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Haiti — Travel Advisory

⚠️ Level 4: Do Not Travel

The U.S. Department of State and most foreign governments currently advise against all travel to Haiti due to widespread gang violence, civil unrest, kidnapping, and limited emergency services.

SkipTheTourBus does not publish destination guides for countries under active Level 4 travel advisories. We hope to welcome Haiti to our guide when conditions improve — it's a country with extraordinary culture and history that deserves to be explored safely.

For current advisory details: travel.state.gov

Scams to Watch For Everywhere

These aren't tied to one country — the same handful of scams show up, with local costumes, on every continent. Once you recognize the pattern, you'll spot the setup within a few seconds anywhere in the world.

The Friendly Stranger / Distraction Duo

Someone strikes up a warm, harmless-seeming conversation — asking for directions, offering help, complimenting you — while an accomplice works your bag or pocket from the side you're not watching. Any unsolicited approach from a stranger who's a little too friendly, a little too fast, is worth a polite but firm brush-off, especially in crowded tourist areas.

The Broken (or "Broken") Taxi Meter

A driver claims the meter is broken and quotes a flat fare that's several times the real price, or the meter is real but rigged to run fast. Agree on a price before you get in if there's no meter, insist on the meter if there is one, and use a ride-hailing app with an upfront fare whenever it's available — it removes the negotiation entirely.

The Fake Charity Clipboard / Petition

Someone approaches with a clipboard for a sympathetic cause — deaf children, a local school, a petition for a good cause — and asks you to sign or donate. While you're distracted signing, an accomplice may go through your bag, or you'll simply be pressured hard for cash afterward. Keep walking without engaging; legitimate charities don't solicit cash from tourists on the sidewalk.

The "Free" Gift (Bracelet, Rose, Ring)

Someone ties a bracelet on your wrist, hands you a flower, or "finds" a gold ring and gives it to you as a gift — then demands payment once you've accepted it. Nothing handed to you unsolicited in a tourist area is actually free. Decline immediately, don't let anything be physically attached to you, and keep moving.

The Closed Attraction Redirect

A friendly local tells you a major attraction is "closed today" (for a holiday, maintenance, a private event) and offers to take you somewhere else instead — which conveniently turns out to be a gem shop, tailor, or overpriced tour. Major attractions are essentially never randomly closed. Verify with official signage or staff at the gate, not a stranger who approached you on the street.

Fake Police or Officials

Someone in a uniform (real or fake) asks to check your passport, wallet, or bag for "counterfeit money" or a "random inspection," then either pockets cash during the handoff or pressures you for a bribe. Real police rarely need to inspect your wallet on the street. Ask to see ID, offer to go to a police station instead, and never hand over your passport or wallet directly into someone's hands — show it, don't release it.

ATM Skimming & Standalone Machines

Standalone ATMs in tourist areas (not attached to a bank branch) are a common target for card skimmers and hidden cameras. Use ATMs inside bank branches or attached to bank buildings whenever possible, cover the keypad when entering your PIN, and check your statements regularly while traveling.

Dynamic Currency Conversion

When paying by card abroad, a terminal or ATM sometimes asks "would you like to pay in your home currency instead?" — this sounds convenient but applies a poor exchange rate set by the merchant, not your bank. Always choose to pay in the local currency; let your own card's network handle the conversion, which is almost always cheaper.

Passport & Document Safety

A lost or stolen passport abroad is stressful but very manageable if you've prepared for it in advance — most of this is just a few minutes of setup before you leave.

Check Passport Validity Before You Book

Many countries require your passport to be valid for at least 6 months beyond your travel dates, and some require a minimum number of blank visa pages. Check the specific entry requirements for your destination well before booking flights — this is a common reason for denied boarding that has nothing to do with the trip itself.

Carry a Photocopy — Separate From the Original

Keep a physical photocopy (or a clear photo saved offline) of your passport's photo page in a bag or pocket separate from where you carry the actual passport. If the original is lost or stolen, this photocopy speeds up an embassy replacement enormously and can sometimes stand in for identification in a pinch.

