What do you think?
Rate this book
Weird Travel #3
Tuk-Tuk for Two
“The race…” She said. “India. Were you serious?”
About racing a tuk-tuk one thousand kilometres through India with a woman I’d just met…?
No, I wasn’t serious.
“There’s a fifty percent chance we’ll die. And the flight’s in two days. But if you want to, okay…”
It was not a reasonable offer. But then she wasn’t a reasonable woman. She was certainly unreasonably attractive. I tried not to let that sway me, which was like a hammock deciding a tornado wouldn’t sway it.
Driving terrified me; I hadn’t done it in a decade. But if I could drive in India, I could drive anywhere. And if I said yes, I’d get to spend ten days with her. Would that be enough time to find out who she was, what she wanted, and then convince her to abandon that and want me instead?
So I said yes...
Tuk-Tuk for Two is a hilarious travel memoir about adventure, love, fear, fate, India, and a blue racing tuk-tuk named Winnie.
It’s the third in the best-selling Weird Travel series that has entertained tens of thousands of readers. They can be read in any order and in the tradition of Bill Bryson, Paul Theroux, and George Mahood: you’ll love their vivid descriptions, unforgettable characters, weird situations, and absurd humour.
226 pages, Paperback
Published February 27, 2020
About the author
Adam Fletcher
28 books134 followersGet a free book at - http://adam-fletcher.co.uk
Adam Fletcher is a 38 year old bald Englishman living in Berlin, Germany. When not shamelessly selling his life in story form, he spends his days eating chocolate and napping. He's a particularly good napper.
He's the author of eight traditionally published books, including three Spiegel bestsellers, and has sold more than 350k copies combined, not all of which were to his mother, he hopes. She no longer lets him in her garage. Adam specialises in taking you, from the comfort of your favourite armchair, to the strangest countries and places in the world with his popular Weird Travel series.
He also writes comedic fiction as Adam R. Fletcher - https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
Adam Fletcher is a 38 year old bald Englishman living in Berlin, Germany. When not shamelessly selling his life in story form, he spends his days eating chocolate and napping. He's a particularly good napper.
He's the author of eight traditionally published books, including three Spiegel bestsellers, and has sold more than 350k copies combined, not all of which were to his mother, he hopes. She no longer lets him in her garage. Adam specialises in taking you, from the comfort of your favourite armchair, to the strangest countries and places in the world with his popular Weird Travel series.
He also writes comedic fiction as Adam R. Fletcher - https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 101 reviews
June 15, 2021
I really needed a break from all the serious stuff I've been reading so I enjoyed this. I'm a Bryson fan so although this wasn't perhaps as hilarious as Bryson, it had the distinct advantage of being about a place and culture I know. The personal story sort of intruded on the travelogue part and I'd have preferred it to stick with the place and people but overall, a fun read. Just one quibble: Travelling from the very south of Kerala through Alleppey and on to Calicut, Fletcher says they took a detour from Calicut to go to Kochi. :( Kochi is in central Kerala and so they would have visited it en route from Alleppey - it's certainly not a 'detour' one can take from Calicut in the north!
December 15, 2022
I thoroughly enjoyed this hilarious story of two strangers (a British man and German woman) participating in a tuk-tuk race in India. Who would have thought a motorized rickshaw (that makes the tuk-tuk sound) is so difficult to operate? The scenes of the couple’s many mishaps on the crowded streets of India are laugh-out-loud funny and realistic at the same time. Based on my own visits to India, I can imagine the crowd reacting the way the writer describes. A brilliantly written travel comedy with romance thrown in.
May 31, 2020
Unfortunately I really disliked the author's writing style. There is nothing wrong with it, only it's not for my tastes and this is my review. My second issue with the book is the vague line between reality and tale... is this a true story? Partially true? I suppose that bordering the travel book style this line should be cleared defined.
March 30, 2024
This is the third book that I’ve read by this author and it was by far my favorite! A harebrained adventure tale about a couple that decides to do the Rickshaw Run - a 5-day, 1000-mile rickshaw ride across India - on 3 days notice!
