Tour Colombo in a tuk-tuk
View(s):
If you’re Sri Lankan, you’ve been in a three-wheeler; and if you haven’t been in a three-wheeler then what are you waiting for? The three-wheeler (or tuk tuk as it’s more fondly and viscerally known) captures everything that’s quirky about the Sri Lankan way of life. So what better way to see the country’s commercial capital than through the eyes of your tuk tuk driver?
With this in mind, Vraie Balthazaar bought two three-wheelers, painted them white and embarked on an unusual business idea. ‘Suba Gaman’, which began operations just a year ago, offers travellers the chance to see Colombo city from the unique vantage point of a tuk, with their driver as the tour guide (of sorts). Vraie appears to know Colombo inside out (she should-she has lived in “more places than I can count!” she will tell you, plus she made at least ten trips to get the route right), and her drivers cum tour guides are our favourite kind of tuk uncle: “very personal and chatty,” she says, adding “my grandmother found them for us. They speak excellent English and will keep you entertained!”
Vraie is a familiar face to most English speaking audiences. For years she hosted a popular morning talk show, and was involved in several other projects in the arts. “I’m always on the lookout for a new and interesting idea,” she tells us. “This came up because I know several friends who visit Sri Lanka and love tuks, and it seemed like a lovely idea to combine sightseeing with these three wheelers.”
A Suba Gaman tour is concentrated mostly within and around Pettah; you’ll be taken to places like Captain’s Garden Kovil (or Sri Kaileswaram), Wolfendhal Church, one of Colombo’s oldest structures dating back to the 1600s in Pettah, the Lighthouse, Clock Tower, Old Townhall Museum and many more sights and experiences in the area. Suba Gaman’s focus is on creating an experience, says Vraie-“half the fun is in travelling in the tuk, and having your driver also act as the guide.”
As a business model Suba Gaman is responsible, ensuring that donations are made to places like the kovil and the church per tour, and that their drivers are remunerated well for their work. Although the business employs two full time drivers at the moment, they’re able to accommodate groups of 10-15 with prior notice. “I’d like to expand my fleet someday,” Vraie says. “But for now, it’s a small operation. We do get a lot of business via tour companies and hotels though!”
Although they won’t make shopping related detours, you can ask your driver to take you to a few other places you’d like to see-as long as it’s historically and culturally relevant. Tours are usually in the mornings and afternoons (they try to avoid school traffic and don’t conduct tours after 5 p.m.) If you’re a one person party, the rate is 40 USD per head; if it’s two or more people they charge USD 25 per head.
Suba Gaman is an idea that captures the scope of a changing Colombo and Pettah. A few others similar to this model have cropped up of late, and Vraie, while acknowledging that it’s competition, says that this is a good thing. She started Suba Gaman to have something to call her own and it has taken flight in a way that has surprised even her. The idea of small, intimate guided tours by a seasoned city crusader (who would know the mechanics of Colombo better than your tuk driver?) appeals to many travellers, and there’s plenty to see even if you’re local. For more details visit www.subagaman.com