What we learnt on the India's Cup 2018. The India's Cup rally is one of the most exciting events on the Travel Scientists' calendar. We love rickshaws (and bulls!) but as we continually discover in our many other exciting events, sometimes you can't beat a car! This event is designed to test our cars, and participants, to the maximum, in order to experience as much of South India's diversity as we can possibly fit in a couple of weeks. We think we (and our brave teams) did a good job. Here are some of the highlights: Fantastic Cars Any vehicle is accepted the India's Cup. However: the more classic, and the less suitable, the better. This time though, the field were all in Hindustan ambassadors; a real classic of Indian roads, this made for an interesting blend of fitting in and (as a group) standing out. Most importantly, they took teams 2700 kilometers, from Chennai to Goa (with a lot of detours in between). Most of the Time... One thing about these cars: they are... temperamental. Especially on hot, long days, with drivers who aren't used to this unique vehicle. It took some getting used to, and quite a few pit-stops along the way, but by the end of the trip our teams had learned to love them like family (fault air-con included...). Amazing Scenery We saw some of South India's most remarkable places, like the 'Venice of the East', Alleppey, pictured above. Other highlights included the tea fields of Ooty and, of course, the beaches of Goa. So Much History Being India, of course, there were also many historic sights to see. We even had an excellent guide Deepa, pictured here showing participants around the incredible ruined city of Hampi. The Sea Temple at Mamallapuram and the Chinese fishing nets of Kochin will
What we learnt on the India’s Cup 2018. The India’s Cup rally is one of the most exciting events on the Travel Scientists‘ calendar. We love rickshaws (and bulls!) but as we continually discover in our many other exciting events, sometimes you can’t beat a car! This event is designed to test our cars, and participants, to the maximum, in order
Let's look back at the Malabar Rampage Rickshaw Challenge 2017. Julia Krohmer was a participant on the Malabar Rampage Rickshaw Challenge 2017, along with her team: the Frankfurt Samurai Tigers. We asked her what she thought about the challenge and for her to recount some of her favorite moments were. Here are our questions, her answers, plus her wonderful photos from the event! She provides great insights for anyone considering signing up for a Rickshaw Challenge. Why did you decide to sign up for the Rickshaw Challenge Malabar Rampage 2017? A friend of ours (Uwe Harmening) had participated in the Classic Run three years ago and was so happy and excited about this experience that he quickly convinced us to join in as well. What did you expect and what did you get? We expected an adventurous (without stress) and funny travel experience off the beaten path in a beautiful country – and that’s exactly what we got! But we got even more: The great exchange with the many other teams, the international atmosphere among all participants, and the easy and enriching contact with the population all along the trip. What was your scariest experience on the road? There was not one – we found the traffic in fact amazingly organized, based on a lot of mutual communication and attention and some common rules respected by all traffic participants – which made driving often more enjoyable than on many crowded European streets, where all drivers insist on their rights and rules. Driving in India was somehow smoother, way more flexible! I was only really shocked by the horrible health condition of some of the stray dogs we saw. What was your most positive experience during the Malabar Rampage? The warm and welcoming reactions of the
Let’s look back at the Malabar Rampage Rickshaw Challenge 2017. Julia Krohmer was a participant on the Malabar Rampage Rickshaw Challenge 2017, along with her team: the Frankfurt Samurai Tigers. We asked her what she thought about the challenge and for her to recount some of her favorite moments were. Here are our questions, her answers,
Thessaloniki is the final city visited by the Great Balkan Ride, The cultural capital of Greece, Thessaloniki, is the final city visited by the Great Balkan Ride. The minimal assistance rally will depart from Sarajevo, traversing Montenegro, Kosovo and Albania, before reaching Greece. Teams can celebrate the end of the adventure in the beach paradise of Nea Kalikratia, not far from the city. What makes Thessaloniki special is that it offers everything you could possibly want from a city break. You can relax in the sun, eat till your heart's content, or party all night long. That's not all: Thessaloniki is packed with history, art, and culture. Here's what makes Thessaloniki special. (Photo by Konstantinos Kolimpa) The History Thessaloniki has been around for a long time, well over two thousand years, and you can tell. History surrounds you as you walk the streets. All over the city there are ancient remains, with more being discovered all the time: look around (and down!) as you walk, and you might see live excavations. You don't need go to a museum to get a sense of the city's long history, important sights are everywhere. You will inevitably pass the imposing Church of Hagios Demetrios, constructed in the 7th Century. And while the Hagia Sophia isn't quite as impressive as its Istanbul namesake, the church (and former mosque) is still pretty impressive considering it was built in the 8th Century. Not far away are two even older relics: the Arch of Galerious and the nearby Rotunda date from the early 4th Century. They used to be linked as part of a grand imperial complex: admire the arch's intricate engravings and ponder Thessaloniki's Roman past. History with a View Even better, some of the historical monuments that make Thessaloniki special offer impressive views.
