Suva, Fiji

After the perfect clean air of the less inhabited islands, arriving in Suva is a bit of a shock. Though it’s hardly a huge city, the noise of the traffic, the dust and the smoke feel a million miles away from the pristine beaches and rainforests that I’ve become used to on these islands. What I’m most looking forward to here is taking a walk around one of the city’s Hindu temples and then sampling some of the Indian cuisine for which this place is famous.

Indo-Fijians began arriving on the archipelago during the late 19th Century. They were brought by the British as indentured servants to work on the many sugar plantations they had set up on the island. Indentured servitude was an abusive practice set up by European colonial powers after the abolition of slavery to replace the cheap labour they had recently lost. The idea was that the employer would pay for the indentured worker’s travel, food and board, and in return, they would work the plantations for free for a period of time. Most of the workers who came here came from desperately poor backgrounds, and many were tricked, manipulated or simply kidnapped. Workers would labour for 10-12 hours a day in the blistering heat and were subject to beatings and imprisonment if they broke their contract.

Thousands of Indians came to Fiji, and, by the 1950s, Indians formed the majority of the population. After independence, most left due to discriminatory policies from the indigenous Fijian-dominated government, but their presence is still felt, especially in the capital.

I decide to visit the Sri Raj Maha Mariamman Temple, one of the major Hindu temples on the island. This is also one of the oldest, celebrating its hundredth birthday in 2024. I wander around its colourful grounds, admire its large and impressive chedi and sit under a large bodhi tree, watching the saffron-robed worshippers come and go.

After walking through the temple, I start to feel peckish. And what could be better (thematically at least) than sampling some of the local Indo-Fijian cuisine? I head to a colourfully decorated restaurant called ‘Fiji Very Tasty Food’ and sit down at one of the metal tables. I order and am quickly brought out a bowl of fragrant, comforting lentil dal, a buttery, flaky roti flatbread, and a fiery tomato-based vegetable curry packed with the indigenous vegetables of these islands - taro, cassava and duruka, which tastes and looks similar to asparagus. Paired with some astringent chutneys and a cold, creamy mango lassi, I eat and eat, battling through the spiciness but enjoying every bite. I finish and head out into the warm night, satisfied with another fun day on these paradise islands.