I visited Haiti in October 2009, just a few months before the January 2010 earthquake. I made arrangements with Jacqui at Voyages Lumiere (voyageslumiere.com/), who I highly recommend. I based myself at the Hotel Oloffson in Port-au-Prince (hoteloloffson.com/), and visited the capital's principal sites, highlights being the Marche de Fer and Grand Cimetiere de Port-au-Prince. Jacqui also arranged a day trip to Jacmel, located on Haiti's southern coast, which allowed a drive through the mountainous countryside and a visit to Jacmel (similar in construction to the French Quarter of New Orleans, with its many 19th-century merchants' residences graced with wrought-iron facades).