March 30, 2022
Wow! Would you risk your life if your chance of death is fifty percent? Adam did when he fell so hard for a woman he had just met in a bar. Within two days, he and the girl entered a five-day race in India in a tuk-tuk. Sounds crazy. It is because he’s afraid of driving. This book was interesting the whole way through. I highly recommend it and can’t wait to read the next one.
May 10, 2021
An okay read but I quickly became tired of it. I've read two books by Fletcher and his humour gets a little bit old.
February 3, 2026
Tuk-Tuk for Two was a fast-paced read about two strangers who take on a wild 1,000km Tuk-Tuk race across India. Adam Fletcher seamlessly wove together the chaos of the journey and its inevitable mishaps with personal reflections on fear, being underprepared, relationships, and what can happen when you say yes to a crazy idea with a stranger.
His self-deprecating humour kept the tone light and engaging, although at times it became tiring. Whilst his developing romance added a personal dimension to the story, I felt it detracted from the 1,000km adventure itself.
His self-deprecating humour kept the tone light and engaging, although at times it became tiring. Whilst his developing romance added a personal dimension to the story, I felt it detracted from the 1,000km adventure itself.
June 18, 2023
Loved this book! Finished too quickly!
April 8, 2026
I really wanted to like this, especially as I've been to India and thought it would take me back to that time in my life. I just struggled to follow the writing style and couldn't keep up or focus on it, so I gave up!
July 26, 2020
I loved this book; it’s lightness; the dry wit of the author; the moments that made me laugh; the real human issues and dilemmas, some of which I definitely recognised in myself. Thought provoking and all set in a colourful, frenetic setting full of vibrancy and life; India. I really do want to know what happened next. Thoroughly recommended.
Did Not Finish
January 18, 2023I've been slapped in the face, again and again, by an overabundance of metaphors, like an unnecessary simile.
I understand the appeal, but perhaps I'm not in the right frame of mind.
I understand the appeal, but perhaps I'm not in the right frame of mind.
October 3, 2022
A quick entertaining read, however I found the constant glib humour became tiresome. I was also hoping for more of a travelogue and less of the personal "lust" ...or was it "love" story. I do wish Adam Fletcher well, he seems like a really nice guy and I'm sorry I couldn't award more stars.
January 29, 2022
I enjoyed visualizing a book as I read it but this was impossible for me. It jumps everywhere. I abandoned it about halfway through. Kind of funny at times but overall a snore.
February 26, 2022
I was hoping for more on the adventure itself, less of the author lining over a woman. It was a fine book but it’s more a love story than travel and adventure!
April 7, 2020
Hook line and sinker, worst to best!
Adam,
yes please mate, keep writing these books. I haven't been able to put them down and this one, the Tuk Tuk race, was the best yet. I literally read it cover to cover in a day, properly hooked and totally immersive. You feel like a friend I've shared a journey with, a thoroughly enjoyable, totally life changing journey and I need to know what's next? Camels across the Sahara? A Harley on route 66? No too cliched, too easy, too lazy? If it's "worst to best" then it'll be dune buggies on the moon and man have you got a book to write....
Buy this book, settle down in your most comfortable place and join a doubting Thomas on a captivating journey full of gobby aussies, smelly tuk tuks and just a smidgen of sentiment. It truly is a wonderful read and I never give 5 stars but this thoroughly deserves it, thanks Alan, sorry, Adam.
Adam,
yes please mate, keep writing these books. I haven't been able to put them down and this one, the Tuk Tuk race, was the best yet. I literally read it cover to cover in a day, properly hooked and totally immersive. You feel like a friend I've shared a journey with, a thoroughly enjoyable, totally life changing journey and I need to know what's next? Camels across the Sahara? A Harley on route 66? No too cliched, too easy, too lazy? If it's "worst to best" then it'll be dune buggies on the moon and man have you got a book to write....
Buy this book, settle down in your most comfortable place and join a doubting Thomas on a captivating journey full of gobby aussies, smelly tuk tuks and just a smidgen of sentiment. It truly is a wonderful read and I never give 5 stars but this thoroughly deserves it, thanks Alan, sorry, Adam.