Thessaloniki is the final city visited by the Great Balkan Ride, The cultural capital of Greece, Thessaloniki, is the final city visited by the Great Balkan Ride. The minimal assistance rally will depart from Sarajevo, traversing Montenegro, Kosovo and Albania, before reaching Greece. Teams can celebrate the end of the adventure in the beach paradise of Nea
Photo by Michał Huniewicz We tell you what to do in Sarajevo, the starting city of the Great Balkan Ride. Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia, is a historical gem right at the heart of the Western Balkans. Fittingly, it's the starting city for the Great Balkan Ride minimal assistance rally, which will explore the wild side of Europe, beginning on August 5th. Smart teams will arrive in plenty time to explore the city's rich culture, varied architecture, and haunting past. Though memories of the longest siege in the history of modern warfare, from 1992 to 1996, still linger, our guide on what to do in Sarajevo shows that there is much left to celebrate. Try Bosnian Coffee All across the Balkans people start their day with Bosnian coffee, usually served in traditional style: in a pot called a džezva, on a intricately designed plate, and with a little lokum, a small sweet similar to Turkish delight. Sit with locals in the old quarter, enacting a custom played out for centuries. There is a noticeable Turkish influence on local cuisine, with the local baklava being particularly delicious. When it comes to savoury food, burek (filled pastry) and ćevapi (small grilled mincemeat sausages) are found all over the Balkans, but Sarajevo has the best. Proper Sarajevo burek, known as pita, is filled with meat, though options of cheese, spinach, and potato, are available. Be prepared for very large portions! Try the ćevapi at Željo, often said to have the best in the city. Or Drink Something Stronger... For a stronger drink, and nostalgia for a slightly more recent time, head to Cafe Tito, a venue entirely dedicated to the legendary leader of Yugoslavia. However, the best night out to be had in Sarajevo is undoubtedly at Kino Bosna, the former cinema now raucous
Photo by Michał Huniewicz We tell you what to do in Sarajevo, the starting city of the Great Balkan Ride. Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia, is a historical gem right at the heart of the Western Balkans. Fittingly, it’s the starting city for the Great Balkan Ride minimal assistance rally, which will explore the wild side of Europe,
The Great Balkan Ride offers the chance to see some of Europe's most underrated countries. The Balkans are almost* certainly Europe's most underrated region. This tightly packed peninsula of small nations has it all: you can explore untouched nature, relax (or party!) on luscious beaches, discover the area's complex history, or be welcomed by the locals' culture of extremely generous hospitality. Joining the Great Balkan Ride is the perfect way to explore: with everything so close together, it really pays to take the scenic route. We know all the most astonishing mountain roads, testing the limits of what your car can handle, and what your eyes will believe! Here's our brief guide to the sights you'll see on the way: (*The "almost" depends on whether you think the Caucasus are in Europe!) Bosnia The Great Balkan Ride sets off from Sarajevo, the capital city of Bosnia. Only two decades ago this city was crushed by the longest siege in the history of modern warfare, and the country as a whole suffered terribly through brutal conflicts with its closest neighbours. There are various tragic sights which should be on any tourist's itinerary, including Gallery 11/07/95, a photo exhibit remembering the terrible events at Srebrenica. And from further back in history you can see the Latin Bridge, beside which Archduke Franz Ferdinand was shot in 1914, sparking the First World War. Though dark memories linger, there is much more to Bosnia than its troubled past. Sarajevo's historic Ottoman quarter, home to a vibrant outdoor bazaar, is a reminder of many centuries of peaceful multiculturalism. The city was host to the 1984 Winter Olympics, and you can walk along the now-abandoned bobsleigh track. The Bosnian countryside is also worth celebrating: the rally passes the supposed pyramids of Visoko. You'll have to decide whether they are
