Jaunted

Volunteer Travel / Haiti Travel / Sean Penn / Oprah / Celeb Travel / → All Tags

How to Help Sean Penn with His Mission in Haiti

On the latest episode of Oprah's Next Chapter, the talk show icon visited Sean Penn at his J/P HRO camp in Haiti. Penn has been helping with the Haiti relief effort since the catastrophic earthquake hit in 2010. His organization provides emergency medical services, distributes food and water purification systems, and runs Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps with the ultimate goal of finding stable housing for all those still living in the camps.

Oprah toured the camp with Penn, who explained there are still more than 20,000 people living in the tent city, which includes a market where people trade goods, a clinic, and a free school that educates more than 400 kids.

more ›

Haiti Field Trip / Haiti Travel / Volunteer Travel / Voluntourism / Soo Ah M Lee / Earthquakes / Dangerous Travel / → All Tags

Don't Be Fooled in Haiti: Unlikely Tourist Sites for Unlikely Tourists

The National Palace, collapsed and abandoned after the quake

In the wake of Japan's tragic events, the world has been quick to forget Haiti's 7.0 earthquake, which ruled the headlines through 2010. As the country continues to rebuild, the tourists slowly trickle back. Jaunted special correspondent Soo Ah M. Lee recently returned from a medical volunteering mission in Port-au-Prince, and will share her Haiti travel stories and voluntourism tips all this week. This is her story:

As I've said in this series before, I traveled around Haiti in a small group, and this is how most foreigners will also experience it. Occasionally, between volunteering, we'd drive to experience some leisure. Since the earthquake, Haiti hasn't exactly been a tourist destination but when I finally opened up my eyes a bit, I saw that it can be a hidden gem.

Here are few conventional and non-conventional places to visit in and around Port-au-Prince, places that I didn't truly discover until I experienced them myself:

more ›

Haiti Field Trip / Haiti Travel / Volunteer Travel / Voluntourism / Soo Ah M Lee / Earthquakes / Dangerous Travel / → All Tags

Don't Be Fooled in Haiti: How to Be Charitable When Everyone is in Need

Being chased by children asking for help

In the wake of Japan's tragic events, the world has been quick to forget Haiti's 7.0 earthquake, which ruled the headlines through 2010. As the country continues to rebuild, the tourists slowly trickle back. Jaunted special correspondent Soo Ah M. Lee recently returned from a medical volunteering mission in Port-Au-Prince, and will share her Haiti travel stories and voluntourism tips all this week. This is her story:

Before I begin this fourth article in the series, I just want to clarify that I am not a doctor. My main role in my team was providing medical services in the role of assistant. Basically I helped with passing out medicine and giving gifts to all the patients seen by the actual doctors. In this role, I accompanied volunteers to two churches, three orphanages, several home visits and some communal areas to provide services. Most of the visits were in Cité Soleil—one of the biggest and poorest slums in this side of the world, with a known population of about 300,000 people. Other times were spent in Canaan—also known as "Tent City," because some 200,000 here are still living in tents.

I felt mentally, emotionally, and spiritually drained after visiting such heart breaking locations. I felt even worse upon seeing children suffering from malnutrition, diseases and bacterial issues. As a volunteer and a foreigner here, you feel compelled to do something, anything to help. Charity is a delicate issue, however, and visitors quickly learn the right and wrong ways to provide help.

more ›

Haiti Field Trip / Haiti Travel / Volunteer Travel / Voluntourism / Soo Ah M Lee / Earthquakes / Dangerous Travel / → All Tags

Don't Be Fooled in Haiti: Tap-Tap Trucks, Translators and Tropical Beaches

In the wake of Japan's tragic events, the world has been quick to forget Haiti's 7.0 earthquake, which ruled the headlines through 2010. As the country continues to rebuild, the tourists slowly trickle back. Jaunted special correspondent Soo Ah M. Lee recently returned from a medical volunteering mission in Port-Au-Prince, and will share her Haiti travel stories and voluntourism tips all this week. This is her story:

During my trip, I spent most of the time traveling on a Tap-Tap truck, which is basically a pick-up truck with seats and a hood on the trunk. As for public transportation, there are these Tap-Taps and then there is the bus. The latter is easy for locals and near impossible for visitors, since bus stop signs at stop locations are nonexistent. You will however notice them coming from a ways away, since these buses are often colorful and painted with Bible verses in French or Creole.