August 6, 2020
More fun than a tumblin' tuk tuk
Great book. I laughed and that doesn't often happen when I read. I was intrigued by the premise but got hooked on the story.
And yes, I'll read more to see what happens next. You are a delightful couple.
Two more comments. First, I wish the book were significantly longer with India playing a larger part. This is a story where the sights and sounds and smells of the subcontinent should have been the third major character. The one that stays the same as the other protagonists changed.
And finaly, this is a very good book,. It's a lot of fun and it's sneaks up on you because you come to care about two normally flawed souls as you pull for them to make it. I gave it 4 stars. For me, 5-star books are the classics and occasional masterpieces of our times. This author has a 5-star in him so keep reading his work.
Great book. I laughed and that doesn't often happen when I read. I was intrigued by the premise but got hooked on the story.
And yes, I'll read more to see what happens next. You are a delightful couple.
Two more comments. First, I wish the book were significantly longer with India playing a larger part. This is a story where the sights and sounds and smells of the subcontinent should have been the third major character. The one that stays the same as the other protagonists changed.
And finaly, this is a very good book,. It's a lot of fun and it's sneaks up on you because you come to care about two normally flawed souls as you pull for them to make it. I gave it 4 stars. For me, 5-star books are the classics and occasional masterpieces of our times. This author has a 5-star in him so keep reading his work.
September 17, 2021
I enjoyed this book. I have been to some of the parts of India that they went through, so I could picture the scenery. We even saw a different set of rickshaw racers preparing to begin when we visited Cochin (and my husband wants to do it some day.. though what is described in this book sounds like a shorter version of what the racers we saw were planning).
I think if I didn't have this prior experience traveling to India, I might have found it a bit lacking in the descriptions of the country and the race itself, though the parts where they are learning to drive the rickshaw are pretty funny. :). The story is more focused on the relationship between the two racers, 2 people who met in a bar just a few days prior to starting the race. I would recommend it if you enjoy travel memoirs - they are one of my favorite genres.
I think if I didn't have this prior experience traveling to India, I might have found it a bit lacking in the descriptions of the country and the race itself, though the parts where they are learning to drive the rickshaw are pretty funny. :). The story is more focused on the relationship between the two racers, 2 people who met in a bar just a few days prior to starting the race. I would recommend it if you enjoy travel memoirs - they are one of my favorite genres.
February 18, 2023
This is the 3rd book by Adam Fletcher in his “weird travel series.” And just like the first two, I really enjoyed this one. Yes, I googled an image of a Tuk-Tuk, just to have a better idea of what they were dealing with.
So, it is indeed a story of two strangers, and of course, one of them is Adam, who happen to meet in a bar. She was supposed to meet a friend who was going to be her partner in the Tuk-Tuk race, but that friend broke her arm and couldn’t go. And she never showed up at the bar either. Thank goodness for Adam, as he was able to engage her in a conversation. Well, a week later, Adam and the stranger, Evelyn, embarked to India for that wild and crazy Tuk-Tuk race.
I won’t spoil anything, but a lot of interesting stuff happens to them and their Tuk-Tuk, which they named Winnie, and they meet a wide variety of people.
So, it is indeed a story of two strangers, and of course, one of them is Adam, who happen to meet in a bar. She was supposed to meet a friend who was going to be her partner in the Tuk-Tuk race, but that friend broke her arm and couldn’t go. And she never showed up at the bar either. Thank goodness for Adam, as he was able to engage her in a conversation. Well, a week later, Adam and the stranger, Evelyn, embarked to India for that wild and crazy Tuk-Tuk race.
I won’t spoil anything, but a lot of interesting stuff happens to them and their Tuk-Tuk, which they named Winnie, and they meet a wide variety of people.
April 6, 2023
I absolutely loved this book. Tuk-Tuk for Two is a hilarious travel memoir about adventure, love, fear, fate, India, and a blue racing tuk-tuk named Winnie.
***************
“The race…” She said. “India. Were you serious?”
About racing a tuk-tuk one thousand kilometres through India with a woman I’d just met…?
No, I wasn’t serious.
