Sri Lanka Tuk Tuk Rental Review: Driving a Tuk Tuk with Kids

This blog post was sponsored by Tuktukrental.com. All opinions are my own.

Renting a tuk tuk in Sri Lanka with a child in the back might sound slightly adventurous, maybe even a little intimidating. Before deciding to go for it we had some questions. Is driving around in a tuk tuk safe with kids? Would there be space for our luggage? And how chaotic would the traffic really be? 

In the end, choosing to self-drive a tuk tuk turned out to be one of the best travel decisions we’ve made as a family. For 3 weeks we explored Sri Lanka driving in a tuk tuk ourselves.

We explored Negombo for a few days, before we picked up the tuk tuk. And when Tuktukrental picked up the tuk tuk after 3 weeks, we explored Colombo for a few days. This felt like the best way to explore all that Sri Lanka has to offer.

We traveled around at our own pace, stopping wherever we felt like it, adjusting plans when needed, and enjoying a level of flexibility that would have been impossible with public transport or a private driver.

We rented through Tuktukrental for this trip, and while this is a collaboration, everything in this article is based on our real experience on the road. Is Tuktukrental the best company for families? That’s a yes from us, and I’ll tell you all about why.

In this Sri Lanka Tuktukrental review, I’ll share our honest experience with Tuktukrental. I’ll walk you through the pros and cons, what to expect on the road, how the rental process of Tuktukrental works and share the services they provide, and whether I think it’s a good idea for families. Spoiler alert: IT IS!

If you’re considering renting a tuk tuk in Sri Lanka and wondering whether it’s a smart choice for your family, here’s exactly what you need to know.

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Is renting a tuk tuk in Sri Lanka worth it for families

Renting a tuk tuk in Sri Lanka is genuinely one of the best experiences we’ve ever had on our travels. 

The flexibility is a great plus. While traveling from A to B you can spontaneously decide to stop anywhere you want to explore, have a drink or eat something or take photos from scenic views. The tuk tuk is so small, you can basically park it everywhere.

Driving a tuk tuk around Sri Lanka also gives you a sense of freedom. It’s different from driving around in a rental car. The driver has a window in front of them, but it’s open on both sides.

In the back, one side is more closed off but, half open, and with a security bar for extra safety. This is the best spot for your kid, as well as the middle seat. 

You get into the back from the other side, and that side is totally open. 

It basically feels like you’re outdoors, like you feel when biking around. It’s a great feeling.

We got the regular tuk tuk, but I can imagine this feeling will be more elevated when driving around in a cabrio tuk tuk. 

Besides flexibility and the sense of freedom it’s also great fun. I mean, how often do you get to drive around in a tuk tuk? 

Sri Lanka is a reasonably compact country, so you can get from A to B within 4 – 6 hours. Perfect for a 3 or 4 week Sri Lanka itinerary.

If you’re ready for a family adventure, rent a tuk tuk and drive it all over Sri Lanka, you won’t regret it!

Pros & Cons of tuk tuk rental in Sri Lanka

Before I dive into reviewing Tuktukrental, where we rented our tuk tuk, let’s dive into the pros and cons of driving a tuk tuk in Sri Lanka without a tuk tuk driver.

Pros of driving a tuk tuk in Sri Lanka

Compact adventure

We never had to drive more than 5-6 hours to get to our next destination. Without stops you can drive across Sri Lanka in 8-9 hours. 

Sri Lanka is quite a compact country. Our longest drive was from Negombo to Wilpattu NP. This was our first day with a tuk tuk. And I have to say, we highly underestimated the fact that driving 150 km on the first day, and with a speed limit of 40 km/h, was going to be crazy. Of course driving out of Negombo was tough for my man. It was chaotic and busy. So he drove 20 km-30 km tops.

After leaving Negombo he could relax more, felt more secure driving the tuk tuk and drove 40 km/h more or less the rest of the way. But we had to do groceries on the way, have lunch, get petrol, those type of things. 

So instead of the journey taking 4-4,5 hours it took us 6 hours. 

Our advice: stick to about 100 km max. a day. This way you can still make some spontaneous stops, and don’t feel rushed to get somewhere before dinner.

