Top 7 crazy taxis around the globe

Chinese sheep taxi

Living life in a dull grey ‘coffee on the go, hail a yellow cab to work’ city most city dwellers start to believe that’s all there is to life… an endless rush of yellow (and if you’re lucky) white cabs crawling through cities, travelling slowly all over the globe, converging where the sun rises to take coffee duped workers to…. well work.

Which is why come the blessed 4 weeks of paid leave, when they decide to travel to unseen exotic lands, they’re in for a shocker. They come to sample the culture and the cuisine, but are first met by the local transport. Not a yellow cab…. and really anything but, bemused travellers rate these as the top 7 craziest taxis in the world:

 7: Maybach Taxi Moscow, Russia

Expensive Maybach Limousine in Moscow, Russia

Only in Russia can one rent a Maybach… and only in its most expensive city. Tourist sail across the city lounging in this prestigious limousine. Anyone can book a Maybach, and it doesn’t have an hourly rate, but a fixed rate. At 320 USD per trip the Maybach will take you wherever you need to go.

6: Taxi Boat Auckland, NZ

Taxiboat in NZ

To get to the remote and beautiful Kawau Islands, travellers take a taxi boat from the coast of Auckland. Eighty-eight minutes of smooth sailing through breathtaking scenery gets them to a lush sub-tropical getaway, making this water taxi one of our favorites.

5: Taxi Hanoi, Vietnam

Motorbike taxi in Vietnam

Fast, fun and cheap, these motorbikes are the preferred mode of transport by locals and tourists alike. These taxis come with their own personality and only worthy travellers can ride them. Their enthusiastic opportunist drivers tend to overcharge foreigners, forget agreed on prices, stop understanding your language and sometimes even snatch your wallet help themselves to what they like and speed off. A cheap ride and a battle of wits combined!

4: Bicycle Taxi, Spain

Bike taxi, Spain

A common sight around in Spain, these bike taxis, or trixies are cheap (about 9 Euros per person), all-weather capable, eco- friendly rides. Three wheeled and shaped like a dumpling, their drivers are usually friendly men who often speak both English and Spanish. The trixie is a great way to travel the city like a real local, they don’t get stuck in traffic, and the drivers are usually great tour guides. All in all trixies are a godsend for travellers.

3: Chinese Sheep Powered Taxi

Chinese sheep taxi

An innovative and hilarious way to go about town, though not the fastest! This is probably the most unusual ride available in China. Sheep powered taxis are catching on in this country, particularly in the smaller districts and villages. Enjoy the ride, but don’t bargain too much, or the driver may set his sheep on you… and they are feistier than they look!

2: Riksha (Rickshaw) Taxi, Pakistan

Famous rickshaw

No doors, no glass panes in the back, no fear. These colorful, fast and noisy rides come with drivers with their own understanding of natural law, whereby rickshaws can pass through solid matter. Common to all of Pakistan and most of India, these rickshaws are an assault on the senses, as they navigate you through marketplaces jammed with people at terrifying speeds. All travellers must attempt to ride these at least once. Really, no one can be a seasoned traveller without braving the Riksha!

1: Coco Taxi, Cuba

Cuban coco taxi

Coming in on number one is the Coco taxi. Named after coconuts, and resembling giant 90’s helmets, these joyful little taxis are a common site in Cuba. These buggies are three-wheeled, made of fiberglass and have two seats glued to a moped in the back. More affordable than regular taxis, these Coco’s scuttle about and it looks as if the city is being taken over by escaped arcade cars.

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