17 Mar 2020
Note: I originally was not going to post a review of this tour because, due to the volatile situation in Haiti at the time of my visit, I was unable to complete the tour. However, I thought it was important to note how Eagle Tours and my guide helped out during my short visit.
I scheduled a day tour of PAP in late September, 2019 with Eagle Tours & Adventures. Just before leaving for Haiti, Abraham Pierre-Mary contacted me to let me know that it would be best to rebook because there was politcal unrest and he was not certain we could make it to our intended points of interest due to road closures, protests, etc. and safety was the top concern. I was determined to try anyway, so Abraham agreed to give it a try.
Abraham promptly picked me up at the PAP airport. Note: There is a small police office at the airport just a 20-second walk to the right, outside the arrivals exit but BEFORE continuing out through the fenced exit to the taxis. This is where Abraham picked me up. I mention this because another traveler mentioned having to walk to a "side police station" and it's important to note this is still located at the airport, not "down the road" so to speak. It sounds like this is where Eagle Tours prefers to pick up their clients, so don't go all the way out to the taxi area.
Just as I was warned, most of the streets were closed off with rocks, fires, etc, and there were angry crowds. Abraham tried to get me through the city to my hotel (it was already clearly apparanet that we could not do the city tour). Abraham told me that even if we somewhow made it to my hotel, there was a risk of not getting out and back to the airport the following day. From this point forward is where I am really thankful for his help looking out for me.
Abraham took me to the security of his home while we waited for the situation to die down, in the hopes we'd be able to salvage part of the tour. I even had a nice Haitian lunch and I learned a lot about his country from him. I found Abraham to be both knowledgeable and personable. After several hours it was apparent things were getting worse, so he took me to find another hotel, near the airport where there was better security. After striking out four or five times (everyone from the other hotels had moved to the hotels in the more secured airport zone so they were fully booked), we finally found an inexpensive but nice, secure hotel. Abraham picked me up the following day on time and transferred me to the airport.
I appreciated the time spent looking out for my safety and helping me find another hotel location, and even for trying to go forward with my PAP tour despite the situation to begin with. Eagle Tours and Abraham went above and beyond to help me out, and Abraham even mentioned that if I returned and would like to try the tour again, I should consider the PAP portion of the tour already paid for. I will definitely use this company/guide again when I return.