All in all, the fact that Sri Lanka is a relatively small island, makes driving a tuk tuk in Sri Lanka more than doable for families with kids. Just be really mindful of distances in relation to the speed limit.

Traveling to Sri Lanka with kids is safe

We felt very safe in Sri Lanka. People were very kind, always wanting to help if we were staring at a map or something.

And the one time we had to jumpstart our tuk tuk and another time when we couldn’t get our tuk tuk to get up a very steep road (all our luggage, 2 adults and one child proved to be a little too much) people rushed to help us.

We also never felt unsure about leaving our luggage in the tuk tuk when stopping during a trip from one accommodation to another. We had bought a lock and long chain to attach all backpacks to, but we forgot twice. Once in the center of Sigiriya, and once during a coffee stop at the side of the road. That second time I even left my vlog camera in the back seat by accident. Dozens of people had passed and everything was still there.

Of course we did always take our valuables, like passports, wallets, the documents from Tuktukrental, phones and cameras (except for that one time…). You never know what might happen.

To sum it up, we never felt unsafe driving around in Sri Lanka with a tuk tuk or in general.

It’s a budget friendly option

Whether you’re traveling on a budget or not, it’s always nice to know you’ve picked the cheaper option. A rented tuk tuk will get you everywhere you want, as often as you want for about $27-$32 USD per day. 

And this price includes petrol. A full tank covers about 150 km and will cost between $4-$5 USD. Some examples? A full tank you will get from Negombo to Wilpattu NP, Colombo to Dambulla, Kandy to Ella, and Trincomalee to Batticaloa.

Drive everywhere and anywhere

The big pro of driving a tuk tuk in Sri Lanka is the flexibility. You can go wherever you want with a tuk tuk, and you can pretty much park it anywhere since it’s so compact.

The only thing you can’t do is drive on the highway. The speed limit for tuk tuks is 40 km/h. We never had any problems with this literal bump on the road. There are plenty of other options to get to where you need to be.

Of course you can’t enter national parks with a tuk tuk for your own safety. But I don’t think I have to tell you that driving a tuk tuk through areas with elephants, bears, and leopards is not a good idea 😉.

Cons of driving a tuk tuk in Sri Lanka

40 km/h speed limit

Like I said, you can only drive 40 km/h with a tuk tuk. Although I never saw a tuk tuk driver that didn’t drive 50 km or even 60 km/h if he had the chance.

I will leave it to you to do with this information what you want. Just know that the speed limit is 40 km/h.

Limited space – for people AND luggage

Our family of 3 (the eldest went on his first solo trip) fit in the tuk tuk perfectly! We had lots of room in the backseat, and could leave some daypacks or groceries on the floor. 

I can imagine that traveling with 2 adults and 2 kids under 14 is also possible, but the backseat isn’t that wide. I don’t believe it’s possible to have 2 kids in a car seat and an adult sitting in the back. It would be too cramped.

Also traveling with babies and toddlers usually means you’ve got a lot of luggage, and there’s not a lot of space for that in a tuk tuk. You have to travel light.

Traffic in cities

Traffic is chaotic in cities like Colombo, Negombo, and Kandy. The turn signal is used by tuk tuk drivers and buses, but that’s about it. People will pass at your left and right, and speed limits seem to be non-existent. 

Bus drivers are generally aggressive drivers. Tuktukrental advises you to always drive on the right lane, because of buses. If you’re only on the left lane for a minute, they’ll honk at you consistently until you’ve changed lanes while tailgating you.

Especially in Colombo, we felt very rushed by buses. One time it was rush hour and we drove on the right lane, but the bus couldn’t switch to the left lane and honked at us as if we had any other choice than to keep our distance from the car in front of us and drive slowly and safely in this sea of traffic in front and next to us. It was chaotic and felt mental. We were actually happy that this was our last drive in Colombo, because a few hours later Tuktukrental picked up our beloved tuk tuk friend.

The minute you drive out of the city it’s a different story. People generally follow the rules, it’s less busy and that’s when you feel the freedom. 

