The quad: handlebars, a thumb throttle and a saddle
A quad — an ATV, if you prefer the technical name — is a four-wheeled bike. You sit astride it on a saddle rather than in a seat, feet on the footrests, hands on the handlebars, and speed comes from a thumb throttle — which is why the vehicle briefing spends a few minutes on it before anyone moves.
That is the whole difference between the two vehicles on this website: the buggy has a wheel and pedals and you sit inside it; the quad has handlebars and a saddle and you sit on top, shifting your weight into the bends. Both run on the same private off-road course inland from the Side coast, with the same day structure.
A guided convoy, not a race
The group drives in a convoy behind the guide, who sets the pace and chooses the line through the terrain; you follow, keep a safe distance to the quad in front and stop when the guide stops. Overtaking, stopping and emergency procedures are covered in the safety briefing, and the helmet stays on for the whole ride.
The course is forest tracks and dirt roads: dust on the dry stretches, mud and uneven ground elsewhere, small stream crossings and water-splash stops along the way. How much dust or water you meet depends on the day — conditions are never identical and none of them is guaranteed.
The day from hotel to hotel
In season the quad safari departs three times a day — at 08:00, 11:00 and 13:00. Those are activity start times, not pickup times: pickup is earlier, depends on your hotel and the route of the day, and is confirmed with your booking. The transfer covers Side, Kumköy, Evrenseki, Çolaklı, Titreyengöl, Sorgun, Kızılağaç, Gündoğdu and Kızılot, and the whole programme is approximately 4–4.5 hours door to door.
- Hotel pickup and transfer to the base
- Arrival and registration — drivers show ID
- Information briefing and safety briefing
- Vehicle briefing and practice drive, then the guide's assessment
- Main off-road safari — the 18 km route
- Showers at the base, return transfer, hotel drop-off
Who drives, who rides along
Drivers are 16 or older and show ID at the base as proof of age. No driving licence is required — the safari runs on a private off-road course, not on public roads — but the safety briefing and the practice drive are. The guide assesses every driver on that practice drive and has the final say; anyone who does not drive rides the same route as a passenger, at the adult fare.
Everyone aged 11 and over pays the adult fare, driving or riding along. A child aged 6–10 rides as a passenger with an adult driver and pays the child fare — the quad safari and the family buggy safari are the two products that take child passengers. Children under 6 cannot take part; there is no infant seat on any of the three safaris.
What is included — and what is paid at the base
The fare covers the whole programme, not just the quad:
Extra and paid at the base: goggles and a bandana against the dust (optional — bring your own), food and drinks, and the base team’s photos and video. Wear old clothes and closed shoes; the showers at the base are there for the dust and mud.
You pay on the day of the tour — nothing is charged online. Cancellation is free up to 24 hours before departure, and the booking system caps each departure at 40 participants.
- Round-trip hotel transfer
- The quad for the safari
- Helmet, worn for the whole safari
- Information briefing and safety briefing
- Vehicle briefing and practice drive
- Professional guidance on the route
- Insurance, where applicable under the operating policy
- Changing cabins and showers at the base