I really wanted to try out the bus, but was advised not to. I stuck to the Tap-Tap trucks. As in other day-to-day things in Haiti, foreigners can easily be cheated out of money or detoured. Of course both of these situations should be avoided as much as possible, so here are some tips for transportation in Haiti:

more ›

Haiti Field Trip / Haiti Travel / Volunteer Travel / Voluntourism / Soo Ah M Lee / Earthquakes / Dangerous Travel / → All Tags

Don't Be Fooled in Haiti: Avoiding the Mafia and The Trials of Finding Food

A rental property for volunteers

In the wake of Japan's tragic events, the world has been quick to forget Haiti's 7.0 earthquake, which ruled the headlines through 2010. As the country continues to rebuild, the tourists slowly trickle back. Jaunted special correspondent Soo Ah M. Lee recently returned from a medical volunteering mission in Port-Au-Prince, and will share her Haiti travel stories and voluntourism tips all this week. This is her story:

I went to Haiti with a non-profit that gives 100% of their proceeds to those in need. When I paid $300 for my stay in Port-au-Prince, I thought this was quite a lot since Haiti is a developing country. Alas, I came to discover that it was spent on lodging, dining, transportation, translators, and admittance to a private beach. Everything was covered with $300. Regardless, I realized later that I was misled in many ways that could not be helped.

The place I slept was a house rented by missionaries supported by the non-profit with whom I traveled to Haiti. We were lucky; it had a full kitchen (refrigerator and a stove/oven) with a dining area, 4 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms (the two bathroom I saw had bathtubs in them), 1 storage room, and two communal areas; some rooms even had their own balcony. There was one big downside to this nice place, however...

more ›

Haiti Field Trip / Haiti Travel / Volunteer Travel / Voluntourism / Soo Ah M Lee / Earthquakes / Dangerous Travel / → All Tags

Don't Be Fooled in Haiti: How to Ditch the Con Men of Port-Au-Prince Airport

In the wake of Japan's tragic events, the world has been quick to forget Haiti's 7.0 earthquake, which ruled the headlines through 2010. As the country continues to rebuild, the tourists slowly trickle back. Jaunted special correspondent Soo Ah M. Lee recently returned from a medical volunteering mission in Port-Au-Prince, and will share her Haiti travel stories and voluntourism tips all this week. This is her story:

I flew down to Haiti from Chicago, on American Airlines. When I first landed in Port-Au-Prince, my first thought after exiting the plane was, “is this really a third country in need?” You see, unlike some Caribbean Islands (ie., St. Maarten) where you walk down the portable stairs out of the airplane and load immediately into a bus, Haiti wants to show off its fancy, newly built airport.

While walking down a corridor towards customs and immigration, I felt the air conditioning running full blast; there were even escalators. All this was before customs, and based on what I have seen so far, I thought my Haiti experience wasn’t going to be so bad. Boy was I in for a rude awakening…

more ›

Political Travel / Haiti Travel / Wyclef Jean / Music Travel / Presidential Travel / Celeb Travel / → All Tags

What Could Wyclef Jean Do for Tourism as President of Haiti?

In case you haven't already heard, brace yourself for this news: Wyclef Jean is seriously considering running for President of Haiti. He's already filed the paperwork to participate in the election on November 28, and we can expect an official decision to come on August 7.

Don't make us bring up Arnold Schwarzenegger and Ronald Reagan, but the transition for a movie or music star to political office can be pretty easy if they are a different sort of triple threat: they've got the right amount of previous positive political activity, drive and inspiration for the future and support from more than just their fans. Lucky for Wyclef, he's three for three there, so the step to presidency in his troubled home country is well within reach.

more ›

Volunteer Travel / Eco-Travel / Natural Disasters / → All Tags

Spend Vacation Building Sustainable Housing? Sure, Why Not?