In Sri Lanka they drive on the left, so if you’re not used to that, know that before you decide to rent a tuk tuk, you have to feel confident enough to drive on the left-hand side of the road. Since we’ve driven in England, Scotland, Ireland, Thailand, and Australia, we felt confident enough to try it with a tuk tuk.

Passenger princes and princesses get to look around peacefully, while the wind blows gently on your face. It’s the best feeling in the world. Am I slightly overreacting? Maybe, but we just returned from our trip, so please cut me some slack 😉.

How to legally drive a tuk tuk in Sri Lanka

You can drive a tuk tuk in Sri Lanka if you have a driver’s license and an International Driver’s Permit and bring both to Sri Lanka. Then you should apply for a Sri Lanka Driver’s License.

Got the permit? Then the last step is that you have to take a tuk tuk driving lesson. You will take this last step at the tuk tuk rental company, who will provide a lesson, before giving you the ok to go.

You also need insurance, which the rental company will arrange for a fee.

Oh, and obey the rules of traffic, drive on the left-hand side of the road, and know that the speed limit is 40kph.

Why rent a tuk tuk from Tuktukrental

This is a Tuktukrental review, so let’s tell you why we rented through them. Tuktukrental was the only tuk tuk rental company we’d heard about before researching Sri Lanka as a family travel destination. So when we decided to rent a tuk tuk, it was the first company we thought about. I did a quick search for other rental companies, but they got rave reviews on TripAdvisor and forums, and from travel friends who had used them before.

Locally owned tuk tuks

The thing we loved about Tuktukrental the most is that they’re known for supporting local owners of tuk tuks by renting out their tuk tuks. Their social-business angle means a portion of the rental fees goes directly back to Sri Lankan communities. This is a big plus for socially conscious travellers, like us.

But the best thing is the service they provide. Included in the rental price are unlimited  km’s, a standard motor insurance with (excess $150 USD), phone holder and charger, and seat belts in the back for children. Of course you also get a spare tyre (with tools you need to change a tyre).

Child seats & seat belts

One thing we’ve found during our research for the best tuk tuk rental company in Sri Lanka is that booking a car seat for you baby or toddler or adding seat belts to the backseat was not offered a lot. Tuktukrental does.

We didn’t see the car seats, because we didn’t need one ourselves, so unfortunately I can’t say anything about the quality.

But we did book one seat belt (which they offer for free) that was installed for us within 15 minutes upon arrival at the office.

Tuktukrental app

The best thing is the Tuktukrental app. In the app you’ll find a map with off destinations you can visit, and different group chats so you can chat with all other customers on the road. Like a best roads chat, meet-up chat, Sri Lanka tour tips, etc.

We used the app daily, and really loved this extra. It made the trip much easier. Just one example was when we didn’t want to run into elephants on the B35 in Yala NP, and wanted to know if the other roads around the park were more or less elephant free (no one can guarantee you won’t run into one, but we wanted to hear from people driving the roads without spotting them). We used the app to check the other roads people took, and that’s how we knew what route to take.

Clear communication & helpful resources

One of the things that stood out to us was how easy communication was: from booking to dropoff.

Every person we spoke to, whether by email, WhatsApp, or at the office in Negombo, spoke clear English and responded quickly. When we had small questions during the trip, we’d message them on WhatsApp and usually got an answer within minutes. That level of responsiveness made a big difference, especially when road-tripping with a child.

Before arriving in Sri Lanka, the Tuktukrental website also answered most of our practical questions. It clearly explains the different tuk tuk options, what’s included in the rental, insurance details, and even how road-tripping works in Sri Lanka. We didn’t feel like we were booking something unclear or risky. Everything was transparent from the start.

For us, that combination of quick communication and clear information reduced a lot of the stress that can come with organizing a more adventurous trip like this.

Arranging your Sri Lanka Driver’s permit

You need a Sri Lanka Driver’s License to drive a tuk tuk. You can take care of that yourself by visiting the Department of Motor Traffic in Colombo, but you never know if you might run into some language barriers, or if they’re swift enough to be on time for your meeting at Tuktukrental to pick up your tuk tuk.

Tuktukrental offers to take care of this process for you, for an extra fee. More on that later. The reason I mention this here is that this is an extra service that makes renting through Tuktukrental an easier decision.