“There’s a fifty percent chance we’ll die. And the flight’s in two days. But if you want to, okay…”
It was not a reasonable offer. But then she wasn’t a reasonable woman. She was certainly unreasonably attractive. I tried not to let that sway me, which was like a hammock deciding a tornado wouldn’t sway it.
Driving terrified me; I hadn’t done it in a decade. But if I could drive in India, I could drive anywhere. And if I said yes, I’d get to spend ten days with her. Would that be enough time to find out who she was, what she wanted, and then convince her to abandon that and want me instead?
So I said yes...
***************
“The race…” She said. “India. Were you serious?”
About racing a tuk-tuk one thousand kilometres through India with a woman I’d just met…?
No, I wasn’t serious.
“There’s a fifty percent chance we’ll die. And the flight’s in two days. But if you want to, okay…”
It was not a reasonable offer. But then she wasn’t a reasonable woman. She was certainly unreasonably attractive. I tried not to let that sway me, which was like a hammock deciding a tornado wouldn’t sway it.
Driving terrified me; I hadn’t done it in a decade. But if I could drive in India, I could drive anywhere. And if I said yes, I’d get to spend ten days with her. Would that be enough time to find out who she was, what she wanted, and then convince her to abandon that and want me instead?
So I said yes...
April 21, 2021
Woah! This fella can write. He has a turn of phrase like no-one I've read before; I really admire it. I must admit, it was almost too much at times - his similes and metaphors are unique and vivid but after a while I was a bit like "easy, tiger, don't spoil it...". Less really is more in writing sometimes. But generally speaking, I loved his humour, his observations, and his outlook on life. This is one of those books that looks at humankind and says, "So, that's the way to do things", making us think about why we're here and what we're doing. It's almost like a self-help book without ever intending to be. Thank you, Mr Fletcher. (Worth adding that I have read 'Don't Go There' and only gave it 3 stars...his writing wasn't as captivating in that one. Read Tuk-Tuk instead, people.)
December 3, 2022
This is the story of two strangers who meet in a bar, and decide to go on a tuk-tuk race over 1000 km across India. Evelyn's partner has let her down, and Adam has no ties, so why not? So a few days later, they are in India and panicking about why they decided to do this - after all, there's a 50% chance they won't survive.... Lots of descriptions of India, and some of the interesting and colorful characters also involved in the race, but this is also about introspection: feelings and emotions, and the whys and wherefores of life. I enjoyed the read. I'd read the first book in the series, but it didn't matter that I'd missed out book 2 - although I will now go back and read that before I embark on book 4. Definitely a recommended read.
June 5, 2025
An enjoyable journey with Adam and Evelyn as they turn a battling relationship with Winnie the tuk-tuk into an affectionate one. Some great descriptions of places, especially the sense of overwhelm at traffic on some of the roads. And some amusing recollections of conversations and people met. Brought back memories of my own short trip to India many years ago.
I was particularly grateful for the chapter that covered the history of British involvement and partition. It was simply explained in a way that many explanations aren’t. It helped me get an idea of the atrocities suffered.
This was a Prime lending book chosen because our Prime subscription is about to run out and I wanted to make use of it on my new kindle before it does 🤣
I was particularly grateful for the chapter that covered the history of British involvement and partition. It was simply explained in a way that many explanations aren’t. It helped me get an idea of the atrocities suffered.
This was a Prime lending book chosen because our Prime subscription is about to run out and I wanted to make use of it on my new kindle before it does 🤣
March 30, 2020
This was fun
Adam has a way of telling a story in the way a good friend would catch you up after not seeing them for a few months. It's personal. It's fun. It's interesting. Plus, I seem to learn something new after reading his books. In this book, I learned that in India they have tuk tuk races. Whoa. I've seen images of India and their crazy traffic. Adam also tells us a history lesson in a way that I wanted to learn more and that surprised me as I've never given India much thought. Oh, and there's a hint of romance, as well. Great book. Looking forward to the next one.
Adam has a way of telling a story in the way a good friend would catch you up after not seeing them for a few months. It's personal. It's fun. It's interesting. Plus, I seem to learn something new after reading his books. In this book, I learned that in India they have tuk tuk races. Whoa. I've seen images of India and their crazy traffic. Adam also tells us a history lesson in a way that I wanted to learn more and that surprised me as I've never given India much thought. Oh, and there's a hint of romance, as well. Great book. Looking forward to the next one.