The Great Balkan Ride offers the chance to see some of Europe’s most underrated countries. The Balkans are almost* certainly Europe’s most underrated region. This tightly packed peninsula of small nations has it all: you can explore untouched nature, relax (or party!) on luscious beaches, discover the area’s complex history, or be welcomed by
This year's Rickshaw Challenge Classic Run was as successful as ever. From Chennai all the way down to the tip of Southern India, the Rickshaw Challenge Classic Run was filled with laughter and adventure. Teams traveled almost 1000 km, experiencing the region's incredible food, fascinating history, and stunning scenery. There were challenges too: the busy Indian roads, rickshaws breaking down and, of course... hangovers. Forty-six participants (from ten different countries!) took part, and since everyone was together for New Year's Eve and the 10th anniversary of the Travel Scientists, there was always a reason to celebrate! Here are some of the best memories of this year's Rickshaw Challenge Classic Run: The incredible costumes "Bonkers Award" winners The Cock and Pullet were always making people laugh with their outfits, but they weren't the only ones... It's always great to have outfits, rickshaw design, and team name all match! And everybody enjoys a team who stand out from a crowd! Practice makes perfect Driving over 500 miles in an auto tuk-tuk can be daunting experience, but training in Chennai prepared all the teams to face the Indian roads. But breakdowns happen... Of course, rickshaws are temperamental beasts. Luckily, the boys from Chennai Garage boys are always ready to fix any problem in no time. Making friends Even with policemen! Lots of friends Here is Jale from Team Magic Bird, the Classic Run overall winners, meeting the locals in one his team's many different outfits! There are always smiling faces on the road Even if they don't have seat-belts... The stunning scenery The Classic Run takes teams to some great places to relax. ... and enjoy the view. All the history A trip to India wouldn't be
This year’s Rickshaw Challenge Classic Run was as successful as ever. From Chennai all the way down to the tip of Southern India, the Rickshaw Challenge Classic Run was filled with laughter and adventure. Teams traveled almost 1000 km, experiencing the region’s incredible food, fascinating history, and stunning scenery. There were challenges too: the
We talk to Johnny, from Team Wildsome Volvo, who participated in this year's Baltic Run. Now the Baltic Run is over, it's time to relive the memories with some of the contestants. After interviewing the overall winners, we caught up with Johnny from Team Wildsome Volvo. This team were involved in many of the most memorable moments from this years event, including when they broke down (see Johnny's "craziest experience", below) and had to fix their car with chewing gum! They were also very committed to going the extra mile for the various fun challenges, ending up as joint winners in the photo competition. All the photos below are their own! Why did you sign up for the Baltic Run? After Caucasian Challenge in 2014 we decided that we would also go on the Baltic Run. When we saw the 10 years anniversary offer we just had to sign up now :) How did you hear about the Baltic Run? After the Caucasian Challenge we regularly look at the offers from Travel Scientists. What did you expect and what did you get? I expected lots of snow, driving on roads that hadn’t yet been plowed for traffic. I got less snow than I expected, but this event had a great social aspect. What was your craziest experience during the Baltic Run? Losing the light on the car on a highway while it was dark, snowing an very low visibility. What was your most positive experience during the Baltic Run? The great social aspect every day and night. Its almost like being a part of a special family for 2 weeks. Describe the Baltic States in one sentence! Beautiful nature with friendly people. Would you join this or any other of the rallies
We talk to Johnny, from Team Wildsome Volvo, who participated in this year’s Baltic Run. Now the Baltic Run is over, it’s time to relive the memories with some of the contestants. After interviewing the overall winners, we caught up with Johnny from Team Wildsome Volvo. This team were involved in many of the most memorable