Circa 25 locations to pick-up and dropoff the tuk tuk

A big plus when renting through Tuktukrental is that you can pick up or dropoff your tuk tuk in any part of the country. 

When you book via Tuktukrental you can select the location of your choice. This can also be different for the pick-up and dropoff. In fact we picked it up in Negombo and the dropoff was at our hotel in Colombo. 

We loved that you can ask them to pick the tuk tuk up at the hotel where you’re staying.

Reliable and safe tuk tuks

Tuktukrental also seems to do a great job maintaining their tuk tuks to make sure they’re reliable and safe. When we arrived at the Negombo office I took a look around and all the tuk tuks seemed to be in great shape. Some looked brand new. And that made us feel safe. Because let’s face it, when you start an adventure like this, it can be a tad exciting, and seeing this made us feel way more at ease.

I also checked out lots of reviews and got the same info about the great state of the tuk tuks. And that’s important info to know about.

Instruction & driving lesson

They also took the time with instructions and the driving lesson. First we got an extensive “tour” of the tuk tuk. How it works, how to fill up the tank, the documents we should always bring along, and we were asked to check the tuk tuk for damages.

After the instructions it was time for a driving lesson that can take anywhere between 30-60 minutes. If they feel like you’ve got the tuk tuk under control, they give you the ok to go.

That’s when we started one of the best adventures of our family travels.

Read the rest of the article to learn more about the process of renting via Tuktukrental, the extras you can rent with your tuk tuk, and the service they provide during the rental period.

How to rent your tuk tuk – the process of renting a tuk tuk through Tuktukrental

So, how does renting a tuk tuk via Tuktukrental work? Visit Tuktukrental.com where you can immediately fill in a quick form. 

Picking it up and bringing it back at the Negombo office or Colombo Airport will cost you nothing extra. There’s a $15 USD charge for Colombo (the airport is actually located closer to Negombo than Colombo, that’s why the airport is free, and the city of Colombo is not). You can also opt for about 25 other locations in the country. The additional cost differs per location. The price range for these locations: $40 – $150, the further away, the higher the cost.

Once you’ve chosen the pick-up and drop-off locations and the dates you can select the type of tuk tuk you want.

Current tuk tuk rental prices of Tuktukrental in Sri Lanka

The regular tuk tuk costs $22 USD per day, the cabrio $24, and the electric tuk tuk costs $28 per day. You also have to pay a $150 USD deposit for all types of tuk tuk. <- prices in 2026

Once you’ve selected your tuk tuk you can select the extras. And after that you can decide to pay immediately or at pick-up.

If you drop-off your tuk tuk without any damages, you’ll get back your $150 USD deposit, within 1-2 weeks after returning the tuk tuk. 

Available extras when renting from Tuktukrental

Now let’s get into the extras you can opt for when renting a tuk tuk from Tuktukrental:

• a baby seat ($1 USD per day)
• seatbelts for young children in the back seat (free)
• compact speakers ($1 USD per day)
• big bluetooth speakers ($1 USD per day)
• cooler ($1 USD per day)
• surfboard racks ($1 USD per day)
• arranging your Sri Lankan Driver’s License for you ($40 USD per license)
• extra insurance cover that will reduce the insurance excess from $150 USD to nil ($50)

Taking the train from Kandy to Ella (or the other way around)

The best extra that Tuktukrental provides is the service to pick up your tuk tuk at Kandy train station and drop it off at Ella train station (or the other way around) so you can enjoy the most scenic train ride in Sri Lanka.

You can also opt for them to pick it up at Hatton or Nanu Oya station and drop it off at Ella (or again: reverse).

This extra service will cost you $49 USD.

If you select this option you’ll get an email from Tuktukrental about 2 weeks before the rental period starts. In this email they remind you to share or reconfirm your train date and time. They also share where you can best buy your train tickets online.

Sri Lanka Driver’s License

You can opt for Tuktukrental to arrange your Sri Lanka Driver’s license for you and highly recommend you do so. The Sri Lankan government is getting more and more hesitant to allow travellers to drive around in a tuk tuk themselves, and it helps to have a company like Tuktukrental to arrange it for you, as they speak the language and deal with this daily.

