Cambodia·November

Cambodia Tuk-Tuk Adventure

Start your engines. We’re going to Cambodia.

Cambodia11448x2048

Overview

Are you ready to hit the road in Cambodia on a tuk tuk? Travelling through Cambodia is awesome. But travelling through Cambodia behind the wheel of a Indian made Tuk-Tuk (Auto-rickshaw) is even better. Welcome to the Cambo Challenge – the ultimate Cambodia adventure holiday for true adventure seekers. Join us on a journey of over 900km, innumerable potholes and more than a few numb asscheeks – the Cambodia Tuk-Tuk Adventure is the bucketlist item you never knew you needed to tick off. You’ll be tested mentally and physically, but you’ll also be gifted more awesome experiences than you’ll know what to do with. Each day is different: you’ll wake up, be told where you need to be that evening for dinner and handed a list of ridiculous challenges to complete along the way. The rest is on you and your adventure-prone teammates to figure out. The Cambodia Tuk-Tuk Adventure is the only way to see Cambodia. It’s simple, really.

Highlights

Details

Details

We handle all the boring stuff. We’ll sort out all of your accommodation, hire your vehicles, make sure a big chunk of your entry fee goes towards helping local communities and figure out the route. You’ve just got to drive it.

Accommodation

Accommodation

What sets this adventure apart? It's more than just driving through Cambodia; it's about immersing yourself in the heart of the country, connecting with its people, and experiencing its rich culture firsthand. Unlike traditional tours, our adventure takes you off the beaten path, allowing you to stay in homestays and interact with locals, providing a truly authentic experience.

Tuk Tuks

Tuk Tuks

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.

Experience the Adventure

Schedule

Previous

Next

lotusblanc

DAY 1

Distanced Travelled: Training Day

Residence: Lotus Blanc Resort 

Tuk- Tuk Training and Welcome Dinner

Check Point: Siem Reap

6405150741_3e2c4be398_k

DAY 2

Distance Travelled: 112km

Residence: Camping, Pagoda

Check Point: Beng Mealea

49497456458_218de36593_k

DAY 3

Distance Travelled: 130km

Residence: Green Palace Hotel 

Check Point: Preah Vihear

5932094309_4b7512f3f9_k

DAY 4

Distance Travelled: 131km

Residence: Homestay

Check Point: Preah Rumkel

rajorbi

DAY 5

Distance Travelled: 207km

Residence: Rajabori Villas

Check Point: Kratie (Koh Trong)

rajorbi

DAY 6

Distance Travelled: Rest Day

Residence: Rajabori Villas

Check Point: Kratie (Koh Trong)

reasmey

DAY 7

Distance Travelled: 130km

Residence: LBN Asian Hotel

Check Point: Kampong Cham

frangi

DAY 8

Distance Travelled: 155km

Residence: Frangipani Royal Palace Hotel

Check Point: Phnom Penh

5932469920_740d0a814f_k

DAY 9

Distance Travelled: Departure

Residence: N/A

Check Point: N/A

What's Included

What's Included

Training and driving lessons on arrival day.

Hire and use of 1 genuine, ready-to-roll Tuk Tuk for the duration of the Challenge. Third party liability insurance included.

Accommodation for 2 or 3 people (8 nights) in double, twin or triple rooms. Camping gear also provided.

Half Board – 8 delicious locally-made breakfasts and dinners at hotels and campsites.

Challenge Logistics & Legal Stuff - Mechanics, Support Team, Permits, Luggage Truck & Backup Medical Support

Welcome Pack (sim card and phone, map, t-shirt, event bag, phrasebook, navigational sheets).

One Day Pass to the Angkor Wat Complex.

Awards ceremony & farewell party.

5% contribution to our Meaningful Travel projects

Flights, visas, airport transfers.

Tuk Tuk spare parts and repairs (approx. total £40-120 per team).

Fuel (approx. total £100 per team).

Day to day costs (approx. £30 per day for lunch and drinks).

Challenge Logistics & Legal Stuff - Mechanics, Support Team, Permits, Luggage Truck & Backup Medical Support

Cambodia

Why is Cambodia so damn amazing?

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 20th-century genocide, which still leaves its mark on Cambodian life. Basically: Phuket this is not.

Cambodia

Trip Tips

How do challenges work?

How do challenges work?

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.

In the unfortunate event of a breakdown

In the unfortunate event of a breakdown

Tuk-Tuks are unique vehicles that require careful handling and maintenance. While our team works tirelessly to ensure the safety and reliability of our fleet, it´s important to note that Tuk-Tuks are delicate machines that can experience mechanical issues or breakdowns due to improper handling or poor road conditions. We take great pride in providing our customers with an authentic and adventurous travel experience, and part of that experience is accepting the risks and challenges that come withdriving a Tuk-Tuk. In the event that a Tuk-Tuk does experience mechanical issues we have mechanics on hand and, depending on the nature of the breakdown, it may be the responsibility of the driver to repair the vehicle at their own expense. We understand that this may be an inconvenience, but we believe it is a fair price to pay for the thrill and excitement of Tuk-Tuk travel. So, if you´re ready to embark on a one-of-a-kind adventure, just remember to drive carefully, follow our safety guidelines, and embrace the challenges that come with this unique mode of transportation. After all, it´s all part of the adventure!

Reviews

Lianne

Everyone I tell about my time on the Cambo Challenge, even those who have been to Cambodia, are jealous of it. It’s quite literally the adventure of a lifetime. The experience of meeting such incredible people who gave us a hand, petrol, a tyre, when our tuk tuks gave up, got the whole family and village involved in helping us find our way when we were lost, and were willing to welcome us in to their homes and share their stories with us, these are the experiences that I will truly treasure and that made the Cambo Challenge such an amazing trip!

Lianne Dawes (British), Team Booty Tukkers

5931823055_d3155ac1d9_b

People keep asking me about the Cambo Challenge and I think I’ve nailed what makes it so incomparable for me, it’s all about the human interactions. The group were fun, switched on, non-competitive and from all over the map. Traveling by tuk tuk was crazy, liberating and totally engaging with your surroundings, and Cambodia itself…half confronting, half embracing and incomparable throughout. We loved it.

Jamie Raskin (Canadian), Team Tanuki

5932119210_80a5f85d3f_ze1424216025886

Who else can claim they have circumnavigated Sri Lanka and Cambodia driving a Rickshaw? Or bought fuel in a coke bottle whilst wearing pyjamas? I truly believe there is no better way to see a complete country and get down with the local culture. You just can’t do this on a tour. Bring on the next location!

Tim Hartford (British), Team Tuxedo

You'll Be Staying Here

La Residence Blanc Angkor

La Residence Blanc Angkor

Rajabori Villas

Rajabori Villas

Frangipani Royal Palace Hotel

Frangipani Royal Palace Hotel

Reasmey Cheanich Hotel

Reasmey Cheanich Hotel

The Route

FAQs

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 20th-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.

Dates

22 - 30 November 2024

Cambodia·8 nights

FROM$2524

17 - 25 January 2025

Cambodia·8 nights

FROM$2524

21 - 29 November 2025

Cambodia·8 nights

FROM$2524

Cambodia Tuk-Tuk Adventure

Cambodia·November·8 nights

FROM$2524