Cambodia Tuk-Tuk Adventure

Okay, we’ll admit, the old-style Cambodian Auto-remorque Moto was not the most attractive of vehicles. It probably would never have featured in a James Bond car chase any time soon. 

So we have replaced it with the far more modern Indian made Tuk-Tuk or Auto-Rickshaw. We have no idea why they named it twice but what we do know is that what it lacks in raw V8 power and Bluetooth connectivity, it makes up for in fun. 

They’ve got three wheels (don’t ask us why), an open frame, a canvas roof with drop down sides, a cabin for the driver and two seats in the back. Oh, and an engine: a 4-stroke beast that is probably slightly more powerful than a horse. 

Tuk-Tuks have a few advantages: they’re durable, easy to use and very forgiving. They’ll happily handle almost any surface, climate or level of abuse. 

Tuk-Tuks have a few advantages: they’re durable, easy to use and very forgiving. They’ll happily handle almost any surface, climate or level of abuse. Their cruising speed is a tasty 35kph (22mph). Their cruising altitude is about one foot.

Warning: Tuk-Tuks can easily roll and flip if not handled correctly. We take safety really seriously on these challenges, and you should know there are inherent risks involved, including potentially life-threatening situations.

Specifications

• Engine: 4 stroke engine – 200 cc
• Petrol tank: 6 litre normal capacity plus 1 litre of reserve
• Average petrol consumption: 1 litre approx 20 to 25 Km’s
• Top speed: 55 kmph

For a comprehensive answer, go and Google ‘internal combustion engine’. But here are the cliffnotes.

• The accelerator and front break are found on the right.
• The clutch and gears are located on the left.

On the first day of the event, everyone is required to attend a mandatory tuk tuk driving induction and safety training session (this means you). You’ll get lots of time to practice before hitting the road. If you´ve driven a scooter or motorbike before, it’ll be a breeze.

It’s worth remembering that the Cambo Challenge is just that – a challenge. It’s not a race. It’s not like Cake’s seminal 90s hit The Distance. Speed should not be your priority. If anything should be, it’s probably fun.

The Cambo Challenge is broken up into various driving legs. Each team gets a road map and a daily navigational sheet, which they’ll use to get from A to B each day. The winning team isn’t necessarily the team that finishes first, it’s the one that accumulates the most challenge points. How do you get points? By nailing various challenges we set you along the way.

That means that racing is not really encouraged. In fact it’s actively discouraged. There’s no need to set a new Cambodian ground-speed record (very difficult to do on a 125CC tuk tuk, but still…) We’ll provide mechanical support when you need it, but essentially you’re hiring a tuk tuk and driving it independently each day. By yourself. Han solo.

A team is made up of either 2 or 3 people. Apparently there is no ‘I’ in it. You get one tuk tuk per team.

Unfortunately, no. Only because each leg will start from the hotel / over-night stop and the idea is to share our challenging travel experience together. Most importantly you wouldn’t want to miss out on each night’s social gatherings…

Yes, you’ve got to be at least 18 years old in order to compete. We don’t have a maximum age, but if you’re over 65 we definitely recommend checking with your insurer to make sure you qualify for the medical insurance you’ll need to take part. The Challenge is pretty physically tough – we won’t sugar-coat it. You should really only take part if you’re in good physical shape and your health is A-Okay.

Probably not your ski jacket. Or that set of golf clubs. Cambodia has a tropical climate, so pack accordingly. The nights can get a little chilly, depending on the time of year, so a windbreaker jacket and a few light layers wouldn’t go amiss. Other than that, bring all your travel essentials, some good quality suncream and anything you think will make the long driving days more fun (we recommend honing your I-Spy skills beforehand). We will also be sending you a what to pack kit list.

Don’t worry, you don’t have to strap suitcases to the roof of your tuk tuk. We’ve got a luggage truck that will follow us around. Each morning you’ll load it up with your heavy bags, and each night we’ll hand it back at our hotel. For the camping nights, we recommend bringing a smaller bag to act as a day pack.

Don’t stress, they’re very friendly. If you can ride a scooter, you can ride a tuk tuk. Besides, on the first day everyone gets mandatory tuk tuk driving instruction and safety training. You’ll have plenty of practice before hitting the open road.

Whoa there, speed racer. These bad boys can’t really get over 40kph. The average speed should be around 30kph. Fast enough to get the blood racing, but not so fast you hit a cow. That’s the sweet spot.

If possible, try not to do this. One of our entry requirements is to pay (or better block the amount off your credit card) a refundable deposit of £1,500 per team . This will (ideally) cover you for most touch ups and accidents, although if the tuk tuk is a complete write-off the bill might increase. At the end of the Challenge we’ll inspect the vehicle, come to an agreement, and return any balance to you before you leave Cambodia. A pretty standard car-hire type system, really.

To put it bluntly – yes. There will be an element of danger, only because you’re sitting behind the handlebars of a tuk tuk, on top of 125CC of raw power, and tackling unfamiliar roads in a foreign country. That in itself is a bit risky. But don’t worry too much – if you’re sensible and cautious, you should be fine, and we have a fully trained crew to swing in if anything goes wrong. That includes an ambulance and paramedics on standby.