Doing it yourself will set you back about $30 USD per license, but it will probably cost you more time to arrange it yourselves. Spending the extra $10 USD to have Tuktukrental handle it for you is worth it in our opinion.

For them to be able to arrange this for you you need to share the following for each person driving the tuk tuk:

• photocopy of your passport photo page, and in case you need a visa for Sri Lanka also from the visa page
• photocopy of your local driver’s license
• photocopy of your International Driver’s License

If you do decide to arrange the permit yourself you should go to the Department of Motor Traffic in Colombo, before picking up the tuk tuk.

Check out Tuktuk Driving Guide for Sri Lanka | How to Drive a tuk tuk | Everything you need to know

Tuktukrental made a YouTube video to best prepare for your Sri Lanka family trip by tuk tuk, and they will send it to you immediately after you’ve booked.

In the video they’ll tell you more about the company, show you how the tuk tuk works, and share some tips & tricks. 

Service provided during your rental period

Pick-up process

I already shared some things about the pick-up process, let’s dive into it more.

When you pick-up your tuk tuk the first thing they do is tell you all about the tuk tuk. How it works (basically like a motorbike, no steering wheel!), how to jumpstart it in case it won’t start normally or suddenly stops while driving, how to switch from the main gas tank to the reserve, how the rain flaps work, and how to check and add oil. They show you the spare tyre, and the tools you need to change the tyre.

They also inform you what to do when your tuk tuk stops working correctly or makes weird sounds. You should contact them via WhatsApp, share your location, and they will tell you which repair ship you should visit for help. And if the worst happens and the tuk tuk doesn’t drive at all, they will send a mechanic your way. Now we didn’t need mechanical help, but saw others in the Tuktukrental app sharing that they did and how happy they were that Tuktukrental helped them out swiftly.

The guy helping us then told us to take pictures of the in- and outside of the tuk tuk. We were then able to fill in a digital form where we could add the pictures. So when we’d bring the tuk tuk back both parties could easily see if any damage was done to the vehicle during the time we used it. I loved this!

Then it was time for the driving lesson. I was a passenger princess (I can only drive automatic, and this was a manual) so my partner would drive everything.

First the instructor drove us around, showing what he was doing. Then it was time for my man to get behind the wheel, while our son and I were in the backseat with the Tuktukrental employee. First on the quiet roads, and then on to the very busy Negombo Road. Here he learned how to turn on busy roads like this (chaotic!). After 30-40 minutes, he heard that he was a natural (yes, he loved that compliment), and that we were ready to go.

Documents to bring

You get 2 documents that you have to take with you wherever you go by tuk tuk. The registration form of the tuk tuk and the insurance doc. Make sure to double check the dates, so that both are valid for the duration of the rental period.

In our case we didn’t have to double check. The guy told us that the insurance policy would have to be renewed, during our rental period. They also had a solution: share where you’re staying the last 3 days before the insurance ends, and we will bring the new insurance policy to your accommodation. I did so via the whatssapp number they provided us with and sure enough, 2 days before the end date it was ready for us at the reception desk of our hotel. Great service!

They also give you your Sri Lankan driver’s license, and tell you to always bring it along, as well as your IDP (International Driving Permit), and your home country’s driver’s license.

Daily routine

At pick-up you get the instructions to check the oil daily, and adding oil when necessary. At the office they’ll show you how to do this.  Every 500 km you should visit a mechanic to have the tuk tuk greased, which costs about $3-$5 USD.

How much luggage can you bring?

Like I wrote before, space is limited. The length of the luggage space is 110cm, the width is 30cm, and the height is 60cm. 

We all had a backpack, and a daypack. We put one daypack on the floor and one was hanging on a bar around the front seat.

The backpacks and one daypack fit in the small area behind the backseat if we placed them up straight. But if you do this, you do have to secure them with a chain, or they might fall on top of the passengers during the drive.

We took some pictures of the tuk tuk fully loaded for you to see what we fit into it.

