Renting a Tuk-tuk in Sri Lanka and be the driver, deciding where and when you go? Taking new friends in and explore this incredible country? Does that sound good? Well, that’s precisely what I did.
Reasons why you should rent a Tuk-tuk as well when coming to Sri Lanka, are these:
1. Sri Lanka is small
Sri Lanka is a small country, yeah, it’s not Luxembourg but also not India or Russia. It’s easy to get around and not too far. With a Tuk-tuk, the maximal speed limit is 40 km/h, sounds slow, but is definitely enough and safe speed for a 3-wheeler. The longest distance I drove in one day was from Arugam Bay to Mirissa, which is 250 km and took me around 7 hours. For the rest, it was mostly distances of 100 to 150 km between the cities and so only 3 to 4-hour drives. So, you can reach every corner of the country easily with the Tuk-tuk.
2. You’re spontaneously
The best thing about your own vehicle of any form is the freedom you get with it. If you want to leave at 6 am you can do it. If you’re going to sleep and move only at noon, well, it’s not a problem. You don’t have to take the scheduled bus, which is then probably one hour late. There is also no significant planning involved; you put your destination into google maps and start driving. But it’s not only getting from one city to the other, if you want to go to a different beach during the day there is absolutely no one stopping you. Furthermore, it’s not a problem anymore when the restaurant is a little further away or if there’s nothing around, you go and don’t have to wait for anyone.
3. You don’t have to deal with the other Tuk-tuk drivers
Tuk-tuk drivers and taxis have a monopoly position in Sri Lanka except for the capital Colombo where Uber and other apps work. The drivers know that, and so prices rise drastically, and you end up spending 3 or 4 times the fair price, especially as a tourist. Simply because you have no other choice than paying that price, you’ll do it. With your own Tuk-tuk, this problem is solved straight away. Take the keys and start driving wherever you want, no trouble getting a fair price.
4. You can stop whenever you want
The roads in Sri Lanka are beautiful, especially in the middle of the country. With the Tuk-tuk, you can stop wherever you want and take some pictures or have a wee. When you’re on the bus or train, you see the beautiful scenery too, but there is no way to stop and take a beautiful picture or enjoy the view. If you’re tired from driving, you can get yourself a coffee at a nice shop or just sit in the tea plantations. Freedom.
5. It’s fun to drive the Tuk-tuk
The actual driving of the Tuk-tuk is just fun. I like basically everything to push from motorbikes to cars, and so I like to drive a Tuk-tuk as well. It’s also not that hard and straightforward to learn if you are used to manual cars.
I just had the best time in Sri Lanka and enjoyed every second, and that was well connected to the experience with my Tuk-tuk. The freedom, driving, and scenery made it an unforgettable experience.
- Total countries I visited until now: 41
WorldTravel:
- Planes: 29
- Busses: 49
- Trains: 23
- Boats: 25
- Km driving: 8000
- KM driving with my Tuktuk: 2000
- Km running: 3558
Flo's WorldTravel 