Warning: Tuk Tuks can easily roll and flip if not handled correctly. We take safety really seriously on these challenges, and you should know there are inherent risks involved, including potentially life-threatening situations.

Your humble steed will be handed over in road worthy conditions and from then onwards it is your responsibility to take care of any repair costs. Our team of mechanics will be at your disposal throughout the event and will assist you with this at a cost. Otherwise you can turn to the locals to help you out. But don’t worry spare parts are not that expensive!

The cost of repairs depends on how each teams looks after their vehicle. Naturally there is a small amount of wear and tear on these type of events, but you will only be charged for parts that are damaged or need to be replaced. There will be a full vehicle inspection prior to handing over your tuk tuk. On average, the cost of repairs ranges from £ 40-120 per team.

These wonderful machines are surprisingly fuel efficient, so unless you drive like a madman your wheels will do at least 30 km to the litre so you won’t really be spending more than £ 100 bucks for the whole Challenge.

Travel insurance is a must-have on all our Adventures; in fact it’s a condition of entry. 

Please ensure that you have appropriate travel insurance which covers Emergency & Medical insurance for the duration of the trip as well as ensuring that you have cover to drive the Tuk-Tuk. It is also advisable to have cover for things such as luggage loss and flight cancellation etc.

We can suggest you take a look at Campbell Irvine or SafetyWing.

Everyone who competes has to provide us with a valid International Driving Permit. Sorry to get all hardass, but if you show up and can’t produce the license, we can’t let you compete (we also reserve the right to without a refund).

Third party insurance is included under the hire of the tuk tuk. Scratch as many Ferraris as you want (please don’t actually do this).

Definitely! We love to see teams going the extra mile to raise money for charity. Just be aware that the tuk tuks we use have limited branding space (we take up some for our own branding purposes). If you need more info on this, just let us know.

Easy peasy. Here’s how:

1. Sign up.
2. Pay your initial deposit.

Once you’ve done all that successfully, we’ll send you an email with lots of exclamation marks confirming your team’s availability.

Once your registration is locked and loaded, we’ll email you and ask you to provide us with:

1. A passport copy for each team member (we promise not to laugh at the photos).
2. National Driving Licence and International Driving Permit 
3. Arrival and departure details.

We’ll double check all these docs on the ground, so please bring copies with you.

30 days before the Challenge starts.

Nope. We’ll provide the sleeping bags and the marshmallows as necessary. However it might be good to bring a torch.

Ah visas, our old nemesis. Most countries can get a 30-day tourist visa at arrival both by air and land. For more info click here.

We try to stick to the original route and accommodation as much as possible, but they can be subject to change from time to time.

Not really. Some luxuries can be a little pricey (hence the ‘luxury’ bit), but for the most part it’s super reasonable. Lunch might be a few bucks and beers are generally under a buck. It’s like travelling back in time to the 50s when the world was a much simpler place and children respected their elders.

All our hotels will have internet connection, but the campsites not so much (it’s really hard to train monkeys to operate the WiFi).

95% of the Cambodia population is Theravada Buddhist – everyone else is a mix of Islam, Hinduism and Christianity. If in doubt, just smile and be friendly.

The official language in Cambodia is Khmer, which belongs to the Austro-Asiatic family (but of trivia for you there). But French is also spoken, especially by the elder population. You can usually get by with English in the tourist areas of the big cities, but not so much anywhere else. Btw Khmer is a very difficult language – you might want to download some language podcasts. Stat.

If you like your weather warm, you’ll love Cambodia. Warmth is kind of its thing. There are plenty of more in-depth weather guides online, but usually you’ll get lots of sunshine and balmy temperatures between 25 and x32 degrees Celsius. But you should also expect rain!

This is completely up to you (and your doc), but generally it’s a good idea to be up-to-date with standard vaccinations like Tetanus, Hap A and Polio. Other jabs to consider are Tuberculosis, Meningitis and Typhoid. Anti-malaria meds might also be a good idea. If in doubt, check with your GP. For more info, click here.

Cambodia has a good road network linking all the major cities, towns and interesting places. But don’t go expecting pristine tarmac everywhere you ride. Some of the rural roads in particular can get pretty wild and bumpy (a real challenge on a remorque-moto).

Short answer: come and find out for yourself. Long answer: it’s like the country that South East Asia left behind. While Thailand and (to an extent) Vietnam are heaving with Bintang-singlet-wearing tourists, Cambodia has a way more laidback feel. Kind of like those countries 20 years ago. The history is also a big drawcard – not only do you have Khmer relics dotted through the jungle like the UNESCO wonder Angkor Wat, you’ve also got the tragic late 20^th-century genocide, which still leaves its mark on Cambodian life. Basically: Phuket this is not.

• Only 20% deposit required to signup.
• Outstanding amount is required 60 days before the start of the Challenge.

• 60+ days before the challenge starts: Loss of deposit
• 59-45 days before the challenge starts: 50%
• 44 days or less before the challenge starts: 100% 

For more information please refer to our Booking Terms & Conditions.