Terry Salyer

We arrived in Labadee Haiti about 8:00 A.M. There is no dock for the boat, so it remains in the bay, and they ‘tender’ you to shore in smaller boats. You have to wait in lines for a little while, but it’s not that bad. Be sure to have your ‘SeaPass’ with you. 

Labadee was a beautiful place. The beaches were great. The first beach was too crowded, so we walked over to the second one on the left. We snorkeled next to the rocks, and saw plenty of fish, starfish, shells etc. The water was very clear, even in depths of 20 or more feet.

I was the only one in our group who has snorkeled before, so I taught the others. It is very easy and everyone learned rather fast. We planned to do some major snorkeling in Grand Cayman, so this was the prefect place for everyone to hone their skills. My wife doesn’t swim, but she did fine. Here they require you to wear a snorkel vest (you inflate as much as you want by blowing into a tube). I left mine deflated so I could dive down and check out the sites. They even have instructors there to show you how if necessary. The ship brings lunch to the shore as a buffet style meal. It is served under a permanent open-air type building. It was OK for what they had to go through to get it there.

The Haitians have a market place behind the beach areas. They have some beautiful wood carved statues, paintings, stone ware, etc. I love to fish, so I bought a large wooden carving of a fish. You have to barter with these people on the price. He started at $60, and I got him down to $20. They take American currency of course, so don’t forget to bring some cash. Always cut the price to at least half of what they want. It may take several tries, but they will come down to your price. If you are not interested in their wares, just say no thank you and keep walking. They tend to be pushy and do all they can do to get you to look at their wares. I really had no problems at all, and bought some beautiful items at a good price. There is plenty on the island to keep you busy: Parasailing, wave runners, kayaks, banana boat rides, and floating mats. (all for a price of course)

Ask a Question About a Caribbean Port