Store Digital Copies Somewhere You Can Reach Without Your Phone

Email yourself scans of your passport, visas, travel insurance policy, and any prescriptions, or save them to a cloud drive you can log into from any browser. If your phone and bag are both lost or stolen together, you still have access from any computer or a borrowed device.

Know Your Embassy's Location and Contact Info

Look up your country's embassy or consulate address and emergency contact number for your destination before you travel, and save it in your phone. Embassies can issue emergency travel documents, but they work faster when you already know where to go rather than searching under stress.

If Your Passport Is Lost or Stolen

File a police report first — most embassies require one to issue a replacement, and it's also needed for travel insurance claims. Then contact your embassy or consulate directly; most can issue an emergency travel document within a day or two, though a full replacement passport can take longer. Your photocopy and digital backup make this whole process significantly faster.

Don't Hand Your Passport to Strangers

Hotels and some border checkpoints may legitimately need to hold or view your passport briefly, but a stranger on the street asking to "verify" it — even someone in a uniform — should be shown the document, not handed it. Real officials rarely need to physically take your passport out of your hands to do their job.

Split Up Where You Keep Important Documents

Don't keep your passport, all your cash, and all your cards in the same bag or pocket. Splitting them across your person and your luggage means a single theft or loss doesn't take out everything you need to keep traveling at once.

Staying Connected Abroad

The options and prices shift constantly, but the basic decision tree for staying online abroad has stayed pretty consistent.

Check If Your Phone Is Unlocked First

Any local SIM or eSIM option requires an unlocked phone. If you bought your phone directly from a carrier, check its lock status before you travel — unlocking it, if needed, is easy but can take a day or two to process, so don't leave it until the airport.

eSIMs Are the Easiest Option for Most Trips

An eSIM (a digital SIM you install through an app, no physical card needed) lets you buy a local or regional data plan online before you even land, activate it on arrival, and keep your home number active on your primary SIM at the same time. This has become the default for most travelers — simple, no shop visit required, and easy to compare prices in advance.

Physical Local SIMs Are Usually Cheapest, But More Effort

Buying a physical SIM card at your destination (airport kiosks, convenience stores, or phone shops) is often the cheapest per-gigabyte option, but it means your home number is temporarily offline unless your phone supports dual SIM, and you'll need your passport to register it in many countries.

Check Your Carrier's Roaming Plan Before Assuming It's a Rip-Off

Some home carriers now include reasonable international roaming (a flat daily fee or included data in certain regions) that can beat buying a local SIM once you factor in convenience. It's worth an actual price check against your specific plan rather than assuming roaming is always overpriced — it depends entirely on your carrier and destination.

Download Offline Maps Before You Land

Google Maps and Apple Maps both let you download an area for offline use — do this for your destination city before departure. It means navigation still works during the gap between landing and getting connected, or anywhere signal is weak.

Be Careful on Public Wi-Fi

Airport, hotel, and café Wi-Fi networks are common targets for data interception, especially for anything involving logins or payment details. A reputable VPN app adds a real layer of protection on public networks, and it's worth avoiding online banking or entering card details on unsecured Wi-Fi altogether when possible.

Translation Apps Worth Having Installed

Google Translate's camera mode (real-time translation by pointing your phone at text) and offline language packs are worth downloading before you go, especially for destinations where English is less common. This alone smooths over menus, signage, and basic conversations enormously.

Airport Survival Guide

The first hour after landing somewhere new is when travelers are most tired, most disoriented, and most likely to make an expensive mistake. A little prep removes almost all of that risk.

Only Use Official Taxi Ranks or Rideshare Apps

Anyone approaching you in the arrivals hall offering a taxi, private driver, or "special price" is not an official driver — legitimate taxis wait at a designated, marked rank, and drivers don't need to solicit passengers. Where available, a rideshare app (Uber, Bolt, Grab, or the local equivalent) removes negotiation entirely and gives you a fixed, upfront fare.

Agree on a Price or Confirm the Meter Before You Move

If you do take a metered taxi, confirm the driver is using the meter before you leave the curb, or agree on a flat fare upfront if there's no meter. Have your destination address written down or shown on your phone rather than relying on pronunciation alone.