This year's Baltic Run winners answer our questions. The Baltic Run is over for another year, so we took the chance to interview this year's champions: Team Oachkatzl. They excelled at the various challenges set throughout the Baltic Run, and for their victory were presented with a remote-controlled car. We caught up with Christina and Christian a few days after the rally. Hello! How are you? Christina: Christian and I arrived safely in our snow-covered home in Austria and now I want to thank you again for those unforgettable, adventurous days we spent with you on the Baltic Run. It was GREAT ! Why did you decide to do the Rally? Christina: We are still in contact with participants of previous rallies, and we knew that Annie and Simon, as well as Dirk, wanted to participate, so we thought signing up for the "Baltic Run" would be a nice occasion to meet them again. Christian: And we visited the Baltics including Kaliningrad in the summer 2015 and we wondered what it might look like in winter and it definitely was worth a second visit! Were the Baltics what you expected? Christina: We knew the beautiful Baltic States already from a holiday in May and June, so we were afraid of the dark, long winter-nights and thought we would miss the blooming meadows and the sun. Instead we were surprised how wonderful it was in winter: we enjoyed the Christmas decoration in the lovely towns, the snow-covered backroads and all the interesting sights we got to visit. What was your craziest experience? Christina: The stay in the Hotel "Fontaine Royal" in Liepaja [where the owner was a very eccentric, but generous, host]. Christian: We even spend Saturday night 3 more hours in the Fontaine-Lobby waiting for our ferry. Regrettably, Louis didn't show up. Kaspar was disappointed and
This year’s Baltic Run winners answer our questions. The Baltic Run is over for another year, so we took the chance to interview this year’s champions: Team Oachkatzl. They excelled at the various challenges set throughout the Baltic Run, and for their victory were presented with a remote-controlled car. We caught up with Christina and Christian a few days after
The latest Baltic Run is over, so it's time to look back at the highlights! After a terrific 9 days, travelling over 2600km all the way from Krakow to Tallinn, the latest Baltic Run is over for another year. The teams -- "Wildsome Volvo", "Hakuna Matatu", "Barfeeli", "Deepzone", "21", and "The Road Blockers" -- came from all over the world to enjoy the winter wonderland of the Baltics. And they weren't disappointed: here's what we learned on the latest Baltic Run! There was a lot of snow... The minimal assistance rally started off without snow, but that soon changed. Within a few days the coldest winter in years had arrived in Eastern Europe, which meant plenty chances to test the participant's winter driving skills! Sure, it meant taking the driving slow, but who wants to speed past the stunning scenery? And plenty ice... While it was a hazard on the roads, participants got to see beautiful frozen lakes, if (like pictured above) they were brave enough to face to cold! When even water bottles are freezing, you know it's cold. But the Danish team didn't feel the cold! Unbelievably, even while spending most of the week in temperatures below -10°C, some hardy Baltic Run participants (pictured above) claimed to not even need a jumper! However, trying to escape the cold has its dangers... when another team, "Barfeeli", attempted to warm up by visiting a spa in Lithuania, they couldn't understand why the lady at the reception, who spoke no English, seemed so surprised to see tourists. They soon understood: on arrival they encountered a thermal bath absolutely packed with naked Lithuanians. Was arriving in the spa town of Druskininkai on "naked Friday", celebrated monthly, was lucky or unfortunate? It's up to you! Breakdowns are Unavoidable The latest
The latest Baltic Run is over, so it’s time to look back at the highlights! After a terrific 9 days, travelling over 2600km all the way from Krakow to Tallinn, the latest Baltic Run is over for another year. The teams — “Wildsome Volvo”, “Hakuna Matatu”, “Barfeeli”, “Deepzone”, “21”, and “The Road Blockers” — came
