How to drive an automatic buggy: the basic idea
The buggies on our safari are automatic. That single word removes most of what beginners worry about: there is no clutch to balance and no gearstick to think about. You press the accelerator to move, ease off to slow down, use the brake to stop and steer with a wheel. If you have ever driven a dodgem or a go-kart, the layout will feel familiar; if you have driven an automatic car, even more so.
You also sit inside the vehicle rather than astride it, as you would on a motorbike-style machine. Your body stays in the seat, your hands stay on the wheel and your feet stay on the pedals. Around and over the seats runs a tubular frame, which is what you see in our photos. It is part of how the buggy is built; we describe it here so you know what to expect when you climb in, not as a promise about anything else.
What the vehicle explanation covers
Before anyone drives, the base team runs through the vehicle itself. This sits in the day's fixed order, after the information briefing and the safety briefing and just before the practice drive. It is the moment to ask anything you are unsure about, however basic it seems.
Expect it to deal with the practical questions a new driver has:
- how you get in and settle into the seat
- where your hands and feet go
- how the controls respond when you press and release them
- how to bring the buggy to a stop when the guide signals
- how the helmet should sit and stay on for the whole safari
How it feels on dirt for the first time
Driving on loose ground is different from driving on tarmac, and that difference is most of the fun. Expect forest tracks, dirt roads and bumpy, uneven stretches, with dust, small stream crossings and water-splash stops, plus mud when conditions allow. The buggy moves around beneath you: it bumps, it rocks and on loose surfaces it may slide a little.
Beginners often grip the wheel tightly and stab at the pedals. Both make the ride rougher. A relaxed grip, gentle pressure on the accelerator and early, steady braking give you a smoother and more controlled drive, and they are exactly what the guide hopes to see during practice.
Five habits that make you a better first-time driver
None of these needs talent. They are simply what experienced guides keep reminding newcomers about, and they work.
- Look well ahead along the track, not at the bonnet in front of you.
- Squeeze the accelerator gradually; sudden bursts mostly throw up dust.
- Brake before a bump or a bend rather than in the middle of it.
- Keep a safe distance from the buggy ahead so you never need to brake hard.
- Watch the guide's signals and stop as soon as you are asked.
The practice drive is where it clicks
Reading about it only goes so far. Every driver completes a compulsory practice drive before the main route, and that is where the controls start to make sense in your hands and feet. Each driver is watched, and only the guide decides who then steers the full 18 km.
Should it not click, or should you prefer being driven, you ride the whole loop as a passenger, paying €15 instead of €30. Plenty of guests end up there, and it costs nobody any of the ride.
Driving with a passenger beside you
Many drivers share the buggy with a partner, a friend or a teenager. A passenger rides with a driver in the same vehicle, and that changes the job slightly: every bump you take hard, they feel too. Drivers who brake early and take rough patches gently usually hear far fewer complaints from the seat next to them.
Passengers attend the same briefings and wear a helmet for the whole route, so they know the stopping rules as well as you do. If your passenger is nervous, agree before you set off that you will take it steady, and keep that promise once the dust starts flying. You can still enjoy the water-splash stops together; you simply choose how hard to hit them.
Who can try it, and what to wear
Drivers must be 16 or above; an ID handed over at registration confirms it. Holding no driving licence is fine, since the whole loop is an off-road course, not a public road. Passengers ride along from the age of 6.
Choose closed shoes or trainers, because flip-flops make the pedals awkward and are not suitable for driving. Old, comfortable clothes in darker colours are wise, since the dust settles on everything. The helmet is provided and included.