Ever since I stumbled upon the wild world of the original Rickshaw Run in India a decade ago, I‘ve harbored this crazy desire to dive headfirst into the madness. I mean, who wouldn‘t want to embark on such a wild adventure, right? Unfortunately, the hefty price tag kept me at bay during my student days.
But guess what? Fast forward to 2023, and I finally took the plunge. I snagged spots for myself and two buddies in the Rickshaw Run Sri Lanka 2023. Oh boy was i excited, the adventure could begin.
Little did I know, however, that a series of significant letdowns were lurking just around the corner. The thrill of the ride was about to be accompanied by unexpected twists and turns of a different kind.
What‘s the Rickshaw Run?
The Adventurists Rickshaw Run Sri Lanka is a 7 day adventure where you drive on your own through the country, Price Tag: 2.500 USD.
Let‘s start from the beginning:
Prep days
Prior to the start of the run are 2 days of preparation scheduled, for test driving and quote »RICKSHAW REPAIR LESSONS
Our expert mechanics will bestow their knowledge in sessions covering basic maintenance and repairs on the road.«
I was really looking forward in learning about the Rickshaw and how to repair the parts that break most often, but in reality it‘s just a 2 hour introduction that shows you how to use it and some tips on handling it. There was actually not a single minute dedicated to »repair«. The disparity between the advertised description and reality left me pretty disillusioned.
So, instead of a comprehensive learning experience, the so-called »basic maintenance and repair« boiled down to a brief overview, nothing more than checking the oil. It felt more like a light introduction than the hands-on training.
Disappointing, to say the least.
Launch Party
On the evening before there is a launch party and dinner, meant to kick things off and get together with the other participants. We were eager to get to know the other teams and their memeber, there were a whopping 50 teams participating. 50! Quite the crowd.
However, the launch party turned out to be the second let-down of the adventure. While there was food, music, and an enthusiastic moderator attempting to hype up the crowd, it all felt a bit off. The focus was on talking about the impending awesome adventure, yet there was a lack of activities to facilitate interaction among participants. Everyone remained confined to their individual tables, and there were no introduction games, ice-breaking challenges, or any initiative to encourage mingling. The atmosphere felt very stagnant, with participants sipping their beers on their tables (which, by the way, were even extra charged).
A few mini-games between the teams could have added a spark, fostering interaction and heightening the competitive spirit of the so-called »challenge.« But hold on, what challenge? What run? It became increasingly apparent that the event didn‘t quite live up to its billing as a »run.« The absence of engaging activities left the launch party feeling more like a missed opportunity for genuine connection and excitement.
The Run
It‘s not a run
Maybe it‘s my bad for not digging into the details beforehand, assuming there would be some time-sensitive element or repair challenges along the way. The reality hit when we realized that driving from the start to the finish would merely take around 5 to 6 hours for the entire distance. Seven days seemed like an ample amount of time for what felt more like a leisurely drive than a race. The destination was just a half-day‘s drive away!
And here‘s the kicker: no cool challenges, quests, or checkpoints to spice things up on the road. Once you leave the starting point, you‘re essentially on your own, with no daily goals or organized activities. So, calling it a Rickshaw Run is just wrong.
It‘s not a run; that‘s just some misleading marketing wizardry. A more accurate description might be an overpriced Rickshaw rental with a different drop-off point. Yes, that‘s pretty much what it is, but hey, you‘ve got to give them credit for some seriously impressive marketing.
They hand you the Rickshaw, wave you off, and leave you to explore Sri Lanka at your own pace. Some teams headed north, others to the east coast—basically, you get the freedom to chart your own course.
Was it worth it?
In a nutshell, going on a Rickshaw adventure through Sri Lanka was an incredible experience, but I wouldn‘t recommend doing it with the Adventurists. I made a vlog capturing the whole experience, after watching this, you want to go on you’re own TukTuk adventure, guaranteed!
Even if the participation cost were $1000, that‘d still be too expensive. A fair price for the value provided would probably be around $600. Yet, each team paid a staggering $2500 USD, resulting in a whopping $100,000 budget for the organizers. What could they have done with that amount? Instead of offering an awesome experience to adventurers, it feels more like an insolent cash cow for the organizers. I‘d be surprised if they spent even $20,000 organizing the entire thing.
We explored the cost of renting a Rickshaw in Sri Lanka on our own, and it‘s around $10 a day. Yes, $10 a day! For seven days, that‘s $70. So, what did the Adventurists spend the remaining $2430 per team on? A lackluster launch and finish party and some local staff (with a daily wage of $15). Not to mention, the Rickshaws provided by the Adventurists aren‘t even insured. You‘ll have to pay an additional $1200 vehicle deposit and foot the bill for any repairs yourself.
So what are the Adventurists?
They are »great business people«. They do very little and make a shit ton of money.
While they might have started with an amazing spirit for adventure, what it is now feels like a capitalist monster providing a subpar service for a high price. In my opinion, that‘s a horrible combination.
The adventurists came up with the glorious idea of exploring a country by Rickshaw, and I am grateful for that idea. So, my advice is: Go do it, but not with them.
Should you go on a Rickshaw Adventure?
Exploring the country via this strange vehicle was a super unique experience I‘d highly recommend to anyone. You‘re more connected with your surroundings than in an isolated car, not as vulnerable as on a motorbike, and you have plenty of space to store your luggage. With two people, you can bring a ton of luggage; with three, everyone should have a medium-sized backpack or suitcase (not more than 60L each), making for a comfortable journey.
Contrary to what the Adventurists suggest, the Rickshaw is a much more reliable vehicle. In seven days, we only had a minor issue, swiftly fixed by a helpful local passer-by within minutes. Since the Rickshaw is the most common vehicle in Sri Lanka, almost everyone knows how to fix it, and locals are incredibly kind—they often help for free. It‘s crazy.
Grab a Rickshaw with your buddies, set your start and finish points, and you‘ll have the time of your life. If you‘re in Sri Lanka, you‘ll likely have to return to Colombo, so you can drop it off there again. If it‘s India, you can ask the rental to pick it up wherever you left it for a small fee. Even if it‘s 1000 km away from the start, it probably won‘t cost you more than $100-$200. Keep in mind that this amount is already higher than an average monthly salary over there.