Segways!
That is, until I Googled Segway prices and had to downgrade my desire from buying to at least trying it out. In case you were wondering, a Segway is a two wheeled electric self-balancing device, and looks pretty much like a high tech scooter.
Imagine my surprise and elation then, to learn that self-balancing scooter tours was now a thing right here in Sri Lanka! I recently spoke to Graham Brownlie, the man behind the tours - the first of its kind in the country. Backed by Jetwing Travels and Ajith Fernando, Amazing Adventures Pvt Ltd (Ninebot tours being one among its many ventures) strives to provide "themed tours that are for tourists and locals and are fun, different and not necessarily historical, but where you see sights and discover Sri Lanka in a fun and innovative way."
I was beyond excited when Graham invited me to try out the tour. At his suggestion, I chose the Cinnamon Parks and Gardens Night Tour. This tour takes you to Town Hall, Cenotaph War Memorial, Nelum Pokuna, Colombo Race Course, Independence Square and Arcade. An hour's tour will cost you Rs. 3000 per person.
Having arrived at the agreed location, I was greeted by the sight of a couple gliding along effortlessly along the Viharamahadevi Park, guide in tow. But we all know looks can be deceiving. So I decided to not jump to anymore conclusions until I actually tried it. Joining me on the tour was Life Online presenter Shenali de Silva. The guide explained to us the basic safety rules, before helping us out with our safety helmets and elbow and knee pads. Since this was a night tour, there's additional safety gear in the form of high visibility jackets and head lights.
Upon coming face to face with the sleek Ninebot though, my vertically challenged self was soon a bundle of nerves. Would I, a "fun-sized" human, be able to take on this machine? To make things worse, I am also what I like to call a "situational klutz" - i.e. I am more prone to clumsiness at the worst possible moments. Besides, falling off a Ninebot and dying was not on my agenda. (Nervous people are totally allowed to be prone to theatrics okay? Just saying.) Nevertheless, Graham assured me that the Ninebot was safe and that I wasn't going to fall off. He even showed me previous clients on the tour - some of them 10 years old.
The first few minutes were spent with our awesome and very patient instructor explaining how the Ninebot works followed by the do's and don'ts. This info is all pretty easy to process, simply because it's all so obvious. The machines used for the tours are Ninebots, a leading Segway alternative. Interestingly, Ninebot recently acquired Segway, but both machines will continue to operate under existing brands. Comparatively, the Ninebots are sleeker, weigh just 20kg and cost way less. The Ninebot retails for Rs. 400,000. The more you know.
Once we were given all the necessary deets, our gliding instructor showed us how to get on and off the Ninebot. As a first timer, you may wobble and twitch a little bit at this point, but this is probably the only tricky bit if anything - especially since the machine's sophisticated sensors sense your foot and begins to move ever so slightly to find its balance. Once we got on our machines things were smooth sailing, so to speak. Surprisingly, it doesn't take long to get a feel for these machines. Within a minute of having gotten on, we'd already gained confidence, and our guide was satisfied enough to let us loose on the streets of Colombo. (Well, not streets exactly. We stuck to bike paths. But you get the point). To move forward, backward or turn the machine, we simply had to move the handlebars in the appropriate direction. And that's about all one needs to know. Easy as pie, literally.
Ninebots are an amazing way to sightsee because
Imagine my surprise and elation then, to learn that self-balancing scooter tours was now a thing right here in Sri Lanka! I recently spoke to Graham Brownlie, the man behind the tours - the first of its kind in the country. Backed by Jetwing Travels and Ajith Fernando, Amazing Adventures Pvt Ltd (Ninebot tours being one among its many ventures) strives to provide "themed tours that are for tourists and locals and are fun, different and not necessarily historical, but where you see sights and discover Sri Lanka in a fun and innovative way."
Having arrived at the agreed location, I was greeted by the sight of a couple gliding along effortlessly along the Viharamahadevi Park, guide in tow. But we all know looks can be deceiving. So I decided to not jump to anymore conclusions until I actually tried it. Joining me on the tour was Life Online presenter Shenali de Silva. The guide explained to us the basic safety rules, before helping us out with our safety helmets and elbow and knee pads. Since this was a night tour, there's additional safety gear in the form of high visibility jackets and head lights.
Upon coming face to face with the sleek Ninebot though, my vertically challenged self was soon a bundle of nerves. Would I, a "fun-sized" human, be able to take on this machine? To make things worse, I am also what I like to call a "situational klutz" - i.e. I am more prone to clumsiness at the worst possible moments. Besides, falling off a Ninebot and dying was not on my agenda. (Nervous people are totally allowed to be prone to theatrics okay? Just saying.) Nevertheless, Graham assured me that the Ninebot was safe and that I wasn't going to fall off. He even showed me previous clients on the tour - some of them 10 years old.
The first few minutes were spent with our awesome and very patient instructor explaining how the Ninebot works followed by the do's and don'ts. This info is all pretty easy to process, simply because it's all so obvious. The machines used for the tours are Ninebots, a leading Segway alternative. Interestingly, Ninebot recently acquired Segway, but both machines will continue to operate under existing brands. Comparatively, the Ninebots are sleeker, weigh just 20kg and cost way less. The Ninebot retails for Rs. 400,000. The more you know.
Once we were given all the necessary deets, our gliding instructor showed us how to get on and off the Ninebot. As a first timer, you may wobble and twitch a little bit at this point, but this is probably the only tricky bit if anything - especially since the machine's sophisticated sensors sense your foot and begins to move ever so slightly to find its balance. Once we got on our machines things were smooth sailing, so to speak. Surprisingly, it doesn't take long to get a feel for these machines. Within a minute of having gotten on, we'd already gained confidence, and our guide was satisfied enough to let us loose on the streets of Colombo. (Well, not streets exactly. We stuck to bike paths. But you get the point). To move forward, backward or turn the machine, we simply had to move the handlebars in the appropriate direction. And that's about all one needs to know. Easy as pie, literally.
Ninebots are an amazing way to sightsee because
1) no walking means you don't get tired. So you're all energetic and excited the whole time.
2) gliding is faster than walking (Ninebots have a max speed of 20km/h. Not saying you should stick to that speed. Besides, you're sightseeing. Not racing. So simmer down, people!), so the breeze keeps you cool.
3) it's a lot of fun! Not to mention Colombo by night is breathtakingly beautiful.
A few things to keep in mind - getting on a Ninebot with heels is a complete no-no. So do make sure you wear comfortable clothing and flat shoes. Don't wear anything that could potentially get caught up in the wheels like scarves and long coats. It's very easy to get overconfident and want to try out stunts, but this will cause the machine to tip over. And take you with it.
A few things to keep in mind - getting on a Ninebot with heels is a complete no-no. So do make sure you wear comfortable clothing and flat shoes. Don't wear anything that could potentially get caught up in the wheels like scarves and long coats. It's very easy to get overconfident and want to try out stunts, but this will cause the machine to tip over. And take you with it.
