It was during my first adventure to the country, driving a tuktuk in Sri Lanka, when I learned about the coveted Tuktuk Tournament. Ever since then, I decided I wanted to be a part of what looked like a great, mad adventure through Sri Lanka’s heartland. So you can only imagine my excitement when I first received the email invitation to attend the Tuktuk Tournament in Sri Lanka as a media guest!

As excited as I was, I had no idea what to expect. I had only seen images of brightly painted tuktuks zipping past palm lined coasts and read about teams in costumes completing quirky challenges. Still, nothing truly prepared me for the whirlwind of chaos, camaraderie, and conscious travel that defines this one of a kind adventure. The Tuktuk Tournament is not just a race or a road trip, it is an immersive, unpredictable journey that fuses local culture, sustainability, and pure, unfiltered fun.

But first: planning to rent a tuktuk in Sri Lanka? Use my code “AVANTIKA“ on tuktukrental.com
and get 5% off on your booking!

The Tuktuk Tournament is now organized annualy in two countries: Sri Lanka and Cambodia, with the same heart and principals at its core. So if you are considering joining the tournament, here are X reasons to convince you to book your spot today!

⛰️Visiting Sri Lanka for TTT? Here are a few quick links at a glance:
✈️Book Flights: Skyscanner for cheapest deals
🚤Book Transfers: 12goAsia
🛌Book Hotels: Booking for best deals
🤳Best Sri Lanka Tours: Viator and Get Your Guide
🩺Global Travel Insurance: SafetyWing
🧴Sunscreen: Thank You Farmer (Reef Safe), Foxtale (SPF 70)

9 Reasons Why the Tuktuk Tournament is the Ultimate Sri Lanka Adventure

It Gives You the Keys to Total Freedom

Set against the lush landscapes of Sri Lanka, the tournament hands over the keys, literally, to teams of travellers, each given a tuktuk and a mission. What follows is a madcap two week expedition across the island where GPS becomes your best friend, locals your unofficial guides, and every stop a new story waiting to be written. It didn’t take long to be swept into the energy of the tournament, charting your own route, making stops as you go and immersing yourself in the heart of Sri Lanka in the process.

The thrill lies in the fact that there is no fixed route. Each team decides its own adventure, plotting courses between mountains, Sri Lankan beaches, ancient ruins, and bustling towns, guided only by a map of scattered challenges. It is total freedom on three wheels.

Every Challenge Pulls You Into the Heart of Sri Lanka

One of the most exhilarating aspects of the Tuktuk Tournament is how it turns travel into a game, except every move brings you closer to the culture. The challenges aren’t just tasks; they are invitations to explore Sri Lanka’s soul. One day might involve locating a legendary roti stall in a sleepy village; the next, you are learning to play the thammattama and rabana, traditional Sri Lankan drums, from locals or learning to crack open a coconut for water.

Each challenge brings a sense of purpose, adventure, and often hilarity. Watching teams turn into tractor drivers or belt Baila songs to win points becomes entertainment in itself. But behind the laughter is a deeper kind of travel, one rooted in meaningful engagement.

Tuktuk Tournament is a Crash Course in Sustainable Travel

What really sets the tournament apart is its commitment to responsible tourism. While the antics may seem light hearted on the surface, there is a cleverly embedded framework that encourages sustainability. Daily challenges like refilling your water bottle, helping a local cook a meal, staying in temple guesthouses and others, helped earn “gems” or points for the competition.

Many of the challenges are designed to promote a positive impact: visiting wildlife conservation centres, going on beach clean ups, gifting supplies to a village chool or donating to your favourite charity. It is adventure with awareness, and in today’s travel landscape, that’s more than refreshing, it’s essential.

You’re Helping Fund Clean Water Access

One of the most impactful aspects of the tournament is what happens beyond the fun and games. For every 1,000 “gems” or points won collectively, Tuktuk Tournament, in parternship with PALM Foundation, gifts a water connection to a rural family in Sri Lanka. The money to do so comes from a portion of each team’s entry fee. Clean, running water, a basic need we often take for granted, remains inaccessible to many communities in the country, especially those still recuperating from the ravages of the Civil War.

For me, this was the driving goal to diligently participate in as many challenges and quests as I could to earn points. The 12-18 hour days on the road for 11 days straight were all worth it the moment my Tournament App hit 1,000 gems. It was a humbling reminder that adventure tourism, when done right, can create real, lasting change. This isn’t just travel for the sake of thrill; it is travel with heart.

