Not Just Travel agent Jo O'Connell didn't bat an eyelid when the email landed in her inbox back in September: "Last spaces on women’s charity challenge in India," it read. "It was the easiest decision I've ever made," she told TTG.
More than 50 women took part in last year's "Let's Goa Rickshaw Rally", raising £135,000 to support transformative, grassroots projects for women and girls in Chennai. This month, Jo – who runs her business with her husband, who is also called Jo – becomes one of those women, and she won't be alone as she'll be joined on the adventure by her sister Lisa.
This year's challenge, headed by social initiative The Sisterhood, begins in Chennai on India's rural east coast. Jo and Lisa will then journey more than 1,000km to the tropical beaches of Panaji in Goa, navigating language barriers, winding roads and heaving market squares.
The rally will wrap up on International Women's Day (8 March) with a farewell party hosted by hospitality company Karma Group. A lofty £150,000 fundraising goal has been set by this year's participants.
Jo will be reporting back to TTG every day with all the highlights from her inspiring trip so check back in on this article for daily updates, and head over to The Sisterhood's shared fundraiser page to support the challenge.
Day 7 (8 March) – Bhatkal to Panaji (10.09am)
"We've finished! We were welcomed with Moet Champagne, musicians and the biggest welcome from Karma Hotels. This trip has been epic – I can only describe it as a rollercoaster. The learning curve was incredibly steep, and there were a couple of situations where I thought, 'wow, that was actually really dangerous'. But I'm so glad I took part.
"Around 99.9% of vehicles out here are operated by men, so I really hope that our little convoy has inspired other women, both in India and in the UK, to step out of their comfort zone. You can do anything when you put your mind to it.
"We are still fundraising, and there's so much left to do. We've met the people behind this charity, and we know that every single pound raised is going to change a woman or child's life.
"Happy International Women's Day!"
Day 6 (7 March) – Mangalore to Bhatkal (2.10pm)
"We've reached the coast! We're so close to Bhatkal, but we've stopped to have a dip in the sea. We deserve it! Today has been way smoother in comparison. The traffic's crazy, but we're used to it now. We've learnt a few things from our fellow tuk-tuk drivers. Act like you own the road, drive assertively, and you'll get through!
"So yeah, we've stopped off, had a facepaint fight on the beach, and washed it all off. Now we're going to a restaurant, then it's Bhaktal, and finally, Panaji!
"The energy is high, people are buzzing – but also pretty sad. They don't want to say goodbye to eachother, and they don't want to say goodbye to their tuk-tuks! You actually do get attached.
"The final leg is a long one, around 230 kilometres, but there's no more mountains! It's straight and clear from here. Wish us luck!"
Day 5 (6 March) – Mangalore (10.14pm local time)
"It's been a long, but amazing day. None of us wanted to leave Mysore. It's a beautiful city, and we had the best night last night. But we did leave, and today has been mostly us travelling through the mountains, which is a lot of going up and down, up and down. I've learnt how to use gears as brakes, to avoid the actual brakes burning out. We're playing it very safely.
"The highlight was going to a Tibetan monastery this morning. It was absolutely stunning. The monks were just walking around, being chilled. Being monks, really. We've pretty much done coast-to-coast at this point, which is an incredible achievement.
"We've seen absolutely nothing of Mangalore. But this isn't a sightseeing trip, it's a fundraising trip! We've decorated our Disco Diva tuk-tuk now, too, in preparation for the final stretch."
Day 5 (6 March) – Mysore to Mangalore (8.06pm local time)
"Still driving! It's dark now, and we've had some really hairy moments on the roads, with high winds, dazzling lights and cars overtaking on our side of the road. This isn't for the faint hearted. Will update soon."
Day 4 (5 March) – Bangalore to Mysore (9.55pm local time)
"What a difference a day makes! Yesterday was pretty hairy, but today has been so much fun. Bangalore is completely different to the other cities. Very modern, with big brands on tall buildings and this huge artery of a super highway running through it.
"We left this morning, through some hectic traffic, but when you reach the city outskirts it totally transforms. There's so much colour, vibrancy, and we saw tropical palm trees and rice paddy fields. It was a wonderful drive into Mysore. We stopped over at this amazing family-run restaurant called Tata Idli. The whole thing, including water, costs £3 for three people. Unbelievable.
"Mysore is a real treat. It's a stunning city, and you start to relax as soon as you arrive. It's completely different to the other places we've been so far.
