NRI Voice: Cayman Calling

By Keerthi Mohan | January 8, 2018

Sujith Kumar’s journey to Cayman Islands is nothing short of the stuff that makes a movie. The hospitality industry professional has been working at a resort in Caribbean islands for the past one year and he has nothing but good things to say about his life there.

However, Kumar’s journey began with a rude shock when he landed in the region. He speaks to Little India about the challenges he faced while settling down in what he describes as paradise on earth.

Preparing for the Move

It was initially quite difficult for me as I held an Indian passport. I didn’t have enough time to apply for a USA transit visa or British transit visa from Dubai as I needed to join the property in Cayman Islands as soon as possible. So I decided to take a route through Dubai-Moscow-Cuba-Grand Cayman Islands as I came to know from different websites as well as from government officials that Indians don’t need a transit for Moscow or even Cuba.

Initial Shock

I started my journey through Moscow and once I landed in Cuba I needed to catch another flight to continue my journey. Soon I was approached by a Cuban immigration official who took my passport and mobile phone and asked me to sit in a corner. I noticed that Cuban immigration officials were targeting only Indian passport holders. They threatened to send me back home if I did not give him $400. They put me in a room for almost one and half hours, threatened me and even called me an Indian slave. I had to go through all this despite possessing all the required papers. When I agreed to give him money, he took me to a restroom nearby, gave back my passport and asked to hand over all the money I had. It was a shocking experience. After a long flight I was totally frustrated and tired.

I narrated this harrowing experience in Cuba to a Cayman Airways official and I was told that it frequently happens to Indian passport holders.

Paradise on Earth

Getting to Cayman Islands was an unpleasant experience, but I have had nothing but good times here. I am currently working as an assistant restaurant manager at a resort here, and I have fallen in love with this place. It is safe, clean and one of the best places I have ever been to. People are friendly and they know how to live life.

When I was first offered this job I didn’t have any idea about the place, but I took it up as a challenge and I don’t regret this decision. Cayman Islands is considered one of the developed and richest Caribbean islands. It’s a United Kingdom oversees territory.

Life at Cayman Islands

The pace of life is very slow and people have time for each other. Caymanians are family-oriented people and they do a lot to preserve their culture.

I was surprised to see that there are quite a lot of Indians living here. A number of Indian business enterprises are set up here. But there are only two Indian restaurants here.