Tuktuks Are Rented From Local Owners

In keeping with its mission of conscious travel, the Tuktuk Tournament takes an innovative approach to the vehicles themselves. Instead of buying a fleet of tuktuks, the organizers rent them directly from local tuktuk owners. It is a win-win setup: owners earn income for the duration of the tournament, and the event reduces waste by reusing existing resources.

So far, over 620 local suppliers and drivers have directly benefited from this model! It is a subtle yet powerful way to shift the balance, where tourism supports locals not just through service jobs, but through direct participation.

You Get to Drive Your Own Tuktuk (Yes, Really!)

As if this one was not already obvious! But there is something wildly liberating, and mildly terrifying, about driving your own tuktuk through the chaos of Sri Lankan roads. At first, the idea of handling a three wheeler seemed like a novelty. But the moment you hit the road, you realize it: driving the “poor man’s vehicle” as a foreign tourist means a great deal to local Sri Lankans. The smiles and cheers you get along the way make it all so, so bloody worth it!

It is a Full-On Exploration of Creativity and Art

The tournament is also the ultimate playground for imagination. Before the tournament even begins, the creativity starts bubbling. Coming up with a team name becomes a surprisingly intense brainstorming session: do you go with a pun? A pop culture reference? Something that makes locals laugh? From “TukTuk Boom” to “The Fast and the Curious,” the names alone set the tone for what’s to come.

Teams go all out with their themes including handmade costumes and a level of decorative commitment that borders on theatrical. I saw tuktuks covered in faux fur and roofs carrying inflatable bananas, goose heads, cows and so much more!

Our team name, Tunak Tunak Tuk Tuk was an homage to our Indian-ness as well as the Indian truck art that is found on trucks all around the country. We had desi bling and decals covering every inch of our white tuktuk, as well as quotes like “Horn OK Please”, “buri nazar wale tera muh kala” and “dekho, magar pyar se”!

Each team is also given a small wooden tuktuk “idol”. These idols are also decorated with paint, glitter and other craft supplies the Tournament provides during an “art picnic”, a day before the Tournament is supposed to begin.

There is something liberating about being in a space where silliness is celebrated and imagination runs wild. The Tuktuk Tournament is a platform for unfiltered expression. You’re not just encouraged to get creative, you’re rewarded for it!

The Community Spirit Is Incredibly Real

Perhaps the most unforgettable part of the Tuktuk Tournament is the people. Both the teams, who come from all corners of the globe, and the locals, who welcome this madness with open arms and amused curiousity. There is a beautiful, spontaneous sense of community that forms over the course of the tournament.

Even the challenges are designed to encourage buddying up with other teams for extra points. Or taking selfies with participants from different countries, or learning to speak each others languages. It is not a race where you must beat the other to win. It is giving a boost to those in front of you, who then turn around to pull you up.

I watched friendships blossom over roadside tea stalls, locals guiding lost teams through backroads, and nights spent around bonfires trading stories under the stars. I felt like I was a part of a travelling tribe, one held together by laughter, shared challenges, and tuktuks with names like “Tarmac Terrorist” and “TukTanic.”

It Redefines What Adventure Travel Can Be

The Tuktuk Tournament defies every stereotype of structured travel. It is messy, meaningful, spontaneous, and a little bit wild — but that’s exactly what makes it unforgettable. You don’t just see Sri Lanka, you live it. And in doing so, you discover stories, places, and parts of yourself you didn’t know existed.

For anyone craving a road less ordinary, one where every bend offers a new surprise and every stop becomes a story, you won’t find a more immersive, joyful, or impactful adventure. Through the location challenges on the Tournament, we went to place we would not have even heard of, otherwise. To date, my most memorable moments remain from zipping through the Kotmale Dam, having a beer over the Kudawale Harbour Road, and Nalanda Gedige, the geographical centre of Sri Lanka.

The Tuktuk Tournament isn’t just an ordinary road trip across the country. It is a full hearted celebration of freedom and the sheer joy of discovery.

While my participation was sponsored by the Tuktuk Tournament, my views are completely my own. I really did enjoy the Tournament as much as I say I did!

For more adventures from Sri Lanka and elsewhere, follow me on Instagram!