatoire restaurant in Petion-Ville, a mountaintop suburb of Port au Prince, Haiti located more than 3,000 feet above sea level.

Port au Prince at ground level is a tapestry of movement. Streets are regularly filled with pedestrians of every stripe heading toward their daily endeavors. An unending array of merchants set up along main thoroughfares, hawking farm produce, clothing, electronics, building materials, furniture, shoes and a myriad of artistic paintings and sculptures. Commuters speed about on the back seats of thousands of motorcycles ("motos,") which offer taxi services here. Others jam shoulder-to-shoulder into "tap tap" vans (so named for the rhythmic rapping customers use to hail this iconic mode of transportation).

PHOTO: Port au Prince is an entirely different, more vibrant, world at ground level.

But from the Observatoire's tile-covered deck, under deep blue skies streaked with thin white clouds, the city appeared perfectly tranquil. I couldn't imagine a more serene scene.

Still because I was in Haiti, where a decades-long struggle with poverty, a fraught political history and the lagging after-effects of the devastating 2010 earthquake are far from secrets, the comments turned to the inevitable. "Is it as bad there as I imagine?" one person asked.

I can faithfully report that Haiti is not bad. In fact after six days and nights of touring the country with a small group of writers invited by the department of tourism, I'd say Haiti closely resembles other Caribbean nations.

There are magnificent white-sand beaches, turquoise waters and consistently warm temperatures. Haiti's cuisine is among the region's best, with simple dishes featuring bold and spicy flavors that reflect African, French native Taino and Spanish influences. Contrary to my own perceptions, Haiti has many upscale hotel properties suitable for leisure travelers.

Yet there are also many distinctive features set Haiti quite apart from its neighbors. It's no stretch to say these intriguing aspects make Haiti the Caribbean's next bucket-list destination.

The Port au Prince street scene is just one example. Whether sharing a tap-tap with a local family, bargaining with a merchant for a colorful oil painting at an ersatz sidewalk art gallery, or strolling through downtown streets, visitors are instantly emerged in Haiti's unique urban culture.

PHOTO: Haiti's art scene is unrivaled in the Caribbean.

Still Haiti's foremost distinguishing legacy is its status as the first nation in recorded history to originate from a successful slave revolt. General Toussaint L'Ouverture's successful 1804 campaign to gain Haiti's independence from France unleashed a tableau of triumph and travail that continues to this day.

The Haitian people are rightfully proud of this heritage and today visitors can explore the country's incredible history at the Musee du Pantheon National Haitien in downtown Port au Prince. The museum offers an amazingly impressive collection of historical artifacts housed in a modern, air-conditioned building featuring a half-submerged design. This unusual construction technique allowed the facility to survive the 2010 earthquake virtually intact.

Inside, the stunning series of displays include the original anchor from Columbus' flagship the Santa Maria, the silver gun with which Henri Christophe, the revolutionary leader who had proclaimed himself king in 1811, used to commit suicide (reportedly with a golden bullet).

There is also the bell used to announce the nation's independence, along with elaborately finished swords and uniforms used by the Haitian generals. An array of chains and torture instruments used to subdue and punish slaves are included, and there is a section of contemporary sculptures and paintings by Haitian artists. Similarly haunting displays can be found at Haiti's Musee Ogier-Fombrun.

PHOTO: The Musee Orgier-Fombrum features haunting displays of Haiti's turbulent past.

Haiti also offers a distinct musical character. Here the traditional Caribbean, African, jazz rock and soul standards are infused with additional strains from Vodou ceremonial songs, Rara parading music, Twoubadou troubadours, Mizik Rasin and Compas music. Again, visitors will find multiple opportunities to experience Haitian song stylings.

Our itinerary included a stop at the historic Oloffson hotel where we attended the weekly Thursday night concert of the mizik rasin ("root music") band RAM. Mizik rasin is an almost-indescribable blend of Haitian country music with gospel, soul, rap, spoken word and rock influences played on both contemporary electronic and traditional Haitian acoustic instruments. The style is often referred to as "voodoo rock" and attracts scores of entranced fans who swing and sway rhythmically with every note.

Haiti's music trailed our group at nearly every turn. At La Reserve restaurant in Petion-Ville's Berthe district, the saxophonist and leader of a small but full-throated quartet played, on request, a Haitian take on the jazz standard "All the Things You Are." Later the front man of a traditional Caribbean band at the seaside Moulin Sur Mer resort demonstrated the amazing variety of rhythms that can be achieved on maracas.

Haiti's emergence as a viable leisure destination is due in large part to the government of its current president, Michael Martelly, and Haiti's department of tourism, which is involved in several initiatives to resurrect the Caribbean tourism primacy Haiti enjoyed for a relatively brief period from the 1950s to the late 1970s. Private investors are also playing a key role, convinced Haiti is on the cusp of a tourism renaissance.

During my time in the country my own previous perceptions were altered. Instead of the one or two hotels I imagined were capable of accommodating demanding guests, I learned there are many. The Kinam Hotel and Best Western Premier Hotel in Petion-Ville are upscale properties with contemporary amenities, facilities and services that accommodate leisure and business travelers.

The 72-room NH Hotel Haiti has hosted European royalty and offers visitors a luxury option. With average rates ranging from $150 to $400 per night, it is billed as Haiti's highest-priced hotel. The property features deluxe touches throughout from Bose sound systems to Calvin Klein-designed carpets to original artwork in every room. The 175-room Marriott Port au Prince hotel is slated to open on Feb. 14, 2015. Former U.S. president Bill Clinton's foundation is credited with identifying the project's investors.

Beachside options include the Moulin Sur Mer, the Hotel Club Indigo, located on the site of a former Club Med property, and what may be the best of all, the boutique Wahoo Bay Beach hotel.

The 187-room Karibe Hotel and Conference center is located in a former 1920s monastery in Juvenat, a quiet suburb minutes from Port-au-Prince and Petion-Ville. The Occidental Royal Oasis Hotel and Montana Hotel are among the other options for upscale leisure travelers.

Beginning next year travelers will have a variety of options available to arrange travel to Haiti. OTA CheapCaribbean.com will launch a collection of Haitian tour packages beginning in February; the firm has already selected hotels. Canadian tour operator G Adventures will lead five escorted tours to Haiti in 2015.

All things considered that's not bad at all.

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