I wanted to recap a few trips that I did pre-City Vibes blog. No point in missing out on a great blog post because it had last year:
As some of you may know, my background is Haitian-American. Yes, I am proud of being Haitian and no I do not speak Creole (don’t ask why; it is a long ego-bruising story lol!). Ever so often my family tries to make it back to Haiti to visit our numerous cousins, uncles and aunts. Last year, was my grandma’s 80th birthday and my aunt’s 40th so we wanted to make vacation/mini family reunion out of it. There’s no better was to celebrate family and life then in my mother-country alongside my beloved family.
Before we get to the vacation recap, let me first educate you on the amazing country that is Haiti:
- Haiti is location in the Caribbean and is connected to DR, once all Hispaniola. Yes, this means they have the same beautiful blue water and beaches as DR!
- Haiti or Ayiti comes from the indigenous Taíno language which was the native name given to the entire island means, “land of high mountains.”
- Haiti is the second oldest independent nation in the Western Hemisphere after The United States. It gained its independence from France in 1804. #PumpkinSoup
- Haiti is home to one of the Western Hemisphere’s largest fortress, it is situated in northern Haiti on a large mountain top. The fortress is called ‘The Citadelle’.
- Haiti has tons of amazing beaches, one that you many have heard of is Labadee, a private port, resort owned by the Royal Caribbean International cruise company.
Now on to my vacation recap: The first part of the vacation we spent local, at my grandma’s house or mini mansion. My grandma’s house is like walking through a time-capsule, nothing changes except the movement of aging familiar faces, old and young. If you have ever visited a home country you know visitors are treated like royalty. My grandma was so happy and surprised to see three generations of bloodline all in one place, all there to celebrate her life. Food, food, drinks and more food is provided for her guests and it’s the best Haitian food around!
We shared stories, memories, laughter, tries and enjoyed each other’s presence – there’s not much else to do. On our last night in Port Au Prince, my grandma held her infamous birthday party, where the whole city is particularly invited and we partied all night long, true Haitian-Kompa style! BON BAGAY!
For extended birthday festivities, we stayed at the amazing Royal Decameron Indigo Beach Resort & Spa, the hotel grounds were beautiful, the staff were helpful and the food was amazing. One of the best features of the resort was the long-list of activities and amenities it offered. They even had a bar that turned into a nightclub after hours! The resort was truly all-inclusive; there was no reason to leave the hotel. This provides a great options to travelers who cannot roam around Haiti safely. At Royal Decameron Indigo Beach resort you can get a truly luxury Haitian vacation with exposure to an authentic Haitian experience and culture.
Below was our itinerary, photos and videos of our time in Haiti. Can’t wait to go back home!
