1,250 + kms across Cambodia... on a pimped up Tuk Tuk!
The MaD Tuk Tuk Challenge is a 1,250 + kms adventure across the Kingdom of Cambodia in an all new style Cambodian tuk tuk (essentially a trike with a 250cc motocyle at the front end and a big box or seats on the back), which you will pimp up with the wackiest designs you can think of! The main aim of the challenge is to raise funds for the charity MaD Cambodia.
Team Thornberries Tuk Tuk
New 2011 Tuk Tuks
2010 Tuk Tuks
The Route
The route for the 2011 MaD Tuk Tuk Challenge will be very different from 2010. We leave from Siem Reap and after 12kms we hit dirt roads and travel north west towards the Thai boarder and then across country to Sisiphon.
Wherever possible we shall be getting off the beaten tracks to explore and see Cambodia as we make our way south to Sihanoukville, Cambodia's main seaside resort city. Then after a splash in the sea we will head to Kampot, Kep and up to Phnom Penh and on to Kampong Chham on the Mekong River.
Country lanes and dirt tracks combined with the challenges of driving in Cambodia will make this a hair raising experience. On the main roads you will to deal with mindboggling vehicles and the insanity of the Cambodian traffic, where the only rules that exist are the ones that the drivers make up as they go along! Added to that you will have to navigate your way through pot holes, animals and anything else that can find its way into the middle of the road. Once you get off road, the experience changes somewhat: less traffic, but more potholes, more animals and copious amounts of dust, sand and bumps!
The amount of time it takes to complete the route depends on how hard all the teams want to push on each day, how many excursions/detours they want to do and how many projects we do on route (which need a good portion of the day to carry out so they require stopping off for the day before lunch if the teams want to do a project). But you can expect the challenge to take between 7 - 10 days, with 10 days being the maximum amount of time that we will spend on the challenge.
Along the Route
Firstly, we should stress that there is no average, or normal day on the Tuk Tuk Challenge. But in this section we will try to give you an idea of what you can expect during your time on the Tuk Tuk Challenge.
All of the participating teams travel in convoy, so this is very much a group event where all the teams are expected to work together to complete the challenge. So expect to form some great friendships by the end of the challenge! Decisions to do things such as going on detours, excursions, pressing on with driving or stopping off for the day are made collectively. The challenge is very flexible regarding what all the teams want to do whilst they are on the challenge, so long as it is what everyone wants to do, not just the decision of one or two teams!
In general, the teams depart very early in the morning, between 6 and 7am in order to ensure that we get a full day of driving and activities. Between 11am and 1pm we start looking for a pagoda to stay in for the night. When the teams decide on one that they would like to stay at, we ask the head monk whether we can stay there for the night and if he approves we set up our hammocks/tents within the grounds of the pagoda. If we get there early enough we may have the opportunity to sit down and have lunch with the monks (we can't do this in the evening as monks in Cambodia only eat once a day!)
In the afternoon, we offer our assistance to the monk's local community in order to show our appreciation to them for letting us stay at their pagoda. This assistance can take on many forms: running a medical clinic, helping to teach an English class, repairing some broken water pumps or anything else that the monks think we could help with. We have an experienced team of Khmer handimen as well as a trained paramedic on board with our support team, so the type of assistance we can offer is quite broad! The participating teams are strongly encouraged to get involved with the projects, but it is not compulsory. If they would prefer they have the option of simply relaxing in the pagoda or taking the tuk tuks/motorbikes out and exploring the local region. Likewise, if the monks say that there is nothing they would like assistance with then these options are also open to all of the teams.
In the evening, teams take it in turn to cook a meal for the rest of the group on some basic outdoor cooking equipment. This means making a trip to the local market, navigating your way through all of the strange foods on offer and trying not to get ripped off by the locals as you barter for a good price! The main aim of this activity is to not give the rest of the group food poisoning!! Teams will then sit around the pagoda chatting and having a laugh until its time to pass out in their hammocks under the stars!
Teams can also expect to participate in a wide variety of challenges whilst on route, ranging from things like drag races, to basic motorbike/tuk tuk mechanics to seeing who has the best bartering skills in a language they don't speak! The overall winner of the challenges can expect a big prize when they arrive at the destination.
Half way along the route, the teams stop off at Phnom Penh where you will get a chance to finally have a luxury bed and even some air con!! You can also go on trips to see things such as the Killing Fields and S21, where you can learn about Cambodia's history. In Siem Reap you will also have the opportunity to visit things such as the magnificent Angkor Wat complex, the Tonle Sap lake and the floating villages, as well as MaD's projects so you can see first hand the communities that the funds you raised for the challenge will go towards supporting.
When you finally arrive at your destination, you can expect a huge party with all of the other teams in order to celebrate making there in one piece (we hope!).
Pimping your Tuk Tuk
All teams are expected to pimp there Tuk Tuks with the craziest designs they can think of. In the past we have had crazy ideas such as: making it into a pirate ship, turning it into the flintstones car and sticking a palm tree through the roof! We also encourage teams to get in costume for the event, and to try and wear the costume from start to finish! Trust us when we say that this really adds to the fun of the challenge as you can expect lots bemused and bewildered expressions from the locals as you drive along.
You have two options when it comes to pimping your Tuk Tuk. Your first option is to send us some money and a design for your tuk tuk like the one below and we will then give this money and design to a mechanic who will pimp your tuk tuk for you. We can give you an estimate for how much it would cost to transform your design into reality if you're not sure how much to transfer.
The second option is to come across to Siem Reap/Sihanoukville a couple of days before the challenge starts and get to work on pimping your tuk tuk yourself. This is a lot of fun and so we recommend this option over the first one if you have the time!
Support
Included in the cost of participating in the challenge is a support vehicle with an on board paramedic in order to deal with any potential crashes/injuries that happen, as well as a Khmer team who can help you out if your tuk tuk breaks down.
Any questions?
If you have any questions regarding the Tuk Tuk Challenge, please don't hesitate to send them across: we'd love to hear from you! You can send any questions/queries etc to info AT madtuktukchallenge.com (be sure to change the AT for @ though!)
We hope to see you on the road!!