Earthship Biotecture, an organization that creates sustainable housing from recycled tires filled with compacted earth, has just returned from Haiti where volunteers launched a project to build housing for those still homeless after January's earthquake. Earthship plans to return in October to continue their work and educate locals so they will be able to build their own permanent, sustainable housing, and you can join them on their next mission.

They are currently looking for volunteers who are interested in learning how to build their own Earthship to help those in need on future trips, like the one to Haiti, or for their own use. Right now, they are planning a new Earthship project in Santa Fe, New Mexico and need volunteers who would be willing to work alongside the Earthship crew and learn techniques like tire pounding, installation of thermal wrap, installation of cisterns and site planning.

more ›

Haiti Travel / American Airlines / MIA / PAP / Earthquakes / Airline News / → All Tags

American Airlines Resumes Regular Flights to Haiti, But Who's Going?

January 12. That was the day that Haiti suffered the devastating 7.0 earthquake and the day that American Airlines ceased their commercial flights to Port-Au-Prince, Haiti's capital, on account of the damage to the airport and the country in general. But now, over a month later, the airline is the first to resume their flights, after resuming abbreviated service last Friday.

Actually, American never stopped flying between the US and Haiti during the last month plus; instead of carrying paying passengers however, the flights continued packed with supplies and air workers.

So how much does it cost to fly there this week?

more ›

Celeb Travel / Sean Penn / Earthquakes / Haiti Travel / → All Tags

Sean Penn Travels with John Edwards to Deliver Relief in Haiti

While big-name singers like Alicia Keys and Madonna used their pipes to raise more than $58 million in the "Hope for Haiti Now" telethon on Friday, actor-activist Sean Penn was on the ground of the disaster-torn country to lend a hand.

The star delivered medical supplies and transport doctors to those whose lives were devastated by the January 12 earthquake as part of his charity, the Jenkins-Penn Haitian Relief Organization. In Port-au-Prince and around the capital, Penn gave out water filters, went to a clinic, visited out a food-distribution site, and checked out the efforts of soldiers from the U.S. 82nd Airborne Division.

more ›

Volunteer Travel / Haiti Travel / Earthquakes / Frequent Flyer Miles / Disasters / → All Tags

Relief From the Sky: What the Airlines are Doing to Help Haiti

As we reported last week, Spirit Airlines was giving away enough loyalty miles for a free flight to anyone who donates $5 to Haiti by Jan. 17. But, Spirit isn't the only airline getting involved in the relief efforts. Here's a look at a few other airlines and what they're doing to help:

· American Airlines: American is giving customers a chance to earn 250 bonus miles when they donate at least $50, or 500 bonus miles for a donation of $100 or more to the American Red Cross through Feb. 28, 2010. The airline, in conjunction with American Eagle, is also sending three flights to Haiti filled with 30,000 pounds of relief supplies, food and water.

· Continental Airlines: Continental has a program for OnePass members in which they can donate their miles to relief groups, including the Red Cross.

More airlines, after the jump

more ›

Bad Ideas / Royal Caribbean / Haiti Travel / Cruises / Cruise Travel / → All Tags

Cruise Ships Continue To Party 60 Miles Away From Haiti Mass Graves

It's probably that by now, in addition to all of the coverage of the horrible earthquake and its aftermath in Haiti, that you've also heard about how cruise ships are continuing to stop at their "private" beaches in Haiti, effectively swatting aside human suffering and need for the power of the almighty dollar and a shipload of vacationers demanding the destinations promised.

Years ago, we were on one of the ships that stops in Haiti and yet our boat suddenly skipped it on account of "political instabliity." We didn't get to party on the beach in Labadee, but we did have an extra day at sea. Why couldn't the cruise line do that in this case, with more than just political instability at hand, but an estimated 200,000 deaths and widespread human crisis?

Excuses, excuses...after the jump!

more ›