Fishermen of Uppuveli

I watched and filmed the fishermen of Uppuveli work from start to end of the day, almost a week here. The abundance of sea-life they withdrew in long red nets, working fishermen and baskets filled, and the many nets that came to shore filled with sea-life alive.

Uppuveli is a little coastal community consisting a golden sand beach, a few hundred locals, a dozen or so places to stay.

Just a few kilometres north of Trinco, the low-key village of Uppuveli is little more than a modest cluster of guesthouses, a couple of hotels, a few fishing boats, and a great many palm trees. There are a few roads and some choices of places to eat besides just hotel food, but the Uppuveli offers much more than Nilaveli.

 

Uppuveli’s guesthouses managed to eke out a tenuous existence during the war years, while the village was lucky enough to escape the widespread destruction wrought by the tsunami on nearby Nilaveli thanks to its sheltered position behind Trincomalee’s Swami Rock.

Uppuveli does have a distinctly local charm, an intimate feel and some good-value accommodation. It’s many travelers’ favourite hangout in the East. It is calm and tranquil and near to Trincomalee, a short tuk tuk ride, for those days you want to explore further.

It felt unspoiled, for now, but signs indicate new builds. This is un-explored territory much avoided in the past, the war is long over, this could be a destination with potential.