Our overall experience: Sri Lanka family adventure by tuk tuk

We had the best experience exploring Sri Lanka with a tuk tuk. The tuk tuk took us everywhere we wanted, and gave us the flexibility and freedom we look for when road tripping with kids.

No matter where you rent: we highly recommend renting a tuk tuk for your Sri Lanka family adventure. You will love it!

And if you book through our link you get a 5% discount on your tuk tuk rental.

Tips for driving a tuk tuk in Sri Lanka

Get your International Driving Permit asap

As soon as you’ve decided to rent a tuk tuk in Sri Lanka you should apply for the IDP. Depending on the country this will take some working days.

Tuktukrental needs your IDP to be able to apply for your Sri Lanka Driver’s License, so it’s best to get this first step out of the way asap.

Safety of the kids in the backseat

If you’re traveling with kids under 10 make sure you book seatbelts. There are lots of bumpy roads in Sri Lanka, and in cities it’s likely you have to push the brake every now and then. To prevent your kids from falling, or worse falling out of the tuk tuk, you need to have seatbelts.

Of course, you should definitely get a child seat if your kid still needs one. We’ve seen travelers with small kids on their laps, but I highly recommend making use of a child seat, since that is the safer option.

Lastly, it’s best to seat an adult on the side where you can enter the back of the tuk tuk. The other side is perfect for kids, since it’s closed off from the ground, and there’s a safety bar on that side as well. The middle seat is also great for a smaller kid.

Do note that I believe it’s impossible to add 2 car seats in the back, when an adult has to sit in the back as well. The back seat fits either 2 adults, or one adult and two younger children using seatbelts. 

Securing your luggage

I mentioned previously that we locked our luggage to the tuk tuk whenever we left for a quick meal or stopped somewhere while driving from one accommodation to the next.

You don’t get a lock and chain when you rent a tuk tuk. Bring one yourself that’s long enough to connect to all the bags you want to store in the vehicle and still have some room to attach the chain to the tuk tuk itself. Tuktukrental will show you the best places to attach the chain to.

By doing this you don’t have to take all your belongings with you, when you’re stopping somewhere.

Sure people can cut open your bags, but we still believe that people are good in nature, so you’ll be extremely unlucky if this happens to you.

But to be extra sure, don’t leave your valuables in the tuk tuk, even if you lock it all. Take your passports, wallets, electronics, and other valuables with you when you’re off exploring.

Opting for a cabrio tuk tuk with kids

We went with a regular tuk tuk, instead of a cabrio. We didn’t know how safe our 7 year old would be in the back with the top open.

Our personal opinion is to wait until your kids are at least 10 or pretty tall, so it will feel safer. 

You can also contact Tuktukrental and ask for their opinion.

Manual or electric tuk tuk?

We would’ve loved to go for the more eco-friendly option which is the electric tuk tuk. This automatic would’ve made a difference, because the fumes coming from all the regular tuk tuks is insane.

While speaking with a representative from Tuktukrental we found that charging cars and tuk tuks is not that common yet. 

Lots of hotels will kindly let you hook up your electric tuk tuk so you can charge it. But it can take hours, so you have to do it overnight. What if someone accidentally slips over the cord, hurting themselves and tugging the cable from the tuk tuk. You’ll wake up having to wait another few hours for it to charge further.

And also, what if they decline? They definitely have a right to do so.

All in all we decided against it, and went for the regular.

Fill up the tank – make sure it’s reset to 0

One of the most common scams that can happen to you anywhere in the world is that when you fill up the tank the meter is not set to 0. This means you pay a higher bill than you should.

In The Netherlands (our home country) you are the one filling up the tank, but in lots of countries, like Sri Lanka there’s an employee doing it for you.

Before they fill up the tank make sure the meter is set to 0. I always do this, before telling them how many liters I’d like.

Now I’ve never ran into this scam in Sri Lanka, but now others have, so I wanted to fill you in on this.

Some gas stations even warn you about this with huge warning signs.

Monkeys love to steal your food

Make sure you never leave food in the tuk tuk, not even for a minute. Monkeys will smell the food, and steal it.

They will also have no problem opening up your bags to get the food. 

