Rickshaw Run
Northeast India
The wild one…
We’ve unleashed a whole new flavour of Rickshaw Run in the far northeast of India. Starting and finishing in Meghalaya you squash a couple of mates in a glorified lawnmower and force it into some of the most remote and wild bits of India.
Meet the former headhunters of the Konyak tribe in Nagaland. Dodge rhinos, elephants, monkeys and giant snakes. Head to the Himalaya in Arunachal Pradesh, one of the least visited states in the country.
The Pioneers took on the first edition in June 2023 and proved this region is ripe for old school adventuring mayhem. But they only scratched the surface of stupidity, the potential for three-wheeled mischief in the northeast is enormous. The teams on the second edition this March will be wobbling even further off the edge of the tourist map.
The un-route
Hardly anyone goes to the far northeast of India. Because they’re idiots. And so are we for taking so long to launch a dedicated northeast Rickshaw Run.
You start and finish in Shillong, the capital of Meghalaya state and there’ll be two meet ups during your two weeks of adventuring. Your un-route will depend on how far off the edge of the map you’re willing to go. Bordered by Bhutan, China, Myanmar and Bangladesh, this area squashes in everything you need to get slapped about the face with chaos, from Himalayan mountains to sweaty jungles. It’s way less populated than the rest of India and much more remote. There are more than 100 major tribes across the seven states. Many still live in remote communities and follow ancient ancestral traditions so you’ll need permission in advance to visit.
We’re still not sure if its possible to drive a rickshaw through all seven states in two weeks (nobody on the Pioneers edition managed it). So that’s your un-route settled then, off you go and get registered…
Indian randomness on the backroads
Rob Weston’s highlights from the Pioneers Edition in 2023:
“Accidentally (not accidentally) finding an entrance to a game reserve and driving the rickshaw through mud to get within 100m of a rhino.
“Joining a rap video for a local Sikkim artist as back up dancers.
“The interactions with the locals and random situations that we found ourselves in everyday when we got off the main roads were the magical ones. We were up everyday at 4am to get 4 hours of driving done so that we had the rest of the day for Indian randomness on the backroads, in little restaurants, shops, swims in rivers, runs through tea fields, trekking, learning to cook at homestays, eating street food with locals and drinking with locals in their homes (sometimes even tea).”
Dirt paths, goat trails, and open land..
“The rickshaw allowed us to go off the main roads onto dirt paths, goat trails, and open land. It simply went everywhere! This made the trip enjoyable since we could access any corner, meet people, and see landscapes.
“The road between Mon and Mokokchung turned out to be a rough, bumpy one. To start, the “roads” in Mon were optimistically described as “some asphalt connecting potholes.” We arrived on a Sunday and struggled to find fuel, water or signs of life.
“But we set out on the 150km journey that should take ~3 hours on a proper road. It was a hot, deserted area with the occasional biker or pedestrian. The road logic wasn’t always clear – stretches of dirt and mud alternated randomly with short paved sections, speed bumps, and more.
“We met some road construction crews and elephants dragging logs. This stretch turned an expected 3 hours into 12 long hours of bumpy, hot, confusing progress.”
– Dotan Barak, Pioneers Edition, June 2023
An amazing experience
“Being the only team to make it to 8 states. We were often the first team into new areas and it was exciting not knowing what to expect or how other teams had managed. For us the trip was about interacting with people. We didn’t see a lot of sights and we don’t have a lot of crazy stories, but we met so many people on our way, and shook hands, and shared stories, and took selfies and loved every interaction.
“It was an amazing experience.
“Driving a rickshaw through the Indian countryside is such a unique experience. People are naturally drawn to you because you stand out everywhere you go. People are curious and want to meet you. It was great that every stop we made we met someone new. So many handshakes, and smiles, and selfies and it was awesome. What the adventurists offer makes it what it is. Keep up the great work.”
– Travis Meredith, Pioneers Edition, March 2023
Huge snakes, monkey attacks & elephants
Maddy and Cornelia’s highlights from the Pioneers edition:
“Taking shortcuts down places that probably were not meant to be roads, smiling kids, delighted elderlies, enormous smiles, huge snakes, monkey attacks, ELEPHANTS!!!, ‘not possible’ off-roading, big rickshaws on tiny barges, potholes, speed bumps… All of it.
The run was great fun, this area of India is so beautiful and worth visiting … There are many firsts to do up here!”
– Cornelia Fleischer
“The Pelling Sky Walk, this was our first time being told “not possible” because the roads were far too steep and even 4x4s struggled to get up there. I liked to ignore all these naysayers throughout the trip, mainly because Im stubborn and consider myself a professional rickshaw driver.
Overall an amazing trip, and amazing country and the best vehicle to do it in. I can only say good things about our trip.”
– Maddy Odell
