The Rickshaw Challenge is a perfect match for individuals
wanting to participate in their vacation rather than simply witness it. Starting in 2006, the Rickshaw Challenge stood out as the first response to the rising trend of adventure tourism in South India. Most ideas of travel in India for Westerners centered around Taj Mahal tours and the Himalayas. While those are also dynamic destinations, few Westerns realize just how incredible and vastly unique South India is, especially when viewed from the driver's seat of an
autorickshaw.
The Rickshaw Challenge started as the Indian Autorickshaw Challenge in 2006 with a route from Chennai to Kanniyakumari. Today, that route is called the Classic Run and it takes place at the very end of December through the first part of January. This year's Classic Run has a fantastic New Year's Eve party planned in Pondicherry!
After the original Run in 2006, we built the Mumbai Xpress to respond to the demand for a longer, more varied route. The Mumbai Xpress takes place during the end of July and beginning weeks of August. That 1,900 kilometer journey starts in Chennai, passes through Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Goa, and Maharashtra before finishing in Mumbai 14 days later. This is our most popular event as it showcases India in a variety of fashions.
We realize that certain routes may be of interest to some individuals, but timings may not correspond as well. Furthermore, some routes simply don't exist at this point as regular events. For these reasons and several others, CEMS also organizes custom events year round for individuals, groups, corporations, or even just a pack of close friends. With just a list of where to go and when, CEMS can create an unforgettable adventure for anyone.
Safety is our number one priority in every regard. That is the detail that receives the most attention, from rickshaw functionality and safety features to hotel ratings and reviews. Ultimately, the safety of the participants relies on the participants, but organizers are diligent in providing daily information regarding road closures, advisories, danger zones, weather forecasts or alerts, and general "heads up" information. Depending on where we are along the route, we encourage participants to ask locals for directions as it often deepens the experience (though we do warn that everybody will want to give directions, even if they don't know them, so ask five people and go the direction that the majority of them point to)! We also provide mechanic and paramedic teams along the route as well as a listing of the nearest hospitals. Every individual participating in an event, including the organizers, is given a cell phone to use along the route, so help is never out of reach and emergency response is very quick. Participants are also equipped with a first aid kit and a small toolbox for easy body and rickshaw fixes.
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