Short or long buggy route Side: where things stand
Two route lengths are on record for the Side course: the Short route at 18 km and the Long route at 28 km. Only the first is on sale through this site. The longer one has no fare yet, and until it has one there is nothing to book and nothing honest to add beyond the distance itself.
That might sound like a thin answer, but the question behind it is a fair one. People who ask about route length usually want to know whether the standard ride is enough, whether it suits a beginner and how much of the day it takes. Those questions we can answer properly, and the rest of this page does.
The Short route: what you get
This is the route behind every booking on this site.
- Distance: 18 km off-road
- What is underfoot: woodland tracks and bare dirt roads, plenty of dust, bumpy patches, a few small streams and splash points, and mud only when conditions allow
- Programme: approximately 4–4.5 hours in total, a figure that already covers the drive to the base, check-in, the two briefings and the practice drive
- Start of the activity: 08:00, 11:00 or 13:00, chosen when you book, with the hotel pickup set a little before
- Fares: €30 per driver and €15 per passenger, paid on the tour day
- Drivers: 16 and over, proven by an ID check at the base; nobody asks for a licence, since the buggies stay on a private off-road course that public traffic never uses
- Passengers: from 6, riding with a driver
The Long route: what is on record
Here the honest list is brief, and we would rather keep it brief than pad it out with guesses.
- Distance: 28 km, on the Side course
- Status: it exists, but it is not offered on this site yet
- Fare: none on record, so none is published
- Programme length: not published
- Route details: nothing beyond the distance is recorded, so we make no claims about its ground
- Booking: not possible here at the moment
Who the Short route suits
First-timers, above all. The 18 km loop gives you enough ground to get comfortable with the buggy, from steering through ruts to easing across a stream, without turning the outing into a whole day. Because every driver does a practice drive first and the guide assesses each one, nobody is thrown in at the deep end.
Mixed groups do well on it too. Someone aged 16 or over can drive with a passenger of 6 or older, who pays half, and anyone who decides on the morning itself that driving is not for them simply rides along. With three departures to pick from, the safari sits alongside a beach day instead of swallowing it.
If you already know you want more distance than 18 km, we cannot sell you that today. A WhatsApp message will get you a straight answer on whether anything has changed, but we will not quote a fare or a duration that does not exist.
How to decide right now
In practice, the decision is made for you: the Short route is the one you can book. What you can choose is the departure. The 08:00 slot starts the activity early in the day, 11:00 sits in the late morning and 13:00 is the afternoon option. In each case the transfer collects you before that time, and the exact pickup is confirmed once you book.
You can also choose your role: drive for €30 or ride along for €15. If you are not sure whether you will want the wheel, say so when you book, and bear in mind that the guide's assessment after the practice drive settles who drives.
Nothing is paid before the tour day, and there is no online payment. Cancelling is free up to 48 hours before the start, so you can reserve the Short route now and still keep your plans flexible.
What the buggy day includes
Whichever slot you choose, the order is fixed: you arrive, register, take the information briefing and then the safety briefing, have the vehicle explained, do the practice drive, wait for the guide's assessment, and only then set out on the 18 km main safari. The buggy is an automatic you sit inside, steered with a wheel and pedals, and the helmet stays on from start to finish.
Come in old clothes, ideally dark ones, and closed shoes or trainers. Pregnancy rules the safari out; with back or neck problems, recent surgery or a heart condition, please ask us first. Nobody under the influence of alcohol or drugs takes part, whether as driver or passenger.
- Hotel transfer both ways within our nine pickup areas around Side
- Buggy and helmet
- Information briefing, safety briefing, vehicle explanation and practice drive
- Professional guidance on the route
- Insurance, where applicable under the operating policy
- Changing cabins and showers at the base
- If you fancy them, at extra cost: goggles and a bandana bought at the base, snacks or drinks, and pictures from the base team