Guide for renting Tuktuk in Sri Lanka: 2019
Wondering how does it feel to ride a tukuk?
It was early December 2018. Only a few days were left for our next big adventure, SRI LANKA. Most of the things were planned and we were just contemplating whether to take local trains or hire a car for hopping from one city to another. Even though everyone we spoke with told us about the scenic train journey in Sri Lanka, we were keener on taking the roads, as we wanted more flexibility on timings and itinerary. Considering the high cost, hiring a car was not fitting in our tiny budget. While we were still pondering on our commute plan, a friend suggested us on Renting a Tuktuk in Sri Lanka! Honestly, it did not sound real to us.
Even in our wildest of the dreams, we had never imagined self-driving a tuktuk in India, leave alone Sri Lanka. Our adventures soul became extremely excited about the idea. After a lot of research and talking to some random lovely folks, we found renting tuktuk in Sri Lanka to be the best option from the budget point of view as well.
Hence, without further thinking, we went ahead and rented the tuktuk from Tuktuk Rental for our 15 days’ trip to Sri Lanka.
Our experience on renting tuktuk in Sri Lanka
We had rented the tuktuk for our 15 days trip. In those 15 days, we drove for around 1,400 km amidst the mountains, forests, beaches and cities of Sri Lanka. We had all the freedom to stop the tuktuk at any location/ spot we liked. We met many locals and tourists who asked us for rides, thinking we are Sri Lankan tuktuk drivers (it was so much fun). Some of the locals laughed at us, some were totally amused. The tuktuk expedition was truly an offbeat and unique experience.
By the way, we had also named our tuktuk “Tuksi Joy”! :)
Pros and Cons of renting a tuktuk in Sri Lanka
Pros of renting a tuktuk in Sri Lanka
1. Freedom – When you rent a tuktuk in Sri Lanka, you can stop at anywhere you like, follow whatever itinerary you prefer.
2. Cost – Renting a tuktuk is definitely cheaper than renting a car in Sri Lanka. The per day hiring charges are less than a car and also, no restrictions on the number of kilometer per day. A good alternative to a car for budget travelers!
3. Commute within cities – We don’t need to hire a separate vehicle for commuting within the city.
4. Driving tuktuk is an offbeat and Cool experience!
Cons of renting tuktuk in Sri Lanka
1. Tuktuk has a speed limitation of 40 km per hour in Sri Lanka.
2. You cannot lock the tuktuk and leave the luggage, unlike car (I hated this part).
Common questions you may have on renting a tuktuk in SriLanka
Here are answers to all the common questions (safety, budget, license, route, etc) you may have on renting and driving tuktuk in Sri Lanka. In case you feel we have missed out on something, please do leave a comment, we will respond as soon as possible.
Now, let’s get started!
1. Where can you hire the tuktuk from in Sri Lanka?
We hired our tuktuk from a start-up called Tuktuk Rental. The guys were really professional and helpful. Some fellow travellers mentioned that it can also be directly hired from the local tuktuk guys. Honestly, I find hiring tuktuk (or any other vehicle for that matter) from an experienced vendor more reliable. For our tuktuk, we did not have to worry about insurance, pick-up/ drop, driving lesson, repair, etc. The Tuktuk Rental guys literally took care of everything for us and made our Sri Lanka trip a lifetime experience.
To know more about Tuktuk Rental, check their website here.
2. What are the charges/ cost for hiring tuktuk?
Hiring charges – It can range from USD 25 (INR 1800) per day to USD 15 (INR 1000) per day, depending on the number of days you are hiring it for.
Petrol cost – Tuktuk gives the millage of around 20-25 km per litre (not bad, right)! Also, for our total journey of 1,400 kilometres, the petrol cost was INR 3000 (can’t get any better).
Maintenance – Tuktuk’s engine may require normal greasing once in 10 days or so which costs INR 100 (USD 1.5).
If you plan to hire it for a longer duration, make sure you take care of the greasing.
3. Tuktuk vs Car vs Trains in Sri Lanka
Train cost will be cheaper when compared to the tuktuk and people say the train journeys are scenic and breathtakingly beautiful. However, tuktuk has the advantage of flexibility and freedom when compared to local trains. Also, since the trains and tuktuks have almost the same route, our road journey was equally beautiful and scenic. Another big advantage of having a tuktuk is that there will be no need to hire a bike/ scooter for exploring places within a city.
Cars are obviously more convenient and comfortable when compared to tuktuk but come at a higher cost. We can ride a car in any part of the world but riding a tuktuk on the roads of Sri Lanka is once in a lifetime experience.
4. How easy it is easy to learn and drive tuktuk for a four-wheeler/ two-wheeler riders?
Driving Tuktuk in Sri Lanka should not be challenging. You can get a hang on it in an hour’s training. Don’t compare Sri Lankan roads and traffic with chaotic India. Sri Lankan roads are beautiful and pass through the beaches, coconut trees, mountains and forests. Just play your favourite music and enjoy the journey.
TukTuk Rental had provided us with driving lessons. The teaching staff, Dushyantha, was super patient and friendly. He taught us everything about tuktuk and the nuances of driving in Sri Lanka.
5. Is it safe to ride a tuktuk in Sri Lanka? Will there be any issues in case of female drives?
Tuktuks are one of the easiest modes of transport in most of the southeast Asian countries. In fact, in Sri Lanka, many families use tuktuks as their personal vehicle for daily chores.
