how taking a poor man's vehicle around the island became my new favorite mode of transport
I'm not even sure how I found out about it. My friend Jeff swears he gave me the idea, but then later thought maybe it was me who told him. But whoever and however taking a tuktuk around Sri Lanka, I owe a debt of gratitude.
To understand the hilarity that popped up on nearly every road, gas station and interaction, it should be mentioned that a tuktuk (if that's even how you spell it? I keep getting a squiggly line underneath when I type) is a poor man's vehicle for a poor man's career. It's cheap and you'll always be in business, sure, but that business ain't gonna make you much. So, by renting one, you're immediately bypassing a lot of stereotypical shame when it comes to locals vs. tourist. I didn't show up walking off of a plane, or dropped off in an air conditioned car or even, god forbid, a tour bus. I pulled up to the roadside restaurant in a shirt unbuttoned all the way, some dirty shorts and no shoes in my tuktuk. The local expressions were cartoonish and whatever ice that hadn't melted underneath the sun was immediately broken.
But barriers aside, I'm serious when I say that I consider it to be the perfect travel vehicle.
Think about it:
Taxis are too expensive, and too posh
Motorcycles are great, but too dangerous, too exposed and too fast
Buses are hell
Trains are heaven, but you can't hop off whenever you like
Hiking is hard
And bicycling is just an all-around pain in the ass
Tuktuks however:
They're covered, but open on both sides = sun protection, but still a nice breeze
The speed limit in most countries is 40kmh (25mph); Usain Bolt can run faster
Easy to work on + they're light enough for two people to set upright if it tips over
Gas is cheap
It can handle dirt roads, as well as (a bit of ) sand on a beach
And, as mentioned, it's hilarious
... hilarious to see, hilarious to jump in when I offer a ride (I'd end up doing this a lot), hilarious when I'd pull up to a 5-star hotel for a tea and hand the key to a valet, hilarious when arriving at my Airbnb and the owner doubled-over in laughter saying "I thought you meant you were getting a ride in a tuktuk!" Hilarious all around. I remember once reading an interview with my then-idol Adam Duritz, frontman for my then-idols Counting Crows, as to why he wore fake dreadlocks. "It makes me laugh when I look in the mirror" he replied, and I kind of understood what he was saying: have fun with it all. Travel silly.
Plus, it's both sustainable and charitable—at least, the company I went through (and this will now read like they're sponsoring this post, but they're not)—as they themselves don't own any of the tuktuks, but simply rent them from locals. I think I paid around $24 a day for mine, so would guess (hope) it'd be $12 in both pockets. A lot of money for a tuktuk driver and, with nearly 200 tuktuks on the road in Sri Lanka from this company alone, an excellent business model.
As to the beforehand stuff, they handle it all. Sorting out your tuktuk drivers license, routes, a quick maintenance course, driving lessons, 24 hour support... literally everything.
Traveling to a new city every few days isn't my favorite, I'll admit, and it's one of the best parts about how I get to travel. I like to spend a few months in a place, find an apartment, get to know my local fruit lady... really settle in, you know? But with the bicycle adventure on the horizon and my income coming to an end the first of August, I only had a month (feel free to roll your eyes) for Sri Lanka and so just wanted a look around.
The tuktuk provided that.
As to any hesitation you might have to doing the same, let me put those at ease:
Yes, it takes an hour or so to get used to shifting using the left handle
Takes about the same amount of time getting used to the traffic
It's incredibly safe (as mentioned, not too many deaths have been caused at 25mph).
No one's gonna steal a tuktuk on an island
And while crime in Sri Lanka is just about as low as it gets, you have a little lockbox underneath your seat for any valuables
I'm a huge fan of this idea. Both from the aforementioned sustainability angle, but also because it really does tick all the boxes for how I like to travel.
And if this is something you're considering for your trip to Sri Lanka, I'm here for any questions (both tuktuk advice plus anything else re: Sri Lanka).