Decline Unsolicited Help With Your Bags

Someone who grabs your luggage cart or bag "to help" without being asked, especially outside the terminal, is typically expecting a payment afterward — sometimes an aggressive one. A polite, firm "no thank you" while keeping hold of your own bags heads this off immediately.

Report Lost or Damaged Baggage Before Leaving the Airport

Go straight to the baggage services desk (usually near the carousel) before you leave — most airlines require this to be done the same day. Get a written file reference number and the airline's local contact details; this is what you'll need for compensation or delivery once your bag is located.

Have Your Arrival Basics Sorted Before You Land

Fill out any immigration or customs forms in advance if the airline provides them on board, know whether your destination requires a visa-on-arrival fee (and in what currency), and have your accommodation's address saved offline in both English and the local language if possible — showing it on your phone is often faster and clearer than trying to explain it out loud.

Get Connected Before You're Fully Reliant on It

If you're using an eSIM, activate it before you land so it's ready the moment you're off the plane. If you need a physical SIM, airport kiosks are convenient but sometimes pricier than shops in the city — fine for the first day, worth comparing once you're settled if you're staying a while.

Keep Valuables On You Through Security and Immigration Lines

Passports, cards, and electronics should stay in a bag you're holding or wearing, not in checked luggage or unattended on a cart, especially in crowded security and immigration queues where distraction techniques are common. Keep an eye on your belongings as they come off the X-ray belt rather than stepping through and looking away.

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Find Your Destination

All Destinations

Travel Tips That Apply Everywhere

Scams to Watch For Everywhere

Health & Vaccinations

Money, ATMs & Exchange Rates

Passport & Document Safety

Staying Connected Abroad

Airport Survival Guide

Been There? Share the Real Story.

Submit Your Tip

Why We Built This

Haiti — Travel Advisory

Scams to Watch For Everywhere

The Friendly Stranger / Distraction Duo

The Broken (or "Broken") Taxi Meter

The Fake Charity Clipboard / Petition

The "Free" Gift (Bracelet, Rose, Ring)

The Closed Attraction Redirect

Fake Police or Officials

ATM Skimming & Standalone Machines

Dynamic Currency Conversion

Health & Vaccinations

See a Travel Health Clinic 4–6 Weeks Out

Confirm Routine Vaccines Are Current

The Vaccines Worth Discussing

Malaria & Mosquito-Borne Illness

Build a Basic Travel Health Kit

Water & Food Safety Basics

Get Travel Insurance With Medical Evacuation

If You Get Sick Abroad

Money, ATMs & Exchange Rates

Only Use ATMs Attached to Bank Branches

Always Decline "Home Currency" Conversion

Get a No-Foreign-Transaction-Fee Card Before You Go

Tell Your Bank You're Traveling

Skip Airport and Hotel Currency Exchange Counters

Carry a Small Amount of Local Cash on Arrival

Split Your Money and Cards

Tipping Norms Vary Enormously — Check Before You Go

Passport & Document Safety

Check Passport Validity Before You Book

Carry a Photocopy — Separate From the Original

Store Digital Copies Somewhere You Can Reach Without Your Phone

Know Your Embassy's Location and Contact Info

If Your Passport Is Lost or Stolen

Don't Hand Your Passport to Strangers

Split Up Where You Keep Important Documents

Staying Connected Abroad

Check If Your Phone Is Unlocked First

eSIMs Are the Easiest Option for Most Trips

Physical Local SIMs Are Usually Cheapest, But More Effort

Check Your Carrier's Roaming Plan Before Assuming It's a Rip-Off

Download Offline Maps Before You Land

Be Careful on Public Wi-Fi

Translation Apps Worth Having Installed

Airport Survival Guide

Only Use Official Taxi Ranks or Rideshare Apps

Agree on a Price or Confirm the Meter Before You Move

Decline Unsolicited Help With Your Bags

Report Lost or Damaged Baggage Before Leaving the Airport

Have Your Arrival Basics Sorted Before You Land

Get Connected Before You're Fully Reliant on It

Keep Valuables On You Through Security and Immigration Lines

Travel Smarter.
Skip The Tour Bus.