We had taken it out on the roads at 6:00 AM/ 10:00 PM and did not face any issues. Just follow the rules, don’t overtake and give space to the heavy vehicles.
Also, it is completely SAFE for a female traveller to ride the tuktuk! Some of the locals may stare “OUT OF AMUSEMENT” and some may approach for selfies (be prepared).Don’t miss to drive the tuksi if you get a chance. It’s a crazy ride.
6. Can you take tuktuk to the hilly areas like Ella/ Nuwara Eliya in Sri Lanka?
Don’t underestimate the power of Tuksi. Tuktuk can climb steep roads and hilly areas.
Few things to keep in mind :
Take your Tuktuk for a quick check. Brake oil, Engine Oil and well-greased gears will prepare your tuktuk for the mountain ride.
Tuktuks do not travel beyond 40km per hour and hence, while climbing uphill the speed will reduce drastically. Hence, planning the right itinerary is extremely important.
Make yourself comfortable with the tuktuk for at least a day or two before taking it to the side of the mountains
7. What is the best route for driving tuktuk in Sri Lanka?
The route will depend on the places you want to cover, the number of days you have in
hand and the month in which you are travelling to Sri Lanka. We took our trip in December and wanted to explore the southern province. Hence, had followed the below route –
Columbo – Bentota – Galle – Unawatuna – Mirissa – Tangalle – Udawalawe – Ella – Nuwara Elliya – Negombo
We have left north Sri Lanka and the cultural Triangle (Kandy, Anapurna and Sigriya) for another visit to the country (hopefully soon!). You can take your tuktuk in any part of the country. Considering Sri Lanka is a small country, travelling from one part to another is not challenging and does not take much time.
To give you a better idea on our route and Sri Lanka in general, here is a route map for our itinerary.
8. Is it possible to pick up and drop the tuktuk from/ at the airport in Sri Lanka?
YES, absolutely! That’s what we did. We had dropped our tuktuk at the airport and went straight to catch our plane for India. Glad we did that; we could avoid Colombo’ss mad traffic. You can check Tuktuk rental’s website to get full details.
This facility may also be available with other operators as well.
9. Which side of the road people drive tuktuk in Sri Lanka
Left
10. Do we need a license for driving tuktuk in Sri Lanka?
• International Driving license/ Permit (“IDL”) – As long as you have a local driving license for your home country, you will easily be able to get an IDL from your home country. Just make sure that the IDL covers “3 wheeler” (typically covered for most of the countries). An IDL in India costed us around INR 1,000.
• Special local license – You will need a special local license for driving any vehicle (tuktuk, Car, two-wheeler) in Sri Lanka. You can get the local license for Tuktuk from Automobile Association of Ceylon in Colombo. The special local license will cost around INR 2,100 (USD 30) and the whole process will take around half a day.
We did not want to spend our day 1 doing this admin task and hence, had asked Tuktuk rental team to arrange for the Sri Lankan license by paying a nominal fee. You can read detailed requirements for driving license in Sri Lanka here.
11. How to pack while riding tuktuk in Sri Lanka?
There is enough space in tuktuk. All you need to be careful about is the size of the bags/ trolleys. Backpacks or small trolleys would be perfect to fit in the back side of the tuktuk.
In case you are carrying large trolleys, maybe you can use the roof of the tuktuk.
Look how the Tuksi Joy became our home.
12. Leaving the luggage in Tuktuk and exploring places around?
This will be a big no and a negative aspect when compared to the cars. Tuktuk can’t be locked, so leaving the luggage will be risky. At some places, we did take a chance and left our luggage in the Tuktuk, luckily nothing happened (we were always carrying the valuables and documents along with us).
I was told by my friends that they used to park the tuktuk near small shops/ vendors and ask them to look after it and the luggage, in return for some money. You can try this as well.
13. Other Tips for renting a tuktuk a Sri Lanka
Generally, Sri Lankan Traffic cops stop foreigners who drive tuktuk in Sri Lanka (mostly white folks), some out of amusement and some for making money. Don’t pay money unless you have actually done something wrong. ALWAYS ask for a receipt/ challan. Lastly, be friendly with them and tell them how much you love the pearl
country, Sri Lanka.
Size matters, especially if you are on Sri Lanka roads. Give space and move away from the heavy vehicles.
Since Tuktuk is not fully covered, do carry a rain cover. You will thank me later. In case you plan to hire it from Tuktuk Rental, don’t worry about this. They will take care of everything.
Some of the locals may insist on parking fees, even though it is actually not applicable. Do check around with others and pay the fees only if it is applicable.
Tuktuks can’t be taken on the highways. Hence, select the “Avoid Toll” option in Google Maps for the best route without highways.
Make it your home – Deck up your tuksi with whatever you love (flags, lights, posters) and give it a name. Make the tuksi your moving home.
This video by Tuktuk rental guys will help you further.
That’s all for this blog. Hope our blog helps you in planning your next adventure to Sri Lanka and make the journey an “Unforgettable experience”.
In case you plan to visit Unawatuna, you can read our detailed travel guide for Unawatuna here.
Do let me know if you have other questions on Sri Lanka. Will be happy to help. Also, do not forget to share your Sri Lanka stories with me, will love to hear them!
In case you have any plans for travelling to India, check out our travel guides for India here.
Happy travelling!
Love,TannedTravelGirl