August 5, 2020
A crazy race and a touch of romance – the perfect combination
This was definitely the best of the bunch! I have read Adam’s other two books and he seems to have perfected the art of self-deprecation and humour in this book. A fascinating story of a crazy Tuk-Tuk race around India, combined with a potential for a new love in his life, this is a great read. Adam continues to reflect on life and himself as he grapples with the controls of the Tuk-Tuk and I thoroughly enjoyed the journey he covered in this book. More please!
This was definitely the best of the bunch! I have read Adam’s other two books and he seems to have perfected the art of self-deprecation and humour in this book. A fascinating story of a crazy Tuk-Tuk race around India, combined with a potential for a new love in his life, this is a great read. Adam continues to reflect on life and himself as he grapples with the controls of the Tuk-Tuk and I thoroughly enjoyed the journey he covered in this book. More please!
November 13, 2020
Entertaining
I liked this, it's what I would call a beach read if it wasn't for Covid, so I'll call it a "feet up something to read in the afternoon when you've got a week off work"read. Ironically, I should be in India. It brought back memories but this book is really about Adam and Evelyn, India is more of a backdrop. I've not read any of Mr Fisher's books before but will look for another. Nothing too analytical or heavy going, some of the metaphors are toe curling, but enjoyable nonetheless.
I liked this, it's what I would call a beach read if it wasn't for Covid, so I'll call it a "feet up something to read in the afternoon when you've got a week off work"read. Ironically, I should be in India. It brought back memories but this book is really about Adam and Evelyn, India is more of a backdrop. I've not read any of Mr Fisher's books before but will look for another. Nothing too analytical or heavy going, some of the metaphors are toe curling, but enjoyable nonetheless.
March 1, 2022
After finishing Stephen Fry’s Heroes his adaptation about Greek Heroes and their stories which he discusses with such passion/interest. I was looking for a quick read before I moved on to my next book. In a book newsletter, I stumbled across Tuk-Tuk for two. I respect the courage that Evelyn asks Adam in a bar in Germany to be her partner in a Tuk-Tuk race from Kerela to Goa. Here we get to experience driving a Tuk-Tuk through Indian traffic, the bumpy roads, to how a relationship develops between two strangers. A really easy read I gave it 3/5 do check it out.
June 14, 2023
Taste is very personal, and this was definitely not to my taste. Too convoluted, trying to be funny in the narration (not succeeding, sorry), and I do not know whether this attitude towards anyone not white and European was supposed to be funny or ironic, if so - too subtle for me.
The protagonists I felt were whiny, refusing to grow up and so ego-driven and irresponsible - definitely not my kind of book.
My apologies if I misunderstood the author, as I said, if this was ironic/cynical/satiric, it was too subtle for me.
The protagonists I felt were whiny, refusing to grow up and so ego-driven and irresponsible - definitely not my kind of book.
My apologies if I misunderstood the author, as I said, if this was ironic/cynical/satiric, it was too subtle for me.
April 11, 2025
This was a nice read but something about the style just wasn't for me. It might have helped if I'd known it was a memoir from the beginning, but the advertising/branding made it look like a rom com style book- maybe it was a bit jarring for me because I was expecting that? The little aside chapters on various subjects like history and philosophy didn't work for me- again, possibly because I thought this was an easy read summer book. Not for me, but because of branding and it not being what I expected, nice characters and a happy ending though.
October 17, 2020
Adam agrees to fly off to India with a woman he’s known for the less than a week within days of meeting her in a bar - she needs a partner for a Tuk-Tuk race across the crazy roads of India at ridiculously short notice, while Adam needs potential material for the book he's writing - not to mention a potentially new and welcome relationship status.
High on the spontaneous richter scale I'd say!
Great armchair travel adventure - funny, quick and easy to read.
High on the spontaneous richter scale I'd say!
Great armchair travel adventure - funny, quick and easy to read.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 101 reviews