A couple even told us they left food in a locked daypack, to prevent monkeys from stealing their fruit and bread, and it was gone when they got back.

They thought someone stole their bag, but another traveler saw 2 monkeys getting into their tuk tuk, dragging out the rucksack, and quickly running towards the trees with it. The guy who saw it said it happened so quickly that he didn’t have time to run after them.

Long story short: don’t leave food in the tuk tuk 😉.

Elephant road or B35 in Yala NP: should families drive it in a tuk tuk?

If you’ve researched Sri Lanka road trips, you’ve probably seen the B35 pop up. It’s often called Elephant Road because it cuts along the edge of Yala National Park.

Here’s the honest truth: we wouldn’t recommend it as an easy shortcut for families in a tuk tuk.

Over the years, some travellers started feeding elephants here. Now, elephants may stand close to the road expecting food. And when they don’t get it, they can get frustrated. We read multiple stories about elephants charging vehicles (and because tuk tuks are small, they feel extra vulnerable).

So when we stayed in Block 1 of Yala NP, we drove around the park instead of taking the B35. Later, when we stayed near Buttala (north side / Block 5), we had to drive a short stretch of the B35 to reach our lodge, and we didn’t love it. Our accommodation sent a vehicle to guide us, and one of their team drove our tuk tuk while the three of us sat in the back. That extra layer of experience and confidence made a big difference.

We did see an elephant right by the road. Luckily, it was sleeping. Still amazing to witness, but it reminded us how unpredictable this area can be. The next day on safari, we also watched an elephant lunge when a jeep got too close. It’s not something we’d want to gamble with in a tuk tuk with kids.

Our recommendation: If you do drive the B35, don’t stop for elephants, keep serious distance, and only continue when you can follow behind a larger vehicle (like a jeep or car). And if it doesn’t feel right, trust your gut and take the longer route.

Where to rent a tuk tuk in Sri Lanka

• Tuktuk Rental –tuktukrental.com 
• TukTuk Booking Sri Lanka – tuktukbookingsrilanka.com
• TukTuk Sri Lanka Rental – tuktukslr.com
• TukTuk Ceylon Ride – tuktukceylonride.com 
• Tuk Tuk Rental Negombo – tuktukrentalnegombo.com 
• Holiday Tuk Tuk – holidaytuktuk.com 

Our honest review of Tuktukrental

Renting a tuk tuk in Sri Lanka is the best way to explore beautiful Sri Lanka.

We believe Tuktukrental is the best tuk tuk rental in Sri Lanka. Not just based on our experience, but according to all the reviews I’ve read from all the different companies. Tuktukrental gets the best, and the most reviews. Which is why we really wanted to work with them.

They offer locally owned tuk tuks, and by doing so they’re giving back to the local community. The fact that they help you with your Sri Lankan driver’s license takes another thing off your plate, when planning a family trip to Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka isn’t the only Asian destination where Tuktukrental is active. You can also rent a tuk tuk from them in Cambodia.

And they take safety seriously so they give you a driving lesson first, tell you all about the tuk tuk, and give you a daily checklist to make sure you don’t end up on the side of the road unnecessarily. 

The Tuktukrental app is a lifesaver and not only helps you find the best routes, and things to do, but also connects you with fellow travellers driving around in a tuk tuk in Sri Lanka.

Who this isn’t for (and when you’ll need 2 tuk tuks)

Tuktukrental says a tuk tuk can fit up to 4 people, but I don’t think that works comfortably for every family.

One tuk tuk is probably not a good fit if you have:

• 1 adult + 1 child in a car seat + 1 child on a seatbelt
• 1 adult + 2 kids in car seats
• 1 adult + 2 teens (15+), unless everyone is very slim

What does work well: one adult + two younger kids (roughly ages 4–14) using seatbelts.

And for full transparency: if our 21-year-old had joined us, we would’ve needed two tuk tuks. He’s quite slim, and so is our 7 year old, but how do I say this… well, let’s quote Shakira: my hips don’t lie. Three people in the back is okay for short rides, but on anything longer than an hour, it gets uncomfortable

Family of 5+? You can still do it! Just rent two tuk tuks (and make sure you have two confident drivers).

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