"We had a quick change, got ready, showered and went out for the evening. We visited this incredible incense and essential oil shop, where they taught us how they grow the flowers and harvest sandalwood. The oils are so incredibly potent, like nothing I've seen in the UK. There was also an older lady working in the shop who makes 6 to 7,000 incense sticks a day. We spent a bit of money there, before moving onto this crazy street market area.
"The final stop was Mysore Palace, where we watched the light show. It gave Disneyland Paris a run for its money, and only cost £1 to watch!
"Today has been the highlight of our trip, no doubt. It feels like I'm on holiday. Tomorrow is another story, though – it's to Mangalore, which will be our longest drive yet. It's a 252-kilometre trip, and we have to travel through some mountain ranges. We're all a bit nervous, so it's an early night for us. Wish us luck!"
Day 3 (4 March) – Bangalore (11pm local time)
"We arrived at the hotel an hour ago. Phew! Just finished dinner, so I'm heading to bed. We're up at 6.30am tomorrow for another long day!"
Day 3 (4 March) – Vellore to Bangalore (6.55pm local time)
"We've been waiting for a mechanic for over an hour now. About 15 different men have tried to help us – they've been amazing. These guys have never met us, and they're lifting our tuk-tuk up and getting oil over their hands. Their family and children are waiting patiently in their own tuk-tuks to go and start celebrating Holi.
"Unfortunately, they haven't been able to fix it at all. So we're still waiting. There's an hour and 10 minutes of heavy city traffic between us and our destination in Bangalore, so it's going to be a long night. We really want to get home now – it's been a long day!"
Day 3 (4 March) – Vellore to Bangalore (5.53pm local time)
"We're stuck on the side of a three-lane traffic highway. We had almost arrived in Bangalore and were driving over some speed bumps which have totally wiped out our gear cables. So, now we have no gears other than three and four, which aren't too useful.
"We're just trying to work out what to do. There's a mechanic on the way, but luckily we've been surrounded by some amazing Indian men who are helping us. I don't know if they can actually fix it, though. I think we're all learning on the spot. Wish us luck!"
Day 3 (4 March) – Vellore to Bangalore (3.44pm local time)
"It's very bouncy on the roads today. I've just done two hours of driving and managed to find the tallest, steepest hairpin bend to travel down. There's lorries overtaking you, and cars everywhere. It's a bit of nightmare, and a place where you need to keep your cool.
"It reminds me of travelling through a Moroccan city, with all the narrow alleys, and earlier we drove the tuk-tuk into a tiny dead end. So we had to do a 15-point turn while pushing it, and a piece of wood that was boarding up a trench in the road broke. So we almost lost the tuk-tuk to the trench. But we didn't! Wahey! It's all character building, right?
"We've gone from a team of two to three now. Jude's joined us, and she's an amazing driver. She's teaching us how to change gears a lot more smoothly than we've been! It's Holi, which is why we look like this, by the way. So Happy Holi! We've met up with some locals, and are going to grab some food and party!"
Day 2 (3 March) – Chennai to Vellore (5.27pm local time)
"Today has been AWESOME! We left Chennai during rush hour, which involved overtaking a couple lorries, and visited Varadharaja Perumal Temple, which is really intricately carved from granite. My sister and I also came across some drummers celebrating Holi (Wednesday officially), and while we were filming, a local man came up and encouraged us to join in.
"So, we did some impromptu dancing with him by the side of a really busy road, dodging buses all the while! It was so wonderful to connect and have some spontaneous fun.
"We then went to a local restaurant and ate dosa, which are thin, savoury crepes with chutney. The locals were eating with their fingers beautifully, and we were just a mess. Lots of people were having their photos taken with us, too. Apparently it's good luck which, when you don't have an ego, feels really bizarre!
"We're settled into our hotel now, which is in the city centre surrounded by beeping and noise. I love it – it's so vibrant. Now, we're going to meet a few of the other girls taking part in the challenge and explore the city together.
"Oh, I also had to do a really hard U-turn into oncoming traffic to avoid a cow, who was just sat in the middle of the road. I've never had to do that before!"
Day 1 (2 March) – Chennai (9.08am local time)
"It's been an absolutely mad first day. We started with two hours of test-driving around a car park before being let loose on the streets of Chennai.
"My sister and I then drove to a school with facilities for children with special needs, which is very unusual in India, that the previous year's challenge helped build.
"Tomorrow, we're off to Vellore, which will involve hitting the highways – and that's going to be a different challenge entirely!"
