A fellow rickshaw-enthusiast requested I dig up this piece I penned sometime back about Tuk Tuks in Sri Lanka. Given it was my first piece of paid writing – for a Hong Kong lifestyle mag back in 2004 – I thought I’d post here for legacy’s sake.
“And is madam married?” queried our charmer of a tuk-tuk driver. I did the usual swapping of my ring to the appropriate finger and waved it in his face with a triumphant smile. “But in Sri Lanka you have your Number-One-Husband” he announced and then with a wink in the rear view mirror “but you also have a Tuk-Tuk Husband!” He collapsed in laughter at his own joke leaving my friend and I hoping the vehicle would guide itself through Colombo’s chaotic innards in this momentary lapse of our driver’s attention.
Travellers to Asia have long patronised the humble tuk-tuk. From Bangkok to Mumbai and throughout our adventures in Sri Lanka, the three-wheeled taxis are indispensable for negotiating traffic-choked inner-city streets. Hopping between seaside villages, fort towns and up-country tea estates, we found them the ideal way to experience the true diversity of Sri Lanka. Colourful, cheap, semi-open and providing drivers ranging from rogues to most hospitable hosts – the tuk-tuk soon became our mode of choice leading to all manner of insights to this unique island.
The tuk-tuk’s older sibling: Cycle Rickshaw (Delhi)
The tuk-tuk traces it’s origins to nineteenth century Thailand where King Rama V was presented with a rickshaw by a wealthy Chinese resident. This evolved into the three-wheeled cycle rickshaw or samlor that is still seen in many Asian countries today. In the 50s, amid growing traffic congestion, Thailand banned the samlor. Its desirable manoeuverability however, led to a motorised upgrade: the tuk-tuk. Many Asian cities quickly adopted the tuk-tuk in response to the need for faster short haul passenger transport in increasingly inhabited urban districts.
The current tuk-tuk format is a modification of a Japanese delivery vehicle popular in the 60s. Drivers straddle the engine bay using a motorcycle style steering mechanism to guide the three-wheelers. Originally 2 stroke engines, 4 stroke versions are now available with delivery and pick-up models on offer as well.
Mudflap customisation (Ahmedabad)
The name tuk-tuk quaintly mimics the sound of their idling engines – a familiar accompaniment to the soundtrack of Asian city life. With their often customised signage and kitsch interiors, tuk-tuks provide colourful character to an array of locales.
Warnings are rife in Asia, Sri Lanka included, of the hazards of tuk-tuk travel. Passenger safety, exposure to pollution, rigged meters, commission scams are issues that pepper guide books. However we found that fortified with a suitable dose of street-wise savvy that tuk-tuk experiences were indeed a many splendored thing. Miscommunications and potential scams were interwoven with avid haggling and hilarity. After a particularly engaging bargaining dual we boarded one tuk-tuk only to find that the driver had no idea where we were actually headed – a testament to the fact that the deal can be as entertaining as the destination.
Fuel and Font Pit Stop + Photo Opp (Sri Lanka)
Our most pleasant excursion was with the easy going Ranjit of the southern town, Matara. We hired him for a day at a fixed rate to take us to surrounding fishing villages, swimming spots and sights along the south western coast. Despite my glowing appraisal of tuk-tuk travel in Sri Lanka, the roads can be truly testing on ones nerves but Ranjit had us calmly and expertly venturing through it all. He didn’t try any of the tourist scams we’d heard about but happily stopped to our shouts over minor roadside attractions and obscure photo-opportunities. In fact, when we asked him to take us for lunch to the kind of place he would frequent, he squirmed at the suggestion. After a bit of earnest encouragement we landed up at a humble road- side eatery which easily rated amongst our top Sri Lankan dining experiences.
The breezy semi open air tuk-tuks allowed us to explore, pursue, meander and back-track much of Sri Lanka inaccessible to other forms of transport. They allowed us to take in the sights and scenery but also the markets, alleyways, colourful characters and slices of life not evident otherwise. Not in the least our delightful, self-proclaimed Tuk-Tuk Husband.
Related posts:
Three Idiots on Three Wheels
Cultural Confectionery Confectionery (featuring my talented travel pal on Sri Lanka trip)
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