Sri Lanka ‘trishaw’ tour draws adventure tourists

Aug 21, 2011 (LBO) - Adventurous travelers from Australia to Austria have set off on a three-wheeler drive from Sri Lanka's international airport to the far corners of he country, braving unknown challenges. Travelling on a 'tuk tuk' or a trishaw, as the popular three-wheeled taxis are known in Sri Lanka, is an adventure even on city roads as their daring drivers weave in and out of traffic and squeezes through large trucks and buses with inches to spare.

But these adventurers have to drive their own tuk-tuks.

"We practiced yesterday and we drove for about ten minutes and we are going to learn on the job," Marc Flinders, a British participant said.

"We have to cover the distance and do the challenges but we don’t know what the challenges are yet."

The adventurers are setting off from Tamarind Tree a small hotel near Sri Lanka's international airport at Katunayake.

The Lanka Challenge 2011 will take participants to nearby Negombo, a coastal town, Sigiriya in central Sri Lanka where there is a world famous ancient rock fortress, Nilaveli and Pakikudah in the Eastern Coast.

The challenge w