Travel in city Port-Au-Prince

Civil unrest in Haiti has forced the Royal Caribbean Group to cancel all plans to visit its private destination in Labadee.

Haiti's main international airport in the capital city of Port-au-Prince has reopened to air traffic after debilitating gang violence forced officials to close it back in March.According to the Associated Press, Toussaint Louverture International Airport (PAP) reopened Monday, which should allow for the much-needed delivery of medication and other basic supplies throughout the country amid an ongoing humanitarian crisis.Local carrier Sunrise Airways is the only airline flying into or out of PAP at the moment. U.S.-based carriers are not expected to begin service to the airport until late May or early June.The Caribbean country has been plagued by violence of late and has been essentially a no-go for American tourists for months, with cruise lines canceling port calls.

In recent days, escalated strife in Haiti’s capital of Port-au-Prince has garnered attention from around the world. Given the rampant gang violence and a mass prison break on March 3, the U.S. State Department reiterated its Level 4 Travel Advisory (“Do Not Travel”), while the U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince issued a security alert advising all U.S. citizens to depart the country as soon as they could.

American Airlines is on a roll, and not in a good way.

With its natural wonders, revolutionary history and captivating culture – informed by the vodou (voodoo) religion – Haiti is like nowhere else in the Caribbean. Look beyond the trash talk and the misconceptions and you’ll be richly rewarded.

Writer and musician Thomas Rees travels to one of the Caribbean’s most underrated destinations to meet the vodou singers, self-titled Haitian punks and innovative young producers shaping Haiti’s unsung music scene.Listen to Thomas talk about his experiences on our podcast.