Want a unique city or food tour of Colombo without public transport woes? Put this on your Asian vacation list, and you’ll never be the same.
When it comes to awe-inspiring Asian vacays, we’re absolute suckers for Sri Lanka. After all, we’ve waxed lyrical about what to do in Sri Lanka, best Sri Lanka villas, and even what to eat in Colombo, its capital city. But as if our wanderlusting eyes couldn’t get any wider, we just caught wind of another must-do in Colombo that warrants a return visit from us – all aboard the Tuk Tuk Safari!
“But huh? Aren’t Tuk Tuks something you find in Bangkok?” you ask? Nope. These fuss-free, affordable auto-rickshaws can be found cruising down the streets of Colombo as well, and you can too with style. Tuk Tuk Safari offers personalised tours around Colombo, exposing a colonial side of the charming city that travellers don’t often get to see on their own. We drop five convincing reasons why you should make a booking with these folks the next time you head down.
1) You Have Cool Local Chauffeurs With A Sense Of Humour
First of all, you’ll be guided by locals chauffeurs – campily decked out in colonial-style uniforms – who know the city like the back of their hand. And their nicknames? Yogi Bear, Captain Pumba, Bob Marley, just to name a few. “I was given a tour of Colombo by Yogi Bear” – now that’s a story worth telling back home.
2) You Get To Explore Every Nook And Cranny Of The City
The Tuk Tuk Safari has a modest, yet intimate fleet of five tuk tuks, each capable of seating two. Group of 10? No problemo. Usually starting at 4pm (the tuks tuks can pick you up from your hotel or hostel), each tour is a four-hour journey through the alleys and alcoves of Colombo. Join the City Safari (USD 40), and you’ll witness star attractions, alongside hidden finds off the beaten path that only your chauffeur will know. The tuk tuks can even drop you off back at your lodging once the tour’s done, or anywhere of your choosing (to the bar, good sir!).
3) You’ll Never Have To Worry About An Empty Stomach
Road rides make you carsick and you need food to feel better? Fortunately, Tuk Tuk Safari allows you to bring your own food and drinks onboard – yes, even booze! But if you can’t decide where to nosh, the Food Safari (USD 50) will take you to the hottest and most authentic eats in town, uncovering street food treasures that will give you the most local of experiences. They even have vegetarian options, so everyone can join the fun.
4) These Are Pretty Pimped Out Tuk Tuks!
Don’t worry about stuffy confines cramping your style; did we mention these tuks tuks are convertibles too? The roof of these vehicles can fold away, allowing you to stand up, take in the breeze and yell “You’re the king (or queen) of the world!”. If you even wish to soundtrack your Colombo road trip, you can be the tuk tuk DJ with available AUX cables to hook your MP3 player up to the sound system. You don’t even have to worry about your phone battery running low, as there are power charges (and a Wi-Fi hotspot!) to ensure you’re juiced up always. Snapchat away and give those back home some serious envy.
5) Go All Out Like A Boss
For just USD60, you can join the coveted Gala Safari – this includes a full tour (five hours) of Colombo’s sights and sounds, local food stops, and alcohol provided onboard, so your revelry never ends. You can always ask the chauffeur to end the tour early if you like – the chauffeurs are highly personable and interactive – but where’s the fun in that, yeah? Living life this blissfully is rare, so carpe diem!
Visit Tuk Tuk Safari for more information on bookings and itinerary. You can book your tickets here. Tours are priced at USD40 (City Safari), USD50 (Food Safari) and USD